Sultana Restaurant: A Turkish delight

It was clear Sultana Restaurant was as close to the real-deal for Turkish food that I have seen in the area, before I even ordered anything. The friendly Turkish staff greeted me with thick accents and recommended their own favorite dishes, as they should be pronounced, of course.

I brought my relatives with me when I visited the family-owned and run restaurant, located on El Camino Real near Santa Cruz Avenue, to justify ordering several different menu items.

Sultana features indoor and outdoor seating areas. We decided to take advantage of the classically California weather and explore the outdoor dining scene.  Our host took us through the tables inside, past a lounge-like area with a large red couch and finally outside. The patio is equipped with tables, umbrellas and heaters, but looks more like someone's backyard rather than a restaurant area.

To get a good mixture of everything, definitely order the combination appetizer platter ($13.95).  The majority of the dishes on this plate are various kinds of dips, plus dolmas and garbanzo salad.

I wish that the bread had been warmed prior to its arrival at my table. Even so, the dip was so tempting that I ate enough cold bread and dip to almost fill me.

The spanakopita ($6.50) is a must for any visit! It was a warm pastry with feta cheese and parsley that  melted in my mouth.  Unfortunately, its accoutrements spoiled the delicious mood, quite literally. Spoiled lettuce around the spanakopita glared at me. We came in the restaurant fairly early in the evening, so I would think things would still be fresh. I guess not.

We passed entrée plates around family-style, but nothing stood out to me until I took a bite of the Divan Kebab ($17). This consisted of grilled ground beef and lamb wrapped inside lavash bread with melted mozzarella cheese and yogurt sauce. 

I ate one and was hooked on the combination of seasonings and flavors united by the melting cheese and decadent lamb. The plate had sandwiches slightly bigger than bite-size that tasted heavily of lamb. Those went rather quickly and we were soon presented with a dessert plate featuring the desserts for the day. 

My brother would not hear of leaving without a sweet goodie. What fun evening with the family can end without dessert?  

That is one statement, though, everybody should remember when coming to Sultana. Don't leave without tasting the chocolate-covered baklava, with a side of vanilla ice cream. As someone who does not have a sweet tooth, this dessert was pure decadence, tasting like a moist fudge brownie with a pastry shell. 

The baklava began playing tricks on the others at my table. Admittedly, though, I just could not stop eating the heavenly chocolate sweet. At one point, my brother left the table to take a call and he came back to a tiny crumb of his baklava. The smooth and soft chocolate baked into the form of traditional baklava, surrounded by a light pastry shell was just too good to resist. 

Dining in most exotic restaurants can be frustrating for me; there are dishes I cannot pronounce and ways to eat or combine things that are different from my customs. But, Sultana bridges this gap by giving detailed descriptions in the menu and having staff familiar with all the foods and preparations  who are ready and willing to give you their opinions.

The restaurant has been in Menlo Park since 2004 and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.  For more information, view Sultana's listing in our Directory.