Susan H.
Yelp
I have to thank my hairstylist the next time I see her. She was the one who told me about Agora. It was a great recommendation and we're glad we gave it a try.
Before going, we made a reservation as it was a Saturday evening. The earliest reservations were for 5 p.m. with nothing available until 8 p.m. We took the 5 p.m. one. We got there early and since they don't open for dinner until 5 p.m., we sat outside on a bench as the weather was decent.
When we went into the restaurant on time, we noticed something puzzling...most of the tables stayed empty. Even when we left after 6 p.m., there were still many empty tables. Don't know what was up with that...
Service was on point. Our server came along and told us about their concept. Basically, it's Turkish Tapas. We started out getting mocktails. Both of us had one called "kekik". It consists of: "fresh clementine juice, lemon, honey and thyme syrup, club soda". It was an interesting drink and the ingredients gave it a unique (in a good way) taste. We were also given glasses of water. Plus, freshly made, still warm pita bread was brought to the table. That pita was great---soft and puffy, we used it for sopping up sauces. There was a seasoned olive oil based dipping sauce for the pita. We tried it and thought it was on the bitter side. Before leaving, there was one pita left and we took it home with us.
Here is what we ordered:
"Ottoman Rice" which consists of: "black currants, apricots, almonds, pine nuts and fried shallots". It's a pilaf style rice and we both really enjoyed it. The rice was moist and the sweetness of the currents and apricots came through clearly.
"Cauliflower (which was fried) " that also had in it, "Turkish fig, tahini sauce, sorrel". This was well prepared and the items worked great together.
"Grilled Octopus" which had "cold press olive oil, dry oregano, maras peppers". This sauce was both tangy and sweet. Plus the octopus was cooked to perfection as it was tender.
"Lamb chops" which had "salt and pepper marinade, broccolini". My husband had this. He asked for it to be cooked medium but one chop was well done. Still, he said both chops held their flavoring and he was glad he ordered it. He said next time he would order it medium rare. The broccolini was fried but the stems were tough while the florets were done well.
"Sis Kebap" which consisted of: "grilled beef tenderloin cubes, grilled tomato, onions, pepper" and a side of harissa sauce. This dish I ate. The meat was medium rare (which is how I ordered it) for the most part. The cubes at the end of where the skewer was came out well done. The onions could have been grilled a bit longer as they were still pungent. I didn't use the harissa as it was too spicy for me.
We had room for dessert and ordered one portion of "Turkish Baklava" which is described this way "filo layers, pistachios, honey syrup with vanilla ice cream". It was freshly made and well soaked with honey. The ice cream was a tiny portion but it packed a punch when it came to the vanilla flavor plus it was creamy.
To accompany dessert, I ordered "Turkish Tea" while my husband ordered "Turkish Coffee (served black). We were given some packets of sugar which I used in my tea. The tea had strong flavor, which I appreciated. My husband liked his coffee but he said he's had better elsewhere.
As for ambience --- It certainly gave off the vibe of a Turkish eatery. Lots of colorful light fixtures and artwork.
One thing to take note of --- It isn't immediately obvious as to where to park. The parking garage is in back of the building. You can enter at the end of the apartment building that is on top of the restaurant. There is an alleyway. First, you will see "resident parking". Keep going around the corner and you will see an entryway that says "residential and retail". Go in there and you will see some spots reserved for Agora and Solidcore ( I think that's what it's called). There is an exit that leads out to the sidewalk next to the restaurant.
Also, you can go in this way (we think it's easier). When you come to Jones Branch Road if you're going up Westpark, make a right at the light and the parking garage entry will be on your left.
It's well worth having a meal here!