Divan Turkish Kitchen: A Taste of Turkey in Philadelphia

If you had told me I was going to eat in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood in Philadelphia, I would have bet we were having a nice dinner at L2. Dinning options in G-Ho have been slim, unless your looking for pizza and a cheese steak. When I agreed to go out on a date with "G-Ho Boy," I decided to cut my losses and mix business with pleasure. Make the date a restaurant review, and then have the ability to write the whole thing off it was a failure.

Divan Turkish Kitchen opened up only 7 months ago, a spacious and pleasantly decorated BYOB that might bring the gourmands to G-Ho. While munching on warm Turkish flatbread, we checked out the extensive menu of appetizers and entrees. G-Ho Boy needed to be eased into the whole Turkish fair, so he ordered kalamar (calamari, $7.90) while I went with Turkish Falafel ($8). The calamari, while not exceedingly Turkish, was lightly breaded and tender, with an amazing mildly spicy yogurt for dipping. My choice, Turkish falafel with humus ($5.50) had a crunchy exterior and moist and spicy interior that really won our hearts.

G-Ho Boy proved to be more daring with his entrée, Iskender ($12.50), ground lamb marinated with Turkish spices served over Turkish pita and topped with tomato sauce and yogurt. The meat was incredible, and the spicing was precision perfect, never to hot or mild. I opted for the Kayser Manti (Turkish Dumplings, S13.90), homemade hand-rolled pasta filled with seasoned turkey, covered in a creamy and peppery red sauce. After a lot of argument, and spoon swapping, neither G-Ho Boy nor myself could reach a consensus on which was the better entrée. We agreed to be glad that we got to try both.

Authenticity doesn't end at the entrees, Divan's has 5 strong Tatlilar (dessert, $5) selections available, we pigged out with a tasting of each. G-Ho Boy loved the Baklava and Sutlac (baked rice pudding), while I was a fan of the Kazandibi (caramelized milk pudding), Divan's signature dish. We both enjoyed the figs with walnut and apricot with almond, but fruit for dessert has never been my cup of tea. Give me the calories.

Speaking of tea, Divan has classic Turkish tea and coffee for an after dinner sip. That type of touch compliments the complete authentic experience owner Ilker Ugur had hoped for when opening his eatery. Happily, Ilker, and his sister Fulya, have succeeding in bringing a taste of Turkey to Philadelphia. While I am still not a hundred percent sold on G-Ho Boy, I can say I am willing to go on another date with him...if it is to Divan.

Divan Turkish Kitchen, 918 S 22nd St, 215-545-5796, $$, divanturkishkitchen.com.