Despite its exclusive-sounding name, Elite
Turkish Restaurant, on the edge of Brooklyn’s Chinatown, welcomes
a diverse mix of customers – you might hear Russian, Chinese
and Turkish spoken in the airy dining room.
Owner Hasan Ustun leased the space from the mosque next door
(so alcoholic beverages are prohibited in keeping with Muslim
laws), and he decorated the storefront with beautiful tiles from
his native Turkey before opening in mid-February. And the talent
in the kitchen has been drawing diners ever since.
Ustun’s three chefs demonstrate the advantages of specialization:
one prepares sublime soups and hot dishes like "Manti,"
chickpea-sized beef dumplings bathed in yogurt; a second has
a way with savory kebabs (try the "Iskender Kebap"
of lamb, yogurt and tomato sauce), cold appetizers like smoky
"Patlican Soslu" (eggplant puree) and honey-drenched
desserts; the third is a master of fluffy breads and chewy Turkish
pizzas. Elite’s marinated lamb "kebab" is pictured
at left .
Anyone who’s traveled in Turkey, or wishes they had, will relish
the breakfast of cheese, olives, honey, cucumbers and hard-cooked
eggs.
Elite offers outdoor dining and plans to stay open 24-7, along
with wide-ranging free delivery, and some of the borough’s most
affordable high-quality cooking, will help make the glories of
Elite Turkish Restaurant accessible to all.
Elite Turkish Restaurant (805 60th St. between Eighth and Ninth
avenues in Borough Park) is open daily, 7 am to midnight. Entrees:
$6 – $12.50. Cash only. For more information, call (718) 633-3535.
