PrintHanci Turkish Cuisine, a Much Needed Turkish Restaurant in New York
Photographs by Robyn Lee (unless otherwise noted)
Hanci
854 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (b/n 56th and 57th; map); 212-707-8144
Service: Attentive, but I can't vouch for what it's like when full
Setting: Attractive, simply furnished, comfortable storefront
Compare It To: Akdeniz and Turkuaz
Must-Haves: Mixed appetizers, sigara boregi
Cost: If you get the mixed appetizer plate and split a grilled fish or meat, you should be able to get out for $25 a head including tax and tip.
Grade: B
Here's a pop quiz for you, Serious Eaters. When's the last time you said to your friends, "Hey, let's go to a Turkish restaurant"? The fact of the matter is that there are very few Turkish restaurants in New York. My favorite is probably Akdeniz in Midtown, and there's Turkuaz on the Upper West Side, but after that I'm stumped. I don't understand why. The Turkish food I've had has always been simple and profoundly enjoyable. Mezze, spreads, grilled meats, and some fried things thrown in for good measure. What's not to like?
So when an old friend recently told me about Hanci, a Turkish restaurant that had just opened in her neighborhood, the Serious Eaters had to check it out.
Hanci is an attractive, inviting, and simply decorated storefront that has been eerily empty every time I've been there. It is owned and operated by a gracious Turkish husband-and-wife team.
I would happily make a meal out of the large mixed appetizer plate ($18). What's on it? Tender house-made grape leaves stuffed with rice, parsley, pine nuts, and onions; creamy, garlicky humus; tarama, an intense red caviar spread blended with olive oil and lemon juice; cacik, thick house-made yogurt with finely chopped baby cucumbers, seasoned with garlic and dill; and my favorite; Patlican salad, char-grilled eggplant with peppers, parsley, fresh dill, and just enough lemon juice.
The spreads are made to order for the basket of puffy rectangles of Turkish bread that arrive at your table almost on cue.
Augment these spreads with an order or two of sigara boregi (phyllo scrolls stuffed with feta cheese; $5). They are greaseless, light, crispy fried cigars, and just tangy enough from the feta.
Grilled meats were a mixed bag (or should I say a mixed grill). Sis kebab (lamb skewers; $15) were perfectly cooked medium rare cubes of mild lamb the first time I ordered them, and hopelessly overcooked the next. Tavuk sis (marinated char-grilled chicken; $14), was pretty dry, too.
Pirzola (four succulent baby lamb chops; $20), had a nice charred crust and a lovely rim of fat, but they too were overcooked.
Levrek (whole grilled sea bass; $17) had moist flesh enlivened by a squeeze of lemon.
The best dessert we sampled was the kazandibi (baked and caramelized milk pudding with cinnamon and ice cream; $5).
As far as I'm concerned, the more Turkish restaurants that open in New York the happier I'll be. Go to Hanci, order the mixed appetizer plate, make sure they keep the warm, fresh Turkish bread coming, and request your sis kebab rare (to give the grill man more margin for error). When you're done you'll be asking yourself why you don't eat Turkish food more often.
Read more of Ed's reviews.
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26 Comments:
What about Turkish Kitchen? The food there is delicious. Thanks for the review - I'll have to check it out.
killatofu at 11:18PM on 02/10/09
sigh ... do you realise how lucky you new yorkers are? to you, a sparse selection of a certain restaurant-ethnicity means there's a good handful, with a great new one opening on occasion. living in northern alberta, an authentic turkish restaurant would be a godsend! i'm not bitter - just want to remind you to enjoy the deliciousness extra for those of us in the hinterland! guess i'll be heading to my local pizza/pasta joint ...
jojojo at 11:27PM on 02/10/09
Ali Baba on 34th and 2nd
pookerz at 11:38PM on 02/10/09
I live two blocks away from Turkuaz. Love it. Otherwise, I've been to Pasha on 71st. It was very good, quiet, and it's a pretty romantic spot too, great for a date.
simon at 11:43PM on 02/10/09
Check out Taci's Beyti in Brooklyn. Q train to King's Highway.
http://pufflist.blogspot.com/2008/10/tacis-beyti.html
FNice at 9:07AM on 02/11/09
Ali Baba's pretty good-- don't know if I'd go out of the way for it though.
Jenn Sit at 9:18AM on 02/11/09
Conveniently, a 12 minute walk from the conference hotel I'll be chained to in 10 days. Thanks Ed.
kitchengeeking at 9:42AM on 02/11/09
I love Peri Ela on Lexington between 90/91st. It's a beautiful, intimate space and the food is delicious.
mwheeler at 10:32AM on 02/11/09
@killatofu, Turkish Cuisine is really good, and the first good Turkish restaurant I can remember going to in New York. They have a good and cheap 3 course lunch special.
