Cafe Turkuaz — Restaurant in Bloomington

This unassuming little restaurant on the corner of Third and Lincoln Streets absolutely blew us away last night.

Everything that could have gone wrong on my partner's birthday, earlier in July, went wrong, so we ended up postponing his birthday dinner. We were in Bloomington, and I suggested we stop here. I'm glad we did.

We started out with baba ganousz. I make this dish as part of my Easter mezze, and I like the version at Turkuaz better: it's a little "sharper" than mine (they probably use more garlic than I do, and I think I'm going to start doing that).

My partner had a pide: think a burrito with a slit down the middle where you would add ground meat, vegetables, cheese, spices and some yogurt. It's very good.

My favorite meat is lamb. Well prepared, lamb is spectacular -- it's fork tender and melts in your mouth. Badly prepared, and you can tack it to the bottom of your shoes and your soles should be good for another three years.

We both got red lentil soup, which was a very pleasant surprise over lentil soups we've had here in the States. The red lentil soup at Turkuaz has much more depth of flavor than American lentil soups, with a peppery "heat" that gradually builds in the back of your mouth as you eat. If you like spicy food, you're going to love this!

I had lamb chops, and it was one of the three best lamb dishes I've ever eaten. One was in the now-defunct Star Canyon in Austin; the other was at a little restaurant in San Francisco (is there even such a thing as bad food in San Francisco?). The lamb is marinated in onion juice, which gives an added depth of flavor but interestingly, the onion juice does not overpower the lamb. It is quick seared, leaving the inside almost hot, but still pink. The result is fork-tender and melts in your mouth. I ate slowly to savor this.

The cabbage salad is somewhat like our slaw: the texture is about the same, but the salad is nowhere near as sweet as our slaw, and leaves a very pleasant mouth-feel. Absolutely loved the coban salad, with tomato, cucumber and parsley; and the kisir, which has bulgar wheat, red pepper and parsley. Middle Eastern food, in general, uses much more fresh parsley than American food. Fresh parsley in food is just amazing; and fresh parsley makes fabulous salads.

We finished up with baklava. The goal with baklava is to have layers of crispy filo pastry between layers of honey and crushed walnuts. It is spectacularly difficult to pull off. The baklava was a little "soggy", but what it had in sogginess was more than made up with the decadent, buttery flavor.

Too bad I'm only allowed five stars with this. Turkuaz deserves seven stars --...

Excellent food, impeccable service.

These guys have the best hummus you will find in Indiana, bar none. It’s savory, slightly garlicky, and hits you with a slight bitterness near the end. Absolutely delightful. Baba ghanoush is amazing as well, but since I’m allergic to eggplants I’m not the best source on its quality. I will say that my family remarked at how great that was as well, so it was most likely a top notch version of the dish as well.

Hummus: 5/5

Turkish tea is a must-have when you’re here. It comes out piping hot and it tastes so good when paired with the hearty Turkish meals. Only complaint is that I wish they gave you a teapot so you could refill your cup once finished.

Tea: 4.5/5

I got the Chicken Turkuaz Kebab, which ironically is more of a stew than a traditional “shish” kebab (which they also serve). The kebab stew comes in a decorated clay pot, served with rice, salad, and a flatbread. This was absolutely amazing. The stew had such a deep flavor, interweaving the flavor of the chicken and vegetables with notes of cumin and cardamom. The chicken itself was incredibly tender, falling apart with only the slightest pressure from my teeth. The flatbread was very nice but I was confused as to how I was supposed to incorporate it with the kebab. I ended up just using it like a stew-soaker, which worked well enough. The rice was plain, acting as a perfect vessel for the stew. Only part of the dish I didn’t quite understand was the salad which even though delicious, didn’t pair well with the rest of the plate. Maybe offer the salad before the main course? I feel like that would make for a better experience overall.

Turkuaz Kebab: 4.5/5

My parents both got pides, which are like closed Turkish pizzas. Both looked and smelled amazing, and my parents enjoyed them.

Baklava was good, but didn’t knock my socks off. The honey needed more spices to really hone the flavor.

Baklava: 3.5/5

Overall, great spot in Bloomington. Best West Asian/Middle Eastern spot in Bloomington without a doubt. If you’re in the area and are looking for yummy food, look no further than Turkuaz...

There was no price list. When I asked the older woman the price for a coffee, I was told it cost "threeish." When she rang it up, it was $3.99. I told her, you said it was threeish, this is flourish. She said that "there will be a slight discount" and she handed me back $16.00 out of a 20 dollar bill. There was no "discount" and she forgot my 1-penny change. They gave me the feeling that my kind was not welcome there and the young man working there complained to a young woman there that I did not greet him in the traditional Muslim manner after he silently stared at me. The older woman never said thank you or even your welcome after I said thank you to her. I was treated coldly, was ripped-off and the hot coffee I left there with had no lid because they said they had none; causing the hot coffee to spill on my hand and shorts. It's poorly run & I left there wondering if I needed to be Muslim to be treated as though I was welcome in that cafe. I will never go back in this business. And in response to the owner: Yes, I have the right business and there WAS NO price list clearly posted after I walked in. I am surprised you do not remembered me, since it was you we who served me when there were no customers around or in the cafe. It WAS you who said you have no lids for the take-out paper cups. I had light beige shorts on with a light-blue t-shirt. I also believe in accepting different beliefs and people, since I was raised that way, that's why I tried your store. Yet, I regret trying your store. You just made a sound, "mm" after I said thank you. You never said, you're welcome, thank you or have a nice day. I walked away with the impression of being unwelcome there. It is traditional business etacate nearly anywhere in the world to at least say, you're welcome or thank you back to a customer. Normally, to reply "mm" back to a customer can be seen as viewing a customer as not worth saying anything to or not liking a a customer. It certainly does not embue a sense of appreciation...