CHEF
(^) +
(^) CUISINE
041
At Sofra, both Chef Cemalettin Tonga and restaurant
manager Suleyman Hilmi Kok make us feel so
welcomed with their bright and cheery spirit. “In
Turkey, the lambs feed on oregano and thyme on the
mountains,” says the 33-year-old Turkish chef. “That’s
why the meat, when grilled, has a fragrance, even if
you didn’t add any salt.” In Turkey, the meat is enjoyed
fresh, whereas in Singapore, only frozen meat is
available, since we do not have sheep farming here.
“When you defrost the meat, even if it’s just a ten
percent different in the taste, it is still a difference,”
explains Chef Tonga, with a note of pity. He usually
requests for male lambs from his Australian or New
Zealand lamb suppliers, because they are softer, with
a subtler scent, and chooses young ones below one
year of age. “Those that are over one or two years
are already mutton, and no matter how you marinade
them, they are going to taste tough.” Aside from milk
and sunflower oil, lamb tenderloin cubes are also
marinated with Turkish herbs and spices, before they
are grilled over charcoal for the shish kebab. These
are then served with Turkish butter rice, red cabbage
in apple vinegar, and grilled green peppers. Iskandar
sauce, made with tomato, onion, garlic, butter, ginger,
and Turkish spices, is served with firin kofte, featuring
oven-baked lamb patties topped with Turkish
mozzarella cheese. These are enjoyed with a soft
and springy Turkish bread. Incidentally, Chef Tonga
comes from Mersin, a coastal region next to Adana in
southern Turkey, after which a kebab of lamb ground
with chilli flakes and green capsicums is named.
In Turkey, the lamb has a fragrance
that comes from feeding on oregano
and thyme on mountain pastures.
Cemalettin Tonga
firin kofte oven-baked lamb patty in tangy tomato sauce
shish kebab, grilled lamb cube with Turkish cracked wheat