My first impression of Tandirici Deniz restaurant is that this is a paradise for a traveler who seeks tranquility as well as wants to enjoy the local cuisine.
Tandir, as tandoori in English, is a Turkish dish of meat or chicken cooked in a tandoor. Tandirici means the person who cooks this dish. In case you are not familiar with what a tandoor is, let me quote the definition of it from a dictionary. A tandoor is a cylindrical oven made of clay, heated over charcoal or wood, and used in South Asia, Central Asia and part of the Middle East for baking bread and roasting meat.
Sprawling over a few acres of land, Tandirici Deniz is situated in a valley on the way to Sirince. Everything is organic here. The meat is lamb from the sheep grazing the meadow in the surrounding villages and mountains. The ingredients of shepherd salad are directly from the fields nearby the restaurant. All types of bread are baked in the huge stone oven on the right side past the entrance. The traditional drink at meals is Ayran, which is prepared by mixing home-made yogurt from the cow milk with water and salt is added.
My family and I had a field day here, eating this super delicious tandoori dish—small pieces of roasted lamb on top of rice cooked with butter along with many small dishes of meze(appetisers) and bread of your choice, national alcohol drink- Raki(Ouzo) and nonalcohol drink-Ayran, live music, as well as walking in and around the restaurant. Mr. Denis, the owner of Tandirici Deniz restaurant told us that the restaurant is designed in such a way to attract all kinds of clientele, meaning there are different sections to suit various needs of the customers. You may have your traditional wedding held here, or class reunions, or groups of tourists. But, one thing is in common, people come here for their famous tandoori dish just like we did.
It was a great experience of Turkish hospitality and excellent food.
Tandirici Deniz Restaurant Sirince
