Turkish food done well at Etci Kozde Doner in London Enfield

This Turkish restaurant is a recent addition to Enfield’s food scene in north London having opened only five months ago.

Located on the High Street, this modern eatery, while typically accommodating 175 diners, can host up to 250 in total for special events.

With a multi-purpose stage at the rear, the place is more than big enough to be seated well away from the alcohol bar situated therein.

Etci Kozde Doner offers a fully Halal food menu with an impressive array of dishes ranging from hot and cold starters, to plenty of grilled dishes.

The stylish Etci Kozde Doner in Enfield

Mixed Hot Starters – Cheese Filo Rolls, Halloumi, Spicy Sausages, Calamari, Spicy Buffalo Wings, £17

This Mixed Hot Starters was far better than its cold counterpart below. Although the weakest were the small cheese-filled crunchy spring rolls, the most impressive were the crispy calamari rings that were accompanied by an addictively zingy tartare sauce.

With the sticky chicken wings covered in a surprisingly good mango glaze, the superbly adjudged Halloumi were nice and tender, and the Spicy Sausages delivering that smoky edge.

Mixed Cold Starters – Hummus, Tzatziki, Shakshuka, Tarama, Ezme, £15

This selection of cold starters was a mixed bag, with the weakest being the thick and grainy hummus which desperately needed more olive oil to get things going.

The stand-out starter was the Ezme; a tomato- and pepper-based amalgamation that was strong and zesty, with a touch of heat to it.

And while the Tzatziki was deliciously thick with a tinge of sweetness, the Aubergine with Yoghurt was chunky and flavourous.

As for the Spicy Yoghurt Dip, then it was fresh and vibrant, with the bowl of roasted garlic and baby onions a good foil, albeit not ‘cold’.

The basket of bread was disappointing though, in that it had evidently been sitting around before being served.

Adana Kebab (Lg) – Grilled minced lamb served with rice & salad, £19

Their Adana Kebab was a tale of two halves. Despite the taste of the nicely charred kebab being strong and robust, the texture wasn’t quite there, with it being almost crispy and crumbly, and fairly dry.

With not much of a salad to speak of, given the wedge of pepper and quarter of a grilled tomato, the mound of rice for all their mains were relatively stale and disappointing.

Lamb Chops (4 pcs) – Served with rice & salad, £27

Although delicious in taste, these Lamb Chops were inconsistent in terms of the thickness of their cuts.

As such, the thickest was moist, tender and gorgeously pink on the inside, and boasted a lovely chargrilled exterior.

As for the thinner cut hiding beneath, then despite being unsurprisingly crispy and chewy, it was still enjoyable in its own right.

Lamb Ribs (7 pcs) – Served with rice & salad, £26

These Lamb Ribs were equally well chargrilled as their lamb cousins, and splendidly seasoned.

Yet, in light of the quality of the rice and the alleged salad, we did find a few overly chewy and fatty. Nevertheless, we did question whether their size justified the price-tag.

Iskender – Lamb doner over bread, with tomato sauce, butter & yoghurt, £22

An Iskendar done right is a joy to devour. Done wrong, however, it can turn out to be a mess.

Alas, this wasn’t good at all. The doner lacked depth of flavour, and varied in textual consistency with certain parts being hard and overly chewy.

The tomato sauce poured over the top did very little to rectify things, being bland and insipid, with the thick yoghurt doing little to save this dish.

Mojito, Pina Colada, Goji Island Smoothie

Ending things with customary baklava

These guys offer a variety of mocktails and smoothies, with this trio being recommended as their best and most popular.

The Goji Island smoothie was by far the stand out beverage, being layered with a distinct blood orange undertone. One of the best we’ve reviewed this year in fact.

As for the creamy Pina Colada, then it was on the sweet side with not enough coconut to balance things out. The Classic Mojito wasn’t quite there either, with not enough fresh mint or tart lime to counteract its sweetness.

Finally, be sure to grab some Turkish tea and a plate of baklava to end your visit at Etci Kozde Doner.