The
Ottoman
When you walk along the Ramkhamhaeng Road you
will find, on the first glance it looks like everywhere in Bangkok but when you
turn into the side sois (alleys) you will find a very different picture,
different sois are influenced by different cultures, like Soi 26. You will find
a few Chinese restaurants there as well as two Korean. There are also many
Students form these countries living in that soi. Then in another soi people from the south of Thailand and
Malaysia are predominating, they bring a Muslim influence to Ramkhamhaneg. Especially
because of the two international universities , IIS-RU and ABAC, there are many
students from different countries and cultures to find here. And everybody has
to find some food for his taste. They are the ones to ask where the hidden delicious
secrets are to find.
My Iranian friends introduced be to the Bkk
style kebab wraps. There used to be a shop right next to ABAC University where
they brought me. Quite tasty stuff…. So just you can imagine what I am talking
about. It is a flat bread, nan bread style, stuffed with different salads,
onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and meat. Usually chicken or beef. You can distinguish
a good kebab shop from a bad one according to the sauce. If they put just
ketchup or mayo on, it is not the real deal. You want some garlic, yoghurt,
maybe spicy mixed sauce, trust me.
The Ottoman has exactly that, the name says
it already, it is a Turkish restaurant with traditional food and amazingly
cheap prices. The location allows it to go there from university during lunch
break, which makes this restaurant very convenient for me.
The Restaurant itself is quite small and open to the street (soi 53). Non the less
it is quite neat and clean. The interior looks like someone had a little taste,
solid furniture and some nice pictures. The Restaurant belongs to a Turkish guy
who is running it since 1977 already. Usually he is not there but the Thai
manager is very friendly and service orientated, his English is pretty decent
for a Thai and you won’t have problems communicating with him. He will send you
to a table and serve you free water which I though is nice.
At the open side, the entry to the
restaurant, you will pass the tall always smiling chef at his grill and the kebab
pike. You can also order directly from him.
inside the restaurant
I copied the menu for you, so you can see the very good prices by yourself. I mean the portions are not huge but very reasonable for that price. I can recommend the chicken kebab for 45 Baht. You also can up great to a 50 or 60 Bhat kebab wrap, just tell them. In the kebab I prefer just the yoghurt garlic sauce. They have another brown sauce, not exactly sure what it was, which they usually put in as well. It was okay, very different taste, something traditional Turkish but couldn’t really identify it…. You can just give it a try by yourself.
The menu
The
Location
The Ottoman restaurant is located very
close to the Ramkhamhaeng University and the IIS building. It is on the
opposite side of the university area in Soi 53. From the IIS building it will
take you 5-10 minutes to walk. Just walk over the flyover when you are at the
corner University and where you enter the stadium area, basically right outside
the orange IIS building. Then walk into BigC direction. Turn right into Soi 53
and follow. Around 50 meters, still before the bridge which leads over the klong,
on the right hand side you can’t miss the Ottoman.
The Ottoman is a good choice when you are
looking for some variety to Thai food and the campus canteen. Or if you are
looking for place for dinner with your Muslim friends, of course the food
served there is Halal. If you are too lazy to get out of your apartment, the
Ottoman has a delivery service for a fee of 30 baht as well.
Enjoy another hidden Ramkhamhaeng food
special and let me know what you think about it.
