Highly rated on review sites! Yildiz Turkish Restaurant serves Turkish cuisine taught directly by a former embassy chef
Yildiz Turkish Restaurant is a Turkish restaurant located just a one-minute walk from the east exit of JR Kamata Station. Opened in 2016, it offers authentic Turkish cuisine and has received rave reviews on review sites. The restaurant’s name, “Yildiz,” means “star” in Turkish. Like the star on the Turkish flag, the restaurant’s name embodies the hope that its customers’ smiles will shine brightly like stars through Turkish food culture. Follow the red Turkish flag to the second floor of the building to find the entrance.
Entrance
The restaurant’s signature cuisine is undoubtedly its high-quality Turkish cuisine, made using recipes directly from the owner’s father, a former chef at the Turkish Embassy. While traditional, the restaurant also offers unique and original dishes that captivate many gourmets.
Former Turkish Embassy Chef/Owner/Chef
The most popular dish is the Yildiz Kebab. This dish features spice-marinated, slowly grilled beef wrapped in thin bread and cut into bite-sized pieces. Serve with yogurt, if desired. The spicy beef and the tartness of the yogurt create an exquisite combination. Pairing it with pomegranate juice adds a touch of Turkish flavor.
Yildiz Kebab
While the fast-food “döner kebab,” a pita bread topped with cabbage, meat, and sauce, is a well-known Turkish dish in Japan, there are many different ways and varieties of kebab in Turkey. During lunchtime, from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM, you can enjoy a reasonably priced set menu featuring kebabs. This is Lunch C, featuring grilled beef skewers. It’s a casual set menu with Turkish pita bread, soup, salad, tea, and dessert.
Grilled Beef Skewers (Adana Set) ¥1,500
These grilled minced meat skewers, known as Adana kebabs in Turkey, are tender and easy to eat, with a flavor reminiscent of charcoal-grilled hamburgers. The accompanying chickpea hummus and sweet-and-sour tomato and pomegranate paste complement the meat perfectly. For dessert, we had baklava, a classic Turkish dessert. The crispy pastry and generous syrup fill the mouth, creating a delightful treat. Filled with vibrant green pistachios, it’s quite sweet, making it a perfect pairing with black tea. Even a single bite is satisfying. The small Turkish plates and tulip-shaped tea glasses are also beautifully colorful.
Baklava and Tea
Whatever you eat, all food is Halal at this Halal-certified restaurant
The restaurant’s interior, inspired by the Aegean Sea and turquoise, features a resort-like blue theme. The oriental ambiance, accented with Turkish lamps and painted ceramic plates, is perfect for sophisticated dates and girls’ nights.
Interior
Yildiz Turkish Restaurant is halal-certified, and a halal certificate is displayed throughout the restaurant. This was certified halal by the Japan Halal Foundation, a halal certification organization.
Halal Certificate
Halal standards are determined by the number of stars. Yildiz Turkish Restaurant has two stars, meaning “the restaurant does not serve pork and all food is halal.” While alcoholic beverages like beer can be served, the general rule is that they must not be mixed with food. While halal is the norm in Islamic countries, aiming for complete halal status in Japanese restaurants would not only mean losing popular pork dishes, but also restricting the ability to serve alcohol, potentially putting strain on business. As a result, certification organizations have been established that issue halal certifications localized to Japanese culture, such as “halal for food only” or “halal for specific menu items.” Some organizations also refer to this as menu certification or Muslim-friendly certification. With this certification, Muslims can dine with peace of mind at restaurants in travel destinations where language barriers are a problem.
Pork and alcohol are prohibited in Islam, but this varies by country, region, and individual. Turkey, despite being a Muslim-owned country, is known for its tolerance of alcohol. In fact, Turkey has a long history of winemaking and boasts one of the world’s leading grape producers. Turkish wine has been gaining attention in recent years for its world-class flavor, but it remains relatively unknown and uncommon in Japan. Yildiz Turkish Restaurant offers a wide selection of Turkish wines, so it might be fun to try a rare Turkish wine that’s different from your usual selection.
Kebab and Efes
Other options include the Turkish distilled spirit raki and the classic Efes beer. At night, the restaurant’s dazzling Turkish lamps create an even more atmospheric atmosphere. The bar is also available, so be sure to try some Turkish alcohol to go with your meal.
Supervisor / Recommender
- Halal Supervisor and Foreigner Food Coordinator (Cooking, Consulting, Public Relations)
-
Click here for introduction
I currently work as an editor, but my previous job was as a chef, with many years of experience working in hospitals, restaurants, and the food service industry. Looking back, I think my connection to halal may have already been there.
Decades ago, I once worked in a cafeteria at an auction venue. Over 60% of the visitors were foreigners. Many Muslims were present, and the venue had a mosque-like prayer space. I remember being frequently asked questions about whether the meat was halal and what kind of meat it was. At certain times, the cafeteria would become as lively as a festival. The Indian restaurant next door would generously serve free biryani, curry, and sweet drinks to everyone who came. Over 100 people, including people wearing bright red turbans, galabeyas, and traditional attire, gathered in the cafeteria, all sitting around the same table and enjoying a truly enjoyable time. Looking back, it was iftar, the end of fasting, and I understand the significance of sharing, but at the time I was ignorant of halal and Islam, and didn't even consider how to respond. They only ate the curry made by the Indians in the restaurant. As I studied halal, I realized, "I wanted to eat Japanese food, but I couldn't." I regret not doing anything even though there was something I could have done.
If only it didn't contain pork! If only it didn't contain wheat or buckwheat! I could eat it... Food insecurity is different for each person.
That's why I think it's important to learn about the differences in culture, religion, and lifestyle that underlie it, and to create an environment where everyone can enjoy delicious meals in comfort.
The desire for delicious, safe, and secure food is universal. The times are calling for people to live in new ways that transcend borders and religions. I hope that halal can be a gateway to eliminating food insecurity, contributing even in some small way to a society where people can coexist and prosper with more liberal thinking, and to global harmony beyond.
Latest entries
Tokyo2023年11月4日Dakshin South Indian Restaurant Otemachi Branch
Tokyo2023年10月23日Gandhi Mahal
Tokyo2023年10月23日Yıldız KEBAB
Tokyo2023年10月4日Restaurant Morocco
