Turkish Food with Attitude at Lokanta | The New Yorker

"At Lokanta, a Turkish restaurant that opened in April, it manifests, counterintuitively, in the blustery bearing of the chef and owner, Orhan Yegen. Yegen, a veteran restaurateur who also owns Sip Sak, in Manhattan (the menus overlap significantly), is one of them, with a reputation that precedes him; the thrill of hearing his dramatic proclamations is one of the draws of his establishments. The food is artful with a traditional Turkish approach. Highlights include cooked fava beans, leeks confited in olive oil, braised artichoke hearts, a variety of lamb entrées, beef meatballs, manti dumplings, and less successful seafood dishes. Desserts like baked butternut squash with whipped cream and chopped walnuts stand out among the standard rice pudding and baklava. Lokanta also offers a weekends-only breakfast menu that features a Turkish breakfast platter, baked eggs, clotted cream, gozleme, and pastries including simit." - Hannah Goldfield