ADVERTORIAL:
A COUNTRY restaurant close to Akkoy is throwing open its doors this winter with plenty of Ottoman tastes and delights to tempt the tastebuds.
Han Otag Restaurant is located on the right and shortly before the approach to the village of Akkoy, about seven minutes after the Didim Aqua Park on the Didim-Akkoy road.
The restaurant is run by three generations of the same family, with former Le Figaro Hair Salon owner Hulya Kademlioglu, her mum and dad, and her son and daughter all lending a professional hand to extend a thoroughly Turkish welcome to all diners.
One of the specialities that I was able to indulge in was an Ottoman breakfast for the small price of 20TL. On a nice sunny day last week, I was lucky enough to enjoy a sunsoaked mid-morning kahvaltı in the restaurant, with views of rolling hills and greenery.
The breakfast included several small dishes including olives, a fried egg, cheese, salad, chips, aubergine and peppers, mountains of bread, and several pots of homemade jams such as honey, carrot, grapes, pear. It also came with two cups of coffee to round off a delicious, but light ‘brunch’.
The setting was great and in the summer I could imagine many Turkish families enjoying a lazy Sunday at the restaurant, which also has a small play park and a children’s animal farm.
Hulya proudly told me that everything I was eating was either homemade or bought locally. For example, the bread was specially made in Mavisehir for the restaurant, while the honey came from a village in the mountains above Soke.
The restaurant also offers a full barbecue menu of steaks, lamb and chicken, while also offering its own specially Han koftes (lamb meatballs).
She said that she was extending a warm welcome to the many expats that now lived in the town and highlighted that the restaurant was open special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
The restaurant is normally open during the winter months from 7.30am to 7pm, but will stay open longer if parties make reservations.
It is also offering a three-course Turkish meal on New Year’s Eve. Tickets are 50TL.
For more details, contact Hulya via Han Otag’s Facebook Page, or call her on 0543 814 9290 or 0544 735 1943.