İmam Çağdaş Kebap Ve Baklava Salonu — Restaurant in Şahinbey

We were recommended to visit this place by friends. Visited specially for Baklava, but found it way too expensive. Staff was in a hurry to close and get rid of us Baklava tasted average. Presentation and service disappointing. Not at all recommended for Baklava. There are other economical and way superior tasting options out there.

Thank you for taking note of our concern. As you have asked for complete details so i am putting them down for you.

POOR SERVICE As we reached the resturant well before closing. We were told that ground floor is closed for service and were adjusted on first floor where at that time only 2 to 3 other tables had customers dinning in. So there was no rush or crowded situation. We visited the place specifically to taste Baklava. Secondly other guests were served with tea and this courtesy was denied to us. Once we asked for packing of left over baklava, it was rapped in butter paper and plastic shopper, whereas other got their extra food packed in boxed packages. Once we insisted they packed it in a box. A suggestion to please correct the spellings of statement printed inside the box.

BAKLAVA As for Baklava each piece felt like three different layers stacked on each other. Only the base layer on bottom tasted sweet due syrup. On top were barely roasted pistachios. Top layer was baked pale, it seemed altogether like a different part as it did not stick with roasted pistachios.

OVER PRICING As far as highes quality goes. The best pistachios of Gaziantep which is the costiest ingredient of your Baklava costs 750 TL/kg, but price of Baklava being charged is 1450 TL how can it be justified.

I know that your resturant has been serving many customers since long and they are happy, but unfortunately that was not a good experience for me despite paying a hefty sum. I as a customer did not have hospitable experience and product was not worth value its...

This restaurant has an open feel to it with a slight buffet vibe. It's not fine dining by any means. Quick service, quick food. The atmosphere carried this quick, rushed, incomplete feeling. Open boxes in plain site, waiters rushing to get food out. We noticed bird sounds. At first thought it was a recording. After looking around, it turns out there's an actual bird behind the counter singing a long. The service was good but like I said, not fine dining. Very friendly waiters.

Ali Nazik: definitely one of the best Ali Nazik kebap I've had. Interesting that they had the eggplant puree under the yoghurt rather than mixed in with the yoghurt. It was quite greasy, but that's what you get I guess! My personal preference is the şişten (kuşbaşı) over the minced meat. The dish had a fairly strong garlic flavour, more than I've noticed compared to other versions I've had. It was also more runny than other versions I've had, felt like eating soup at times. The flavours were on point though.

Lahmacun: very good lahmacun, the flavours of the mince were solid. It wasn't as crispy as I like my lahmacun, but it was good nonetheless with some crisp to it. It came warm.

The Gavurdağ salad was good, more minty than other versions I've tried. They had ikram (free) salad to serve in the begining (pictured with the plate of lemons and parsley) that was pretty good, drowning in pomegranate sauce.

Also had the ayran in the unique soup bowl which was actually a first for me....

İmam Çağdaş, Gaziantep

Known worldwide as a supplier of baklava and operating like a handmade factory, I have always admired the story of İmam Çağdaş. In the past, it amazed us with its food, maintaining its quality despite its massive service area. However, this visit to Antep left me quite disappointed. The service was very slow, and the food did not go beyond the standard flavors you could easily find in Istanbul.

The lahmacun had a rich filling and decent crispness, but the dough was a bit thick. The base of the Ali Nazik was soupy with a tangy yogurt that made it watery, and the minced meat on top tasted more like meatballs. However, I did enjoy the altı ezmeli kebab with its flavorful tomato base and tender diced meat on top. The side dishes, particularly the salad and ayran, were quite poor.

The baklava served at the end was the same İmam Çağdaş baklava that has become commonplace and can be found everywhere. Compared to Zeki İnal and Koçak, İmam Çağdaş falls significantly behind. The key point I want to highlight is not to criticize but to emphasize how uncontrolled growth and demand are negatively impacting the quality of Antep’s culinary representatives. Therefore, I believe İmam Çağdaş needs to return to its former glory and uphold the reputation of...