This blog post has been in the pipeline for three years. I really have no explanation for not doing it sooner. 

The cuisine of the Middle East is diverse while having a degree of homogeneity. It includes Arab, Iranian, Jewish, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Kurdish, Cypriot and Turkish cuisines. Fresh, wholesome, rich and aromatic are some adjectives that pop into mind when I think of this cuisine. It is commonly associated with the use of olive oil, parsley, pita bread, sesame seeds, chickpeas, mint and rice.

Both I and my husband are very fond of Middle Eastern food. From an appetizer point of view, I love the concept of dipping warm bread and colorful vegetables in an assortment of savoury dips and condiments with various cheeses on the side!

There are several Middle Eastern restaurants in Singapore that we frequent like Al-Hamra, Alaturka, Beirut Grill, Sofra, Shiraz and Shabestan. Pistachio and Artichoke have been on our list on a long time but we haven't gotten around to checking them out. Hopefully soon!

Aside from going to restaurants, we also cook several of our favourite dishes at home. We love putting together homemade mezze snacking platters with hummus, baba ganoush/moutabel, tzatziki, muhammara, tabbouleh, falafel, pita, toum, vegetable sticks, feta cheese, olives, nuts, apricots and figs. Our children also love this concept of dining. 

We went to Arkadaş Cafe, a cafe in Fusionopolis serving authentic Turkish cuisine, a few years ago for lunch, and since then, we have been there several times. Whenever our twins have a birthday party on Saturday afternoon, our helper takes them and the three of them end up having lunch there which gives me and the husband a few hours for a lunch date and we tend to pick Arkadaş Cafe. We can enjoy a kid-free conversation, a delicious lunch and be back home by the time the girls are back. 

What I really like about the cafe is that it isn't too far for us, I like the casual and chilled out vibe, the  extensive menu choices, the unpretentious homely food and the more than reasonable prices.

To get there, the nearest MRT station is One North on the Circle Line and it is less than a kilometer walk away from there. We go by car and usually park in one of the nearby buildings of Fusionopolis. 

The cafe is surprisingly spacious which is not quite evident when you see it from the outside. The glass windows and high ceiling make the cafe airy and bright. The interiors are very plain and minimalist with the color scheme dominated by green, white and brown. I have spotted some Turkey tourism posters adorning the walls. Considering the imposing building it is housed in and the lovely tropical surroundings, the cafe could definitely do with some sprucing up.

My husband who had been to Arkadaş Cafe with his colleagues a couple of times previously, told me that the founder and chef of Arkadaş Cafe is former personal chef to the Turkish Ambassador to Singapore for 22 years. With those credentials, I think authenticity of the cuisine is pretty much a given!

I have heard that on weekdays it can get quite crowded (considering the bustling location) but on weekends, the cafe is relatively quieter. 

The menu has an impressive range of drinks (none of them alcoholic by the way), appetizers, mains and a few desserts. You can try Turkish coffee or tea, homemade ayran, Middle Eastern dips, bread such as pide and pita, salads, wraps/rolls,/sandwich musakka, kebabs, baked rice, grilled meats and traditional desserts like baklava and kunefe. Note that there are plenty of vegetarian and a few vegan options in the appetizer section but only two in the main course section. 

I managed to dig out a few pictures from our previous visits and putting together my thoughts on this cafe. 

Here are some of the dishes that I commonly order,