This weekend The Scouser and I visited The Turkish Grill in Penwortham, situated on what’s become known as The Penny Strip.
Despite sounding like a bargain peep show, The Penny Strip is just the nickname for the small but lively stretch of Liverpool Road that’s filled with highly rated pubs, bars, coffee shops and restaurants, and also the Fleece Inn.
Unlike my 79-year-old mother Yvonne, who accompanied me on many of my previous reviews and will eat literally anything, especially if it’s on my plate, The Scouser has a horror of anything that isn’t lean meat, white carbohydrates or sugar and once gave the thumbs down to my attempt at a pan of Scouse because it had “too much flavour.” I think it’s because I added rosemary, loose cannon that I am. This, combined with his deep suspicion of any new smells or colours, makes choosing a place to review somewhat of a challenge.
So far, the only eateries that have impressed him are the Yew Tree in Walton-le-Dale (boss Hunter’s chicken and chips) and Jaffa on Friargate in the city centre (boss Cajun chicken and rice), You can see the connection. I needed to find somewhere closer to my home that serves boss chicken, preferably with access to Budweiser, so I had a lot of hope hanging on The Turkish Grill.
There’s no online booking so anyone wanting a table has to do it the old fashioned way, via telephone, which is advisable as it’s a small but very popular restaurant.
We received a friendly welcome as soon as we entered, and were directed to a small table. The Scouser asked what beers they had, and chose a bottle of Budweiser. The only draft beer was Efes, which they also offered in bottles, alongside Peroni Azurra, Boddingtons and Kopparberg Cider.
We were given a basket of truly spectacular fresh bread for the table, and whilst we were trying to restrain ourselves, The Scouser ordered Sigara Boregi – deep fried pastry filled with feta cheese and parsley – for £6.25 to start. It was a generous portion of three light, crunchy pastries, surprisingly non-greasy considering they were deep fried, and the accompanying sweet chilli dip softened the sour edge of the feta into a deliciously tangy combination.
I chose the Sukuk Isgara for £6.25. Just two thin slices seemed a small portion even with the zingy little side salad, and I wasn’t blown away with the flavour or texture. It was okay, but I wouldn’t have it again. Next time I’ll go for the Sigara Boregi.
For my main course I ordered a Mix Sis Kebab for £21.95 – one skewer lamb, one skewer chicken, one skewer Adana, served with rice and salad. I asked if the rice could be swapped for chips, which wasn’t a problem, and I wasn’t charged extra like I would at some places. The generous portion of fries were the catering type, delivered piping hot and crunchy, but I ended up leaving most of them simply because I wanted to manage as much of the beautifully cooked meat as possible.
The Adana was well seasoned with a little heat… enough to add interest but not enough to be a problem for anyone who struggles with spicy food. It was a touch dry, a tiny negative and one that was easily remedied by the creamy garlic yoghurt dip that was offered to me without charge when I asked if I might have some sauce with it.
The beautifully lean yet juicy cubes of lamb were perfectly chargrilled, but they couldn’t compete with the chicken, something that paid off for The Scouser who had ordered the £15.95 Tavuk Sis – marinated lean tender pieces of chicken cooked on a charcoal grill, served with rice and salad.
Obviously, the salad was banned from entering the vicinity of the table, but the resulting plate piled with charred chunks of grilled chicken breast and seasoned rice, ticked every one of the picky eater’s perfection boxes and created some new ones just to tick them off too.
We were asked if we’d like a dessert but we were too full so decided against it. When we asked for the bill the waiter offered to box our leftovers so we could take them home, which was another gold star for the restaurant as I didn’t have to ask. There were quite a few others leaving with little doggy bags, which was testament to how generous the portions were, and to how delicious the food was.
The atmosphere and service at The Turkish Grill is top notch, but the chargrilled meat took the meal to another level. So much so that the phrase “be careful what you wish for” is something that I’ve considered a lot since our visit.
Now that I’ve actually sourced the chicken meal of his dreams, The Scouser has been suggesting we return every time I’ve paused for more than two seconds after being asked “what’s for tea”, which is also slightly insulting, come to think of it. However, I’ll take the insult as I get to eat it too, and it really is some epically good chicken.
The only things that kept The Turkish Grill a few percent off absolute perfection were the spotlights on the ceiling, which chased away a substantial chunk of the ambience. It would be so much nicer with the lights dimmed and a candle on each table. The addition of some seating outside and a specials board (I’d love to see what the chef could do with a good steak) would be the icing on the cake.
Have you tried the chicken at The Turkish Grill? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
Read more: All of Karen’s reviews
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