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Anatolia Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Turkish Turkish [Edit]
5112 Dundas Street WestToronto, ON M9A 1C2
Neighbourhood: Etobicoke
(416) 207-0596
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 6 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 9 pm
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
15 reviews for Anatolia Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Menu items: Pide Bread, Sigara Boregi, Yogurtlu Adana..." In 2 reviews -
"Last comfort food delight is the Anatolia Mixed Plate." In 2 reviews
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"It comes with a Turkish Delight jelly thing." In 6 reviews
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15 reviews in English
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Review from Viviana M.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2011 4 photos
Dining Experience: Dinner
Specialty: Turkish cuisine
Menu items: Pide Bread, Sigara Boregi, Yogurtlu Adana & Anatolia Mixed Plate
Anatolia is my own Turkish delight. People often ask me where I go for comfort food and I always tend to default to my good old Cafe Polonez or my Mexican hideout in Kensington market. Now that I have experienced Anatolia to its fullest, I can say with delight (pun intended) that this cute and little spot in Etobicoke will be joining my list of comfort food restaurants.
The first comfort I get when I arrive at Anatolia is knowing that I will be greeted by a pleasant group of waitresses that will be bring me a delicious loaf of the famous Pide Bread. The bread is buttery, crunchy on the outside and soft in the centre. Accompanied by a small serving of hummus for dipping; this bread might make or break your meal if you do not watch how much of it you eat. Been there, done that.
Anatolia is the name given to the region of the Westernmost part of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey. Influenced by a fusion of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Balkan cuisines (Greece being one of the strongest); Anatolian cuisine is best known for its use of breads and pastas in its meals. One of the better examples of Greek influence you will find in Turkish cuisine is the use of phyllo style pastries; the Sigara Boregi is a clear representation and comfort food #2 in my books.
Also known as Yufka pastry, Sigara Boregi is filled with a lovely mixture of feta cheese and parsley. With a resemblance to Greece's own Spanakopita, this pastry appetizer reminds me that sometimes less is more, and in this case, simple is just tastier.
Comfort food #3 and the ultimate tomato sauce style dish I indulge in is the Yogurtlu Adana.
Once the dish arrives, the first thought that comes to mind is comfort indeed; the second thought is that the balance of red (aka tomato sauce) on the dish is a bit off-putting. However, once you take a fork, cut a bit of the spiced mix of lamb and beef, dig through the meat straight into the sauce and buttery pide bread underneath, grab-hold of all that tender and soft juiciness that you are about to put in your mouth and eat it; you will realize how special and yummy this dish is, and how much more of the sauce you want to have.
Let's talk about the sauce for a moment...this tomato sauce is one of the lightest, tastiest and balanced tomato sauces I have ever had the pleasure to try. You can clearly distinguish this was made with fresh tomatoes and that the chef took its time with the sauce.
Last comfort food delight is the Anatolia Mixed Plate.
The plate needs some explanation as it's a compilation of the most popular Turkish dishes offered at Anatolia, in one big plate. This hearty meal comes with grilled chicken shish kebab, flame broiled Izgara Kofte (aka Turkish meatballs), Lahmacun (a thin pita topped with a fine layer of spiced ground beef and herbs), rice pilav, Bulgur (middle eastern grain made out of wheat cereals) and salad. A mouth-watering indulgence and a great dish for the hungry.
Until our next comfort food delight Foodies!
Buen Provecho,
Viviana.Listed in: Best Restaurants in Toronto
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Review from Mitch S.
Toronto, ON
2/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for a wonderful Saturday lunch and I honestly don't know what could have made it better! I started my meal with hummus on the most wonderful pita, followed it up by lamb served served in a savory crepe-like pastry and finished with Turkish coffee.
The service was incredibly friendly and welcoming. It was very apparent that the lady who runs the restaurant takes great pride in the food...rightfully so. I strongly recommend the venture out to try this place out.
Apparently the first Friday of everything they throw a Turkish party with a pre-fix menu...I'm pumped to try it out! -
Review from Yvonne T.
My first ever run-in with Turkish cuisine was when I was in Grade 4 in Mr. Wills' homeroom class. He was my English teacher and we had read C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. After we finished reading the book, Mr. Wills bought Cadbury's Turkish Delight in for the class as we all were wondering what heavenly deliciousness could make a brother betray his own blood? Well, I later found out that it was nothing but a pinkish looking jujube-like candy covered in chocolate. I guess you can't really consider that to be a sampling of any culture's cuisine.
While exchanging emails with my mom about how all the good bakeries in Scarborough reside along Kingston Road, she must've stumbled upon a connected link to other bakeries which led her to Ma Maison, which was inconveniently located at the polar opposite end of the Scarborough bakeries I was referring he to - Ma Maison was in Etobicoke. Since my mother wanted to try their croissants, and since I was going to be in Etobicoke anyways, I decided to go outside my comfort "zone" (literally), and try Turkish cuisine. Yelp has always brought me to new and exciting restaurants that I would otherwise not discover or even think about trying... Anatolia fell right into that category.
I arrived at approximately 5:45PM on a Wednesday to an empty restaurant. There were about 5 tables at the peak (while I was there). There were 2 servers. The decor was traditional with lots of Turkish chinaware lining the walls and tapestries. Red-and-white-checkered table cloths were laid across the table.
Being inexperienced, other than having read reviews about the Mixed Plate being good, we asked the server for her recommendations for an appetizer. None of us were particularly hungry, so we just got one mixed plate and ended up opting for the quartet of dips/spreads. This is also the first time I've been to a restaurant where I was uncomfortable trying to pronounce the names of the dishes in fear of sounding like an idiot, haha. So I just said, I'll take a number 16 and a number 35. I bet I challenged the server's memory!
Meze Tabagi- Four of Anatolia's most popular spreads including: Ayse's Walnut Spread, Hummus, Salsa and Eggplant. Other than the walnut spread, I found the other 3 spreads to be rather bland and unflavourful. I will say though that all the spreads tasted fresh. The bread that came with the dips was different than western breads. It almost reminded me of eating a water biscuit as it was quite simple in terms of flavour, but I wouldn't use the word bland to describe it.
Anatolia Mixed Plate - Came with 1 grilled chicken kebab, flame broiled beef kofte, lahmacun (a crepe-pita hybrid filled with ground beef, and various Turkish spices), bulgur rice and a rice pilaf. The grilled chicken was quite tender, juicy and succulent and the yogurt dip was rich and creamy. The beef kofte's had a nice char to them and were also quite flavourful. I loved the rice pilaf that was cooked in a chicken broth but the winner of this mixed plate had to be the lahmacun. The lahmacun was wrapped into a cigar shape, and had so many different layers of flavours that just came together to create a tasty, tasty "crepe."
To end the night off, I tried a Turkish Coffee. It took about 15 minutes from the time I ordered it to show up on the table. Turkish Coffee comes in an espresso cup and a piece of Turkish delight. I had originally ordered it strong and sugarless (I was thinking Starbucks coffee) but when the server gave quipped "Are you sure?" I took her recommendation and went with medium instead. It was later revealed to me that Turkish coffee is quite strong. I guess that's why you need the Turkish delight as an accompaniment. Turkish Coffee in my own words, tastes rather "woody." It does not possess a particularly strong caffeine flavour to it, but is unique in its own right. Just a heads up that there will be coffee grinds at the bottom of your cup, try to avoid drinking that! The Turkish delight was a lot better than the Cadbury version that I had back in primary school, and had nuts in it.
Verdict:
I must reward top marks when it came to plating and presentation. Everything was so visually appealing, not to mention savoury. The Mixed Plate is definitely a must try as all the proteins were juicy, succulent and tender with a nice char/grilled flavour to it and the rices were flavourful as well. The bill fell shy of $50 with tax and tip. -
Review from Sergey S.
1/13/2011
Brought there by a friend, whose Turkish colleague highly recommended the place.
There was not much people inside when we arrived (weekend afternoon), and except for mine and my friend's wives, all the female customers had their heads covered - so the atmosphere was quite authentic.
Food was very authentic too, inexpensive and of a decent quality. Portions were not that large, but big enough not to feel hungry afterwards. Server was polite and fast, everything ordered arrived on the table without delay.
Why three stars? Location - you will need a car to get there, or walk quite a distance from the subway. Interior was also very cheapish, though clean, and did not create anything that may be considered as a comfortable or cozy atmosphere. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
7/21/2010 2 photos
Oh wow. Turkish Delight is right. Came here because I was searching for something near my friend's work. Right at the corner of Kipling and Dundas, this hidden gem was a place you have to try. 5 stars all the way, and it lived up to it's Yelp reviews.
The place's interior is wooden, with traditional decor and really feels like it takes you away to another world. The server was super friendly and even tried to offer us something we could eat, as we both missed out on the seemingly awesome pita due to wheat intolerance.
We ordered the grilled calamari that came with hummus and soaked in a bed of sun dried tomatoes. It had to be the best calamari I've ever tasted - rubbery, but not tough, and full of flavour
My friend and I shared the Mixed Grill Plate. Unfortunately due to dietary restrictions we asked to omit the Turkish Pita and some wheat flakes. But it was still really good.
Lamb Kebob, Lamb minced, beef kebob and chicken kebob on a bed of rice, sides of tahini, tomato salsa type thing, carrots, red cagge and regular salad.
The lamb was very flavourful and the chicken was surprisingly moist and soft (i usually hate white meat, but this one some how melted in the mouth). $19.95
We also got the turkish coffee, which they brew from scratch, any sugar or cream is boiled with it. It comes on a tray in a espresso like tea cup. The coffee was amazing. Not as bold as espresso, lighter in texture and full of flavour. It comes with a Turkish Delight jelly thing. $3.95
I want to come here again. 5 stars.
They have parking in the front, and Green P parking in the back. -
Review from Suzanne M.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2010
Hello,
I am new to Yelp, so happy to see a recent review of a favourite restaurant - Anatolia.
I often go there on the first Friday of each month, for the fix prixe - belly dancing evening, complete with live band.
The food is marvellous, the hospitality is superb, the service good and the entertainment is terrific. My favourite dancer Maryada, does not dance there anymore, but the new dancers are very good.
Try it out, I am sure you will like it.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Manvell -
Review from Marie F.
5/9/2010 3 Check-ins Here
My mom doesn't live in Toronto so I won't get to see her for a couple of weeks... but never fear Anatolia is here! Like Andre D. mentioned, the owner is a super cute Turkish woman who is personable, sweet and reminded me of my own lovely mama!
I ordered the calamari (delicious), the Mediterranean salad (she promised lots of cheese and she delivered) and the Bruschetta (OMG I love their bread)!
Mama taught us Turkish tea customs... like how to tell your host that you do or don't want more tea just by placing your spoon on your cup a certain way!
The free humus and bread basket we got was perfect and to top it off we ended the evening with complimentary Turkish Delight!
The first Friday or every night they apparently have belly dancers and prix fixed menu options... I will definitely be checking that out.Listed in: Etobicoke! It's still part of…
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Review from Rebecca M.
7/5/2010 3 photos
I was travelling on business in Ontario and decided to explore the area for dinner instead of doing the easy but boring activity of eating dinner at my hotel. Anatolia --- I'm so happy that I found you and that people were spot-on in describing you - what a wonderful little place!
Anatolia is deserving of its 5-star ratings. Anatolia is quaint and inviting, and the service is friendly and prompt. The warm, welcoming ambience is a feature I like when visiting family-owned restaurants versus big-chain franchises. I was very pleased with my dinner selection -- everything I had was superb. It was presented nicely (see photos) and tasted fantastic. I had the mixed veggie plate. It consisted of an array of food: stuffed artichoke, stuffed grape leaves, white bean salad, and deep-fried phylo-wrapped feta. Entrees are also served with hummus and freshly baked Turkish "pide" bread.
To end my meal, I had a Turkish coffee served with a morsel of Turkish delight. The Turkish coffee can be made sweet, medium, or strong. It is served in a small teacup about the size of a double-shot espresso. Turkish coffee is thick and contains coffee particles. You drink the liquid portion as best you can and leave the solids behind, swirling the particles along the side and bottom of your cup. The waitress said you can supposedly read your fortune, based on the coffee pattern in your cup - kinda like reading tea leaves, I guess.
My business trip did not leave me much time to explore Toronto, but this meal was, by far, the highlight and most enjoyable part of my trip. On certain nights, Anatolia serves a prix fixe menu and offers live belly dancing performances. Also, if you ask for one of their take-out menus, there's a 10% off coupon inside the menu. Anatolia is delightful, and the locals are lucky to have this little treasure in their neighborhood. -
Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
5/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had never tasted Turkish cusines until yesterday and I wasn't disappointed. Owner/chef Ayse Aydemir takes a personal approach to creating and serving authentic Turkish dishes and takes pride in getting one-on-one feedback from the patrons.
