Everything from the lively open kitchen to the rustic wooden tables of Sazeli takes us back to the streets of Ortakoy, Istanbul. Join us?

Perfectly hidden away at South Gate 2 in Mall of Qatar, Sazeli is a steakhouse and delicatessen that perfectly captures the quintessential elements of Turkish cuisine. For starters, there’s the open kitchen, displaying everything from cheese and meat to the chefs studiously slicing away with knives bigger than your arm. The brick-paved floor, black street lights, and sounds of sizzling meat have us harking back to our trips to Turkey . It’s certainly a sensory experience – complete with sights, sounds, smells, and flavours – that manages to ease our wanderlust momentarily.

We begin our feast with an array of Sazeli’s mezze selections and, soon, small but flavourful plates slowly take over the whole table. Each starter is better than the next, but our absolute favourite is the yoghurt with blueberry. It’s simultaneously tangy, sweet, and creamy, and definitely comes as a surprise. The stuffed grape leaves, meanwhile, explode with flavour while our plate of ultra-creamy hummus with meat is wiped clean in no time. Paired with the warm, homemade bread we’re served, we’d happily eat this all night.

Another surprise comes courtesy of the onion flower. This crusty appetiser isn’t like anything we’ve seen before. Fried to perfection and garnished with dollops of sour cream, it’s quickly dubbed a crowd-pleaser! Sazeli is known for always bringing something new to the table, and it’s definitely brought the heat with its beef sushi. It’s torched on a trolley in front of our eyes, and has heads turning everywhere. It’s the first time we give beef sushi a try, but it definitely won’t be the last.

The star of the night, however, is definitely the array of meat. We try everything from the Beef Lokum to the Rib-Eye with Mustard and, just when we think we’re done, something equally mouth-watering comes along. Each order comes with a side of theatrics, the waiters carefully garnishing the dishes and making the final touches right at your table. Our meat picks at Sazeli are definitely the rib-eye steak, Lamb Backs, and the Kofte with Kashari Cheese. The chefs here have mastered the art of infusing meat with just the right amount of spices to make sure that the delectable flavour and tender texture shines through – a carnivore’s dream.

For dessert, we devour the delectable Turkish Baklava with Ice Cream, the latter making for the perfect accompaniment to this classic flaky dessert. We end our night with the most beautiful presentation of Turkish coffee we’ve ever seen. Our coffee, water, and a small tray of Lokum (popularly known as Turkish delight) are served to us on a silver platter. It’s fit for royalty, and we relish the moment before returning to the real world. ✤

GO: CALL 4028 5668 FOR MORE RESERVATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION.