Kervan, center of Turkish food and culture

By Kim Rahn

From the savory food to the stove in the kitchen, the red-colored signboard, the design on the ceiling, tiles on the wall, ornaments, tableware and music _ everything in Turkish restaurant Kervan represents not only the food of the country but also its culture, and this is what the restaurant is seeking.

Opened last November in Itaewon, Kervan has already become a must-visit eatery in the central Seoul tourist district where dozens of foreign restaurants are located.

Sinan Ozturk, head of the restaurant, said Turkish cuisine has a good reason to be popular in Korea, because it has already been regarded as one of the world’s top three cuisines along with French and Chinese.

“The Ottoman Turkish Empire governed a large region, and 29 ethnic groups lived together for up to 600 years. Istanbul was the center of food culture: chefs from the different races set up food colleges there and studied how to treat sultans to delicious foods. Cuisines of different ethnic groups were exchanged, resulting in excellent menus,” Ozturk said.

Using various ingredients ranging from beef, lamb, chicken and seafood to vegetable, olive oil and yogurt, there are hundreds of foods in Turkey, but the most famous is the kebab, meaning “grilled food.”

“There are more than 130 types of kebab dishes. In Korea, most people know only one, doner kebabs, meat that is cooked on a vertical skewer and sliced, and then is usually served at fast food kebab places. In Kervan we offer 20 kinds,” he said.

Bread and a broccoli soup were served first. These were followed by Coban salad, a Mediterranean-style salad of tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green pepper in olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

This was followed by the Mix Appetizer, which well demonstrated the exotic ingredients of Turkey with four kinds of appetizers: sesame and chickpea paste; spicy tomato sauce; eggplant; and rice wrapped in grape leaves. They were a good match with the chewy bread.

Another often-used ingredient in Turkish cuisine is yogurt, and the Ayran, a plain yogurt drink, was not only soft and delicious but also seemed to aid digestion.

The main dish was the Mix Grill Kebab, a combination of chicken, lamb, and beef. Served with it was some lavash, a jumbo-sized flat-bread. Wrapping the meat in the bread, the rich flavor of the meat and the crispy texture of the bread confirmed the authenticity of this Turkish cuisine.

Cheese pide came next; a Turkish-style pizza. The simple topping was good enough to display the chewy texture of the baked dough.

Black tea was served last in a traditional glass cup without a handle.

Ozturk, who has lived in Korea since 1997, named his restaurant Kervan, caravan in English, meaning a group of wandering merchants who traveled across deserts. “Itaewon is where many businesspeople stay and leave. In the past there were places where caravans lodged and had meals, and I wish my restaurant to play such a role, offering a comfortable space,” he said.

The naturalized Korean also runs a trading firm for exchanges between Korea and Turkey, an online shopping mall selling Turkish food ingredients, two kebab fast food chains and a Turkish ice cream factory.

“I wanted to set up a place to represent Turkey, introducing its food, music, design and people. From next January, we’ll have a musician playing the traditional musical instrument Kanun in the restaurant.”

To get to Kervan: Walk about 50 meters from Exit 3 of Itaewon Station on subway line No. 6.