We began with traditionnal Turkish tea served in small glass-like tea cups and a quick lesson on Turkish tea etiquette (see Marie F's review).
For my appetizer, I ordered the Mediterranean salad, which was a wonderful mix of finely chopped vegetables (a mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and sweet onions) in a zesty vinnegrette with olives and feta.
Then it was on to the main course; I ordered the Adana kebab (named after the city in Turkey), which were a spicy mixture of ground beef and lamb over a bed of basmati rice and bulgur. This was served with a side of Domatez Ezmesi (a spicy, fresh blend of finely chopped tomatoes, crisp green peppers, sweet Spanish onions and fresh herbs.) On the whole, a very delicious meal.
Oh and if that weren't enough, the home-made bread with humus, which is sprinkled with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil, it to die for.
Next time I won't stuff myself so much so I can try some of their wonderful deserts (I'm looking at you baklava).Listed in: A five star tour...
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Review from Eric L.
Etobicoke, ON
7/19/2010
We heard about this restaurant from a friend, and were looking for something new to try out.
All the reviews here are spot on, the food was amazing, the atmosphere very authentic. The owners and staff are all Turkish, all very friendly. I'm no expert on Turkish food, but we tried to order more traditional dishes and everything we had was delicious. -
Review from Dynafrom W.
Toronto, ON
2/24/2011
I got to say this, one of the best turkish I've eaten here in Toronto. Top notch food (albeit portions could be a tee bigger), and the price ain't too shabby. Definitely get the lahmanchu or w/e it's called. It's peasant food, but who cares.
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Review from Angela B.
York, ON
11/9/2010
Awesome food and great service. I went to this restaurant for the first time last week and was new to Turkish food. We asked the waitress for recommendations and the choices were fantastic!
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Review from John F.
North York, ON
9/17/2010
After all the glowing reviews I'd have loved to also give this place one, but I am afraid I cannot.
Not that it is bad. The food was quite tasty, very well prepared and nicely presented. But the seasoning and value just don't live up to Turkish food in my former hometown.
I had eggplant salad which I thought was going to be more of a chopped dish. It really was eggplant caviar. The flavour was very good and nicely smokey (evidently the eggplant was broiled or grilled) but it did not distinguish itself that much from elsewhere. My partner's appetizer was a sort of pizza of minced meat on thin bread. Tasty, but the flavour was overwhelmed by too much cumin. I had the sirloin strips with potatoes as a main dish. The meat was good if a bit overcooked. The best part was the grilled eggplant and zucchini skewer that went with it. It was very artistically presented however. My partner's chicken kebab was tasty but rather ordinary. The spongy Turkish bread was much more enjoyable than pita, but they did not refill it. Tea was served Western style rather than in a glass cup with sugar cubes (not sure if the latter is used in Turkey or is strictly Persian).
Decor is pleasant, with lovely Turkish ceramics. Service was friendly but not especially outstanding.
We thought the prices were too high for the portion sizes and the ingredients.
I'd recommend it for someone looking for a Turkish food fix and it seems like a nice enough place to bring a date, but I just cannot wax as enthusiastically about it as the other reviewers.
Also, if they had a bar I did not see one. It would have been nice to have some raki after dinner. -
Review from Greg H.
1/11/2011
Visiting from California and found this place on Yelp. The hostess (presumably owner) was very friendly and even gave us free Baklava.
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Review from Andre D.
Edmonton, AB
5/8/2010
Usually local community restos are wide in scope in comparing hits and misses. Anatolia is a hit out of the park. Luckily this restaurant is a 5 minute walk from my place. Marie F, Steeven and I went for "linner." A quaint little establishment amongst many brutal places. There's always a little gem in the community and this is it.
Their bread is freshly baked and their hummus was very tasty. I ordered a Mediterranean salad and the Anatolia platter. This consisted of basmati rice, veggies, meat patties and chicken. Spices were perfect and the whole dish was succulent. She was so nice, she left us each with Turkish delight on the house which is generally a dessert.
The owner takes pride in her establishment almost like she's your mother. Always wants feedback in her dishes. She's very friendly. So definitely if you're in Etobicoke, stop by here and you will easily be satisfied.Listed in: You just need to experience…
