We were both curious and excited to try the newly opened Sultan Baklava,
after having dined at their previous location in El Cajon in the past. Parking is convenient at nearby Horton Plaza and just a short walk to Sultan which took the place of the old Sammy's Woodfired Pizza...
They had just opened for the day and the owner said I could sit anywhere I wanted while I waited for Kirbie. Inside it is very spacious. They sell Turkish foodstuffs and coffee/tea implements on the counter as well as a selection of baklava for dessert.
Their menu looked to be the same as their old menu. Kirbie and I shared three items for our lunch that day, the eggplant salad (#13), the Fistikh Kabob (#39) the beef Lahmacun (#25), all of which were delicious.
Our puffy flat bread and the eggplant salad (served cold). The flavor wasn't as roasted and as smoky as I recalled, but it might have been a different eggplant dish I tried in the past.
Our awesome lunch:
We both decided on a kabob neither of us had tried before. What made this a bit different were the pistachios, which were placed on top of the kabob giving it a beautiful look and great flavor. For some reason, when I read the menu description, I thought that the meat included ground pistachios. Either way, I liked it. The kabob was juicy and had a nice texture from the pistachios.
The lahmacun was as good as I remembered it to be as well. The flatbread was so crisp.
Beautiful handpainted tea sets on sale:
Before we left, Kirbie and I took home some baklava. We were both stuffed from lunch and still had errands to do. Bakalava is sold $1.50 per piece here rather than by the pound like at some other middle easter bakeries. Four pieces set us back $6.
The four I brought home included three with pistachios, one with almonds. One of the pieces had a creamy filling while another had chocolate. The triangular piece that was hidden was one of my favorites. The multiple layers of the phyllo dough were so incredibly light and crispy.
The chopped pistachios were added at the end. Our service was very attentive and the folks working here are so very friendly. I really hope that they find success at this new location, which is a prime spot in the Gaslamp. I am so happy that it's a bit closer to home.
Who else went to Sultan?
Kirk was the first to check out the newly reopened Sultan late last month...
"Welcoming back an old friend, Sultan opens in the Gaslamp". January 4, 2015
aaaaand HOT OFF THE PRESS, showing that great minds think alike, is Kirbie's post which also went up today!
Sultan Baklava
770 4th Ave
San Diiego, CA 92101
(619) 795-0244
sultanbaklava.com
Reviews from that four lettered site
+ an article from the Eater SD:
"New Deli in Kearny Mesa, Turkish for the Gaslamp and Thai in Solana Beach", December 23, 2014
Can't wait to come back and try a few of their other kabob offerings!
5 comments:
I had a great lunch with you! I went back to my old posts, and it was the same eggplant dish we ordered before, but this one just wasn't as good. Oh well. i tried to go with Mr. K on a Saturday night to get some takeout and they were so packed. we waited nearly 15 minutes for someone to just take our order, but finally gave up. I'll come back at a less busy time!
Nice that you got to check them out CC!
hi kirbie - likewise! i'm glad we got to try out the new location! i will definitely be back. i would probably sit inside though since it's not as noisy, haha
kirk- yes, i am thrilled that they are back again. nice folks here and terrific food!
Love that green pistachio slung all over the place. It looks so vibrant next to the kabob, too!
It did provide a nice splash of color as well as flavor and texture.
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