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A Conversation With Turkish Lazuri Café
We sat down with Turkish Lazuri Café, who are a true American success story. Coming over from Turkey many years ago, the people behind Turkish Lazuri Café have worked in every part of the restaurant industry. After going into business with his brother and opening a very successful Turkish restaurant in Brookline, the Café’s owner felt it was time to branch out to start a place of his own.
Coming into this interview, we knew very little about Turkish food and culture. Luckily for us, we got a masterclass on how to order like a local. At Turkish Lazuri Café, you are more than a customer you are family.
When you walk into Turkish Lazuri Café, you are greeted with a cup of Turkish tea as if you were walking into their living room. After one cup we were buzzing, and asked where we could get some of our own. Sadly, we were told that the tea is imported from the region of Turkey that they are from.
For food, we started off with a traditional Turkish breakfast dish, menemen. Breakfast lovers, this is a must try. Think of scrambled eggs with fresh veggies and spices, but creamier. This is served with bread that is baked fresh every morning in-house.
For our next course we had lahmacun, A.K.A Turkish pizza. There is no cheese on this pizza, and the crust reminds us more of a pita crust than pizza dough. On top of this ultra-thin crust is minced meat, chopped veggies, and a variety of Mediterranean spices. Coming out in a circular shape with a side of tomatoes and other veggies, we were ready to add the veggies on top and pick it up and eat it like any normal pizza. Fortunately, we had our food Sherpa’s to show us the proper way to enjoy this delicacy. What you are supposed to do is take the veggies, put them in the middle of the pizza, and fold it up in a burrito-like fashion. The result is a savory sensation from the core of the lahmacun, paired with the freshness of the veggies. It’s a true yin and yang experience.
After this we had sucuklu pide, which reminded us of a calzone. The pide dough is light, flaky, and sweet. One of the chefs (from Turkey) specializes in making the pides. The filling, on the other hand, is savory and cheesy, filled with cheese, egg, sausage, and pepperoni. This really is the ultimate late night munchie snack. The savory and sweet had our mouths watering, and we will definitely be coming back for more.
No meal is complete without a dessert, and for this we tried kunefe. There is no comparison for this sweet concoction. The outside is a nest of crispy dried noodles, and the inside is a sweet cheese similar to a mascarpone. All of this is drenched in maple syrup, resulting in a decadent dessert that will no doubt satisfy your sweet tooth.
The food is homemade, authentic, and fresh, but what sets Turkish Lazuri Café apart is the hospitality. Turkish food is hard to find in Boston, and many people do not know where to start when ordering (just like us when we walked in). However, everyone here makes you feel at home and welcome. The staff will guide you through their menu and educate you on their culture. Walking in might be your first time trying Turkish food, but after your experience here we can guarantee that it won’t be your last.
Find Turkish Lazuri Café on their website, as well as on: