Selin Kiazim was previously head chef at Kopapa – one of our FAVE brunch places in London – and now she’s opened her first solo venture Oklava in Shoreditch and we were straight down there to check it out. The space is pretty small, with just a few tables and a counter around the open kitchen where you can watch Selin and her chefs in action around the charcoal grill and pizza oven. Even though it’s cold out, make sure you strip down to your summer layers if you sit at the counter as it gets seriously HOT.
The menu is modern Turkish and is split into snacks, salads and grains, pides, seafood and meat dishes. We loved the courgette, feta and mint fritters and the house-baked bread with a slightly sweet medjool date butter. We also went for the beef short rib pide, candied aubergine puree, and crispy pomegranate glazed lamb breast which was the winning dish of the night. There’s interesting Turkish wines and desserts too – try the pistachio sponge cake with caramelised white chocolate and barbecue quince. YUM.
74 Luke St, London EC2A 4PY
www.oklava.co.uk