Kazan – fine Turkish food
Most of us think of Turkish food as the doner kebab. Fast, cheap, and far too often not very good.
But Turkey created a great empire. In the seventeenth century the Turks even laid siege to Vienna. And the sultan’s court enjoyed marvellous food, with recipes of great refinement and delicacy.
Kazan devotes itself to this Ottoman tradition. While some of the dishes, like the smoked aubergine puree and borek, are recognisable to anyone who knows their Turkish oooking , others add a little spin to the recipe – melon with feta cheese, for instance, or squid cooked in vodka.You’re definitely encouraged to try the mezze – small dishes, both hot and cold – to get a feeling for the variety of the cuisine.
Kazan has been operating in Wilton Road, Victoria, for six years. Its owners, Levent and Bulent Hassan, are now opening a new restaurant in the City, at Houndsditch (close to Liverpool Street Station). It will open in May – and should be worth a visit. With this place and the Damascu Bite in Shoreditch, the City fringe is developing a nice Levantine vibe.
Kazan Victoria is at 93-4 Wilton Road, SW1; Kazan City, 34-6 Houndsditch EC3.
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