Ed Levine at 11:00AM on 02/11/09
I love Turkish food. Though I try not to mention that too much around the Greek side of my family...
LttlMichey at 11:02AM on 02/11/09
I also forgot about the nutty, talented Turkish chef-restaurateur Orhan Yegen's places. He opens and closes lots of good Turkish spots in New York. I believe he opened Turkish Cuisine. Currently he has Sip Sak on Second Avenue and 49th Street.
Ed Levine at 11:06AM on 02/11/09
@Ed - The lunch special at Turkish Kitchen is awesome. Such a great deal for a ton of food.
killatofu at 11:30AM on 02/11/09
@jojojo - I feel your pain - but I have a real treasure next to my house in Southern Ontario - Turkish neighbours! They lend me their cookbooks whenever I ask and even send over treats when they made too much of something. It is wonderful. I should start a thread and perhaps we could gather up some "make at home" Turkish recipes - while probably not quite as authentic or good as NYC Turkish, we could have a Canadian Boonie-ville Turkish Virtual Party!
Maureen at 11:37AM on 02/11/09
I second Sip Sak on 2nd Ave. Very attentive waitstaff, generous pourings of wine/liquor, and to-die-for eggplant spread to start with.
andrearode at 11:38AM on 02/11/09
This reminds me of one of my first upscale dining experiences. Can't remember exactly when it was, but it was the eighties. I begged my parents to take me to Anatolia, a classy Turkish restaurant on the East Side, after I heard they had tavuk göğsü, a chicken breast mousse dessert, and it sounded so outrageous that I really wanted to taste it.
simon at 12:09PM on 02/11/09
Please don't ignore little mom and pops like Uskudar on the Upper East Side! Dervish is good and pretty authentic, in the theater district.
eleeb at 12:31PM on 02/11/09
I miss living 2 blocks from Ali Baba...good food relatively cheap
jasmall at 3:02PM on 02/11/09
Sip Sak on second. super.
Dedaa at 3:08PM on 02/11/09
I love Beyoglu on 81st and Third.
mhjulie at 6:59PM on 02/11/09
good call, eleeb. Uskudar is a great little place!
amauri at 1:12PM on 02/12/09
I second Peri Ela, @mwheeler. I also like Seven's on W. 72nd, between B'way and A'dam. They have a hummus with Turkish pastrami that is out of this world.
klg19 at 7:07PM on 02/12/09
Like Turkish Cuisine as well -- has charming 'wow' factor for out-of-town guests...
FlynnNYC at 10:46AM on 02/13/09
Really? Have you not been living in the city for the past 2 years? I first visited Turkey in the summer of 2006 and upon my return started noticing an uptick of openings of Turkish restaurants. Aside from Pasha, Beyoglu, Turkish Kitchen and Sevens, there is also Zeytin and Bodrum both on the UWS. There is a small little place on Lex Peri Ela. There is Turks & Frogs in Tribeca. Pera in Midtown. And all of these off the top of my head. While the numbers can't compare to say Italian or French restaurants in NYC, I would say you haven't looked very hard if you could only name two.
rivergirl at 2:47PM on 02/17/09
First, I have honestly never posted a comment on a message board but felt the great desire after eating at the Hanci Restaurant in Manhattan. Truly amazing! We were a group of ten people who ordered a complete array of appetizers, entrees and deserts and not one us was unhappy or unsatisfied, simply impressed. I was thrilled to get to eat turkish food because I lived there for three years but don't have any quality turkish food where I live now (Minnesota). The cook did it right! The kebabs were spectacular, my friend loved his levrek and the esme and patlican were awesome. I cannot recommend it highly enough. The owners were also incredibly hospitable and amiable (in true turkish form!) and played wonderful turkish music both halk (folk) music and pop music. It was a lovely evening and I will most assuredly go back when I'm in New York again. Afiyet olsun!
Wayne Drano at 8:11PM on 03/14/09
i, too, visited HANCI with a group of ten and we had no trouble getting excellent service. the hosts were very accommodating. i particularly like the atmosphere of the restaurant. we ordered nearly everything on the menu; it was all presented beautifully and cooked perfectly. i ordered a sampler appetizer plate, the levrek, and the kazandibi (the first time i have tried this & i can't stop thinking about it). i ate some of my neighbor's braised lamb (on special that evening) which was just incredible. being a chef, i am very fussy about the preparation of my food. i recommend HANCI. i can't wait to go back. also, the prices are quite reasonable.
jcentola at 4:32PM on 04/18/09
Ed I think Hanci read your review... because we ordered delivery last night and all of the meat on the mixed grill was cooked perfectly- pink in the middle, and not dry at all. (A tough feat to pull off for delivery)
And the mixed appetizer plate was as delicious as you described. Thanks for the rec!
Zach Brooks at 10:16AM on 04/19/09