Review: Nemrut Turkish restaurant, Birmingham

Turkish cuisine is one of the greatest, especially when it comes to grilled meats and vegetables. Whenever you see the Turkish grill ocakbasi in a restaurant you are guaranteed a good meal. The ocakbasi at Nemrut is open so you can easily walk up to it and savour the delicious meats sizzling over coals. You can chat to the grill-master as he skilfully threads another aubergine and lamb kofte kebab. Speaking of that kebab, Nemrut’s patlican, is the best in town. The sweet smokiness of it is beyond anything I’ve ever tasted, the aubergine seemingly having concentrated all of the coal aroma into its spongy flesh, combining mouthwateringly with juicy flavourful lamb kofte. The pool of tomato sauce it sits in waits to be soaked up with fresh, pillowy naan bread.

There are other kebabs of course – adanas, doners, lamb chops, chicken shish, even quail and lamb testes. All are cooked expertly and served with fresh salad and breads, bulgur and rice. Portions are generous, so go easy on the hot and cold mezzes. Though I find it hard to resist the sigara boregi – a filo spring roll filled with hot salty cheese that sings in the mouth – washed down with Turkish beer, as is the way in secular parts of Istanbul.

Nemrut is on the main road that leads from West Bromwich to Handsworth and is the perfect stop for anyone that lives in the north of Birmingham or Black Country. I would go there weekly if I lived near.

Address: 12 Holyhead Rd, Birmingham B21 0LT
Phone: 0121 551 6886
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The author:

Lap from Birmingham is a food photographer and teacher who writes The Foodist (thefoodist.uk) blog