Istanbul Restaurant & Cafe & Lounge

May 5, 2010 23:56 by haci

OWNING a restaurant is not unlike owning a carnival. You must be a relentless promoter, a tireless and demanding boss and, above all, ready to pick up and move on short notice. Consider Kazan Turkish Cuisine and its owner, Ercument Sakman.For five years, Mr. Sakman owned Turkish Cuisine, a very good restaurant on Ninth Avenue near 45th Street in Manhattan. With the end of his lease in sight, Mr. Sakman said, he tried to negotiate an extension but could not come to an agreement with his landlord, who naturally wanted to take full financial advantage of Times Square's redevelopment. Faster than you can say, ''Step right up!'' Mr. Sakman was out of there. So he sold Turkish Cuisine and headed for Rego Park, Queens, where he pitched his tent in a building that previously housed a strip club. Five months ago, Kazan Turkish Cuisine opened for business.Like a good businessman, Mr. Sakman seems to have come out ahead on the deal. He's traded in the busy, overcolorful look of his old place for a spare, open dining room with a maroon rug and white walls adorned with a hookah and an old Turkish coffee urn. Only a big, full-length mirror on one wall is disconcerting, conveying the determinedly neutral quality of a hotel lobby.Mr. Sakman seems to have come out ahead in the kitchen, too. With more room than he had in Manhattan, he has installed a stone oven, from which he produces exceptional pide, soft football-shape loaves of bread dotted with sesame seeds, which are great when brought to the table fresh out of the oven and almost as good if no longer warm. Either way, pide is just right with any of the superb cold appetizers.Eggplant is excellent, either charcoal grilled and pureed with garlic ($3.95) or left chunky and served with tomato and garlic ($3.95). Thick house-made yogurt is also terrific, whether served as cacik ($3.50), blended with cucumbers, garlic and dill, or as lebni ($3.50), with walnuts, garlic and dill. Piyaz ($3.95), firm white beans tossed with pickled onions and tomatoes, comes in a lively dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and parsley, while ezme ($4.25), a blend of minced vegetables, tastes of lemon juice and cumin.Don't ignore the tangy hummus ($3.50); fragrant, minty grape leaves ($4.50) stuffed with rice and pine nuts, or a rich, silky tarama ($3.95), the puree of fish roe, olive oil and lemon juice. Better yet, try a selection of cold appetizers ($8.50).I could easily be happy with a meal of pide and cold appetizers, especially in warm weather, but Kazan's short selection of main courses also includes some real winners like shish yogurtlu ($12.95), juicy chunks of tender grilled lamb served over a sauce of yogurt blended with tomatoes. It's a wonderful interplay of savory meat, soothing dairy and sweet fruit given added crunch and texture by crisp croutons.From the list of kebabs and vegetarian dishes, kasarli kofte ($8.95) is a standout, made with chopped lamb blended with mild kasseri cheese, which gives the meat an unusual airiness. It's better than the ordinary adana kebab ($8.95), a hefty cylinder of chopped lamb over rice.Kazan, the Turkish word for ''kettle,'' has no liquor license, so you can bring your own bottle or try Turkish beverages, like sweet-and-tart sour cherry juice ($2.50).You can also try a dessert, like kazandibi ($2.50), which means ''bottom of the kettle,'' a kind of flan, or kadais ($2.50), made with shredded wheat, walnuts, pistachios and honey syrup. They are both good, but extremely sweet.Mr. Kazan's old restaurant goes on under new ownership, but his loyalties are clear. ''This is much better, this neighborhood,'' he said. ''It's a great mix of people, very stable.''Spoken like a true restaurateur. Kazan Turkish Cuisine 95-36 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park, Queens, (718) 897-1509. BEST DISHES: Pureed eggplant with garlic, eggplant with tomato, yogurt with cucumber, yogurt with walnuts, white bean salad, minced vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, hummus, tarama, shish yogurtlu, kofte with kasseri cheese. PRICE RANGE: Appetizers, $3.50 to $4.50; main courses, $8.50 to $13.95. CREDIT CARDS: All major cards. HOURS: Monday through Thursday, 11 A.M. to 11 P.M.; Friday and Saturday, to midnight; Sunday, noon to 11. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Everything is on one level.