I had forgotten just how good this Turkish restaurant near The Hill is. Authentic and charming, Aya Sofia is turning 10 this year. And if quality and value translate to success, the place easily will be around another 10. The decor is warm, with curtained booths around the perimeter that offer an extra level of privacy.
The menu is small, but appealing in every category, with starters divided into hot and cold and a nice smattering of entrees, especially red meats and vegetarian dishes. Of course, lamb is king here, with six of the eight meat meals built around it. We sampled several appetizers: Babaganus ($8), Kilic Baligi Kebap (swordfish skewers, $10), Karides Kebap (shrimp skewers, $10) and soup of the day ($4). Babaganus is a scrumptious grilled eggplant puree made with garlic, tahini and lemon. It was fragrant with cumin and creamy from the tahini. It came garnished with cucumber and tomato and ready for spreading on soft and tasty pita bread.
The grilled swordfish cubes were less exciting. Too heavily flavored by the accompanying lemon wedges on the kebab, the fish also was overly dry. But the shrimp kebabs were exceptional, rubbed with paprika, pepper, oregano and plenty of salt and oil. Soups here are amazing, so don’t miss them. Our chickpea and ground beef variety came in a rich red-brown tomato broth teeming with green spices, olive oil, chickpeas and tiny bits of beef.
One lamb dish, Firinda Kusu ($23), was an excellent plateful of slow-cooked meat cut from various parts of the animal, saturated with Mediterranean spices and herbs like cumin, oregano and a little bit of red pepper. It was served with a dark, delicious gravy on top of mashed potatoes and a few thick slices of grilled zucchini.
The Sea Bream was the Balik, or Fish of the Day ($29). It was a whole fish, the skin crisped and rubbed with herbs and spices. The flesh was white and tender and slightly sweet—excellent all around. It came with medium-grain couscous, simply prepared, and a bowlful of marinated onions laced with sumac and vinegar.
The vegetarian Imam Bayildi ($16), a Turkish specialty, was a colorful plateful of food that centered around eggplant baked with onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil and tomato sauce. Delicious sauteed haricots verts and a mound of sauteed carrots accompanied the eggplant, along with a bed of pearl couscous. Every element was excellent and flavorful.
The highly popular Greek-Turkish meat preparation, Iskender (gyro meat, $17) is served on a platter here, the soft pita used as a base, and the shaved beef-lamb grilled meat on top, with a thin, herb-laden tomato-sauce gravy. A drizzle of house-made yogurt tops it all. This is a highly flavorful dish, made all the better by top-grade olive oil and tomato sauce.
For dessert, a platter of options is presented, including house-made pistachio liqueur, chocolate-espresso pudding, nut pudding (Kashkul), baklava, chocolate torte. The liqueur was excellent, a sweet, syrupy after-dinner drink with pistachio flavor. And the Kashkul ($6.50) should not be missed. It’s a light vanilla pudding made with pistachios, walnuts and almonds.
[amuse bouche]
the scene | Lively and welcoming Turkish restaurant
the chef | Mehmet Yildiz
the prices | $6 to $10 starters, $15 to $23 entrees
the favorites | Grilled Sea Bream, Babaganus, Firinda Kuzu, Shrimp Kebabs, Iskender, Chickpea Soup, Nut Pudding, Pistachio Liqueur
[chef chat] >> mehmet yildiz
pedigree | I started working at my cousin’s restaurant 18 years ago.
favorite ingredient | Cupra, a fish found in the Aegean Sea
favorite st. louis restaurant | Mango
favorite cookbook | Many Turkish cookbooks, but no real favorite
most memorable dining experience | A small place right on the Aegean Sea, where whatever fish the owner caught in the morning was the menu for the evening.
guilty pleasure food | Baklava
6671 chippewa st. | 314.645.9919
Photos: Bill Barrett
