Live in a diverse area like Northern Virginia long enough, and you’re sure to get your fill of hummus, grape leaves, and kebabs. But according to Esen Onat, there were many dishes missing from the menus of area Turkish restaurants. Even her own.
Onat and her husband, Cemal Kulak, also own Anatolian Bistro in Herndon, but the couple live in Ashburn. “My wife wanted to have something different from Anatolian Bistro,” recalls Kulak, who helped Onat open Efesus Cafe in February. (Kulak manages Anatolian Bistro while Onat manages Efesus.) “It’s hard to find the right people to make something unusual.”
But together, Onat and Kulak assembled a Turkish-bred team that has what it takes. One thing that Onat declared to her kitchen staff: There must be bulgur.
Non-Turks shouldn’t imagine the bland grain of hippie communes. Picture instead one of the most vibrant dishes this side of Malatya (the couple’s Eastern Anatolian home city). The ring molds of ruddy bulgur get their color from tomatoes. Finely chopped onions and peppers also say their sweet, vegetal piece. A collection of herbs and spices seals the deal for an unforgettable side that comes with the restaurant’s excellent kebabs.
All meals at Efesus begin with freshly baked bread, and dough composes a chunk of the menu with boat-shaped, cheese-filled pide, best topped with beefy sucuk sausage. You’re unlikely to find the vinegar-forward begendili spicy chicken anywhere else, so make it a point to try the dish with its creamy base of whipped eggplant when you have the chance.
The couple chose the location, formerly another Turkish restaurant, Oxus 7, because it made it easy to pick their son up from school. The family focus is clear throughout the restaurant, where large parties that include children are a rule, not an exception.
The best way to placate the wee ones? With a plate of katmer. The dessert wraps buttery, oven-browned phyllo dough around clotted cream mixed with pistachios. Cut into four individual triangles, it’s made for sharing. Your family will thank you for ordering it — and Onat for making sure it’s on the menu.
Efesus Cafe, 20937 Ashburn Rd., Ste. 125, Ashburn
Feature image by Mike Ramm
This story originally ran in our May issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
