A Flaming Turkish Delight in the Heart of Abu Dhabi

Located in the Rolex Building near WTC Mall, Petek Abu Dhabi is a fifth generation authentic Turkish restaurant. I heard so much about this restaurant and while I wouldn’t normally have Turkish food, my family was excited to go and I couldn’t wait see why so many people have been raving about this place.

Environment

I was pleasantly surprised from the moment I stepped into the restaurant, as the service was impeccable and the greeter directed me to my table, allowing me to take in my surroundings as we walked up to the dining room. Petek gets extra brownie points for having a valet service around the back of the building.

The décor was stunning, everything from walls (pictured below), to the elevator shaft was carefully picked out by a professor of design from a university in Turkey. Most importantly, the restrooms were really clean and the whole restaurant is designed with the differently-abled in mind.

Appetizers

I ordered some hummus and muhammara for my appetizer and it came with a side of steaming bread, fresh from the oven. I liked that the appetizers were appropriately sized for two people so I could enjoy more than one starter without feeling guilty. The muhammara was especially good and I have never met a plate of hummus that I didn’t like so we were off to a good start.

Entrees

For the main dish, I ordered the meter-long Tavuk (chicken) Kebap that comes with two small portions of freekah on the plate as well as bread and veggies. The chicken was moist without being greasy and the red freekah was really good although I can’t say that I enjoyed the green freekah much.

I also ordered a couple of portions of kebaps including the Fistic Kebap (pistachio) and Zahter Kebap (thyme), which were also really good if you prefer meat although I would lean towards Zahter being my preference.

If you are looking for a dish with a side of drama, I would recommend the Testi Kebap (a saucy version of the kebaps) as it comes in a flaming urn that is broken in the dining room for you. My absolute favorite dish, however, was the Pliv Us Et Do, thin slices of meat on top of a bed of white rice that tasted like an upscale and healthier version of a shawarma plate.

Dessert

By the time we got to dessert, I was stuffed but having spied the dessert display as I walked in, I could not resist ordering some kunefe and profiterole kek which were both recommended to us by the Turkish owner, Serkan Alpagul. Both were presented in a single-serving size, which I absolutely loved! The cheese in the kunefe was light and airy, and I later learned that it was air-delivered from Turkey.

I also ordered some mint tea, a great way to end the meal. My brother ordered the pistachio coffee (photo below), which also came with a mini-flame show; clearly the Turkish are not afraid of fire!

Tour

Towards the end of my meal, Serkan came in and he offered to take me on a tour of the restaurant, including the kitchen, and I was really impressed with the cleanliness of the kitchen as well as the amount of thought that went into each part of the restaurant. His passion and pride radiated through his skin as he spoke about Turkey and his family’s legacy and we quickly bonded over the importance of a clean public restroom!

As we passed by the ice cream station he mentioned that it is made daily from the milk of four specific cows located in a farm about two hours away from the city- I just had to capture his enthusiasm on film even though he was really camera shy. I will be posting them over the next few weeks on my Instagram.

He had a fatherly air about him as he spoke to each of his employees throughout my tour, stopping to thank them or to ask them to adjust something, gently explaining why he was proposing the change. His passion was clearly shared by the chef who couldn’t wait to show me how clean his food store was as well as allowing me to peek into his beloved oven.

Petek has a comfortable family feel to it and it is definitely the best Turkish food I have ever eaten. The environment and service make it worth the price for me, especially as the open kitchen forces the chefs to stay clean and organized. The portion sizes were reasonable as it allowed me to try several dishes and I would definitely go back.