Besh, which means five in Turkish, is an amazing Turkish restaurant which has recently opened at the Sheraton, Mall of the Emirates. It’ll be interesting to see how the proprietors of Besh manage as it gains in popularity because the restaurant doubles as the Sheraton’s in-house dining restaurant as well. So you’ll find an international buffet as you enter the restaurant. I’m specifically mentioning this so you avoid confusing the two.
The restaurant itself is tastefully decorated with touches of turquoise and patterned tiles the only reference to its Turkish origins. The beautifully ornate, hard to ignore bronze ice cream stand at the entrance is a bit of a give-away though. It’s a comfortable, pleasing setting.
I was at Besh for lunch and opted for their brilliant mezze offer. Basically, you can either have any three (hot or cold) mezze for Dhs45 or, the one I went for, any five (hot or cold) mezze for Dhs75. When you consider that these are full sized portions you will appreciate the amazing value of the offer. Whilst all were very good, these are the ones I enjoyed most and recommend:
Besh serves Manti! And what Manti? OMG! It’s one of the best Manti’s I have had in Dubai. Manti, for those who don’t know, are small-little, pinched-on-their-head dumplings filled with finely minced beef and served with yoghurt sauce and a drizzling of tempered dried herbs. It is also one of my absolute favourite dishes – period. But not all Turkish restaurants serve Manti as it’s very tedious to make. If you have not yet tried this dish – try, you will not regret it.
Also worth trying is the Etli Dolma, minced lamb stuffed vegetables. It is divine. Their Izgara Patlican, a Turkish version of Baba Ghanoush, was so pretty I initially didn’t want to ‘disturb’ it; but when I did, I couldn’t finish it fast enough. I loved also the Sote Karides, sautéed prawns, finding them cooked perfectly in a Mediterranean-style tomato sauce which had just the tiniest hint of garlic, and garnished with fresh parsley – beautiful. In fact, I loved everything…um, except the Mucver, zucchini fritters which I found too oily and almost tasteless by comparison.
Anyone who has been to Turkey knows that Turkish cuisine is as much about the hospitality as it is about the food. And that I think, is what Besh tries most hard to do; in addition to its amazing food, it offers its guests real Turkish hospitality. And you get this feeling from the minute you walk in to a warm “Merhaba” greeting. Many of the staff are Turkish, most notably their firecracker assistant manager, Arzu. She is the life and soul behind the operation and as delicious in her description of their menu as the food itself. Make sure you meet her. Also look out for Chef Sait; he’ll be the hefty dude with the wrestler’s physique and Tony Stark goatee. He is my new hero chef. Why? Because he makes the most delicious Manti in Dubai, that’s why.
So, whilst I have only scraped the surface of what Besh has to offer, I am confident the rest of their menu is as exceptional as the mezze I had for lunch last week. Check out their website for more info: http://www.beshdubai.com/en/home. One final point before signing off, Besh does not offer take away, home delivery and/or doggie bags. Part of SPG, they are obliged to adhere to the Sheraton’s ridiculous, over-cautious approach towards letting food out of the restaurant. That aside, it’s an absolute peach of a restaurant. Tamam.
Waste NOT. Want NOT.