Sutan has two branches in Chengdu, the old one opened in 2006, specializing in Turkish cuisine, which has been recommended by the world-renowned travel magazine Lonely Planet. The old store was built by Maggie, the proprietor, and after she married Ahmad from Egypt, the couple opened a new store together. In addition to Turkish cuisine, the new restaurant also serves specialties from Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon.
Sutan has three chefs, Egyptian owner Ahmad, Turkish chef Burhan and Chinese chef James. Born in Gaziantep in southern Turkey, Burhan has nearly 30 years of professional experience working in five-star hotels and Turkish restaurants in Turkey and China. James specializes in Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and he serves most of the Middle Eastern dishes in the restaurant.
If you're dining at a Turkish restaurant in Sutan, open your taste buds with a grilled naan with eggplant tomato sauce. The warm naan biscuits are crispy and soft, and the homemade eggplant tomato sauce has a rich spice flavor and is full of Turkish characteristics. The Turkish chicken is also marinated in spices, and the first dish is slow-roasted in a rotating oven, then steamed to add moisture, and then baked in the oven over high heat before serving. The roast chicken made by multiple processes is not only crispy and fragrant on the outside, but also retains moisture well on the inside, and the taste is tender and soft. At the end of the main course, it is best to finish with a cup of rice pudding, the pudding itself is fragrant, and there are many small grains of rice hidden inside, which are delicate and sticky in the mouth.
The variety of dishes in the Sutan Middle Eastern restaurant is much richer than that of the old restaurant. The appetizer platter is served with Turkish Ike bread with a variety of sauces, including spicy walnut sauce, Middle Eastern yogurt sauce, traditional humus sauce, Turkish mota and white eggplant sesame seeds. The characteristic tagine pot originates from Morocco, where water is scarce, and is made using cooking utensils known as "tagine pots". The tagine pot is made of terracotta, which is breathable and impermeable, and the lid with a triangular conical allows the vapor to circulate upward, minimizing the loss of water, and only a small amount of water is needed to cook. Diners can choose from the original Moroccan lamb pot, the spice-heavy stewed oxtail pot and cumin koft pot, and the seafood-flavored squid and shrimp pot and Antalya stewed pot.
Located in an alley in Yulin, the Turkish store is decorated in sky blue, with blue balloons hanging in the corridors and ethnic frames along the walls. The Middle Eastern restaurant is located on the second floor of Taikoo Li, with a distinctive arch design that makes the restaurant full of exotic flavors, and the color combination of peacock blue and gold and bronze is also more stylish. The service level of the two stores is comparable, the service staff is enthusiastic and meticulous, has a detailed understanding of the dishes, and will make recommendations to customers in a timely manner, but the lack of manpower will reduce the response speed during peak hours. The two stores will have henna hand-painting, coffee divination, belly dancing and other activities from Friday to Sunday at regular intervals, and interested friends can call the merchants in advance to inquire.
