Tadinda Mediterranian Eatery, Norwood
Hours
09:00 - 21:00 Mon to Sun
Cuisine
Turkish
Halaal
Muslim Owned
Price Range (p/p)
Medium | R100 - R300
Updated: 20-03-2024
If you’ve ever been to Buyuk Chimlija in Centurion, you might be familiar with the original Tadinda restaurant located there. Buyuk Chamilja Farm, or as they call it, a Socio Eco Techno Village run by a Turkish organization – UICT, is a good example of the kind of investment that the Turkish community is making in South Africa.
This olive and fig farm is a fantastic child-friendly venue for a day in the sun with lots of activities for the kids as well as good food and an atmosphere to unwind and enjoy the weekend. The behind the scenes work done here to feed a number of orphanages and madressas run by UICT is truly amazing.
The original restaurant on the farm is an interesting cave-like architectural study. And after my trip to Cappadocia 2 years ago, it definitely makes me think of the cave like buildings native to that part of the country.
They have opened a sister branch in the heart of Norwood. A tiny cubby-hole by comparison. It is just large enough to fit 3 tables inside and 2 more on the sidewalk. But its intimacy lends itself to sweet hospitality which we experienced when we went for a late lunch on a Sunday just before Ramadaan.
We weren’t able to book ahead as they don’t have a phone number for the restaurant as yet. So we took a chance and just drove through. On arriving we found the restaurant was empty, which is not surprising for a Sunday, though I think during the week they would be busier. We were welcomed by a Turkish man in an ethnic embroidered waistcoat. After seating us we were offered little complementary cups of cold sherbet with notes of rose, clove and cardamom along with nuggets of Turkish Delight.
While waiting for our food I explored the shelves of imported Turkish teacup sets, coffee and flavoured teas. They also have a range of their own sauces and condiments. A decorative tea cart with a well for sand to make their traditional coffee which is heated and brought to boil in the hot sand, stood in one corner. It seemed to be more for aesthetics than to be in actual use. Perhaps it is taken out on occasion.
The menu is is not huge with a selection of pides, meze, a few selected main meals and Turkish wraps. We chose a chicken pide, the Iskender and a Beef Donner. Except for the pide, all the meals were extremely generous.
The Iskender at R220 is slivers of beef atop a layer of cubed bread made in-house, topped with a tomato based sauce and then drizzled with hot butter at the table. This was delicious but too much for one person. The Beef Donner at R135 comprised of layers of shawarma meat and salad inside their homemade bread, which is the size of perhaps two rolls. Another dish that is quite shareable. Both came with fries. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient but could have been better about explaining the size of our dishes.
We had also ordered a Corba because we love Turkish lentil soup and just had to try it. It wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was good. It also came with the home made bread which we were told they also sell on it’s own. The Chicken Pide was really tasty but I felt it expensive for the size at R145.
They have some Turkish sodas on the menu of which I had the pomegranate, as well as the usual suspects. The lemonade is homemade so it’s not as sweet as you might expect. I had to swap my drink with my son Taufeeq as he wasn’t enjoying the tartness of the lemonade.
Needless to say, we went home with plenty of leftovers. It’s a convenient stop for authentic Turkish food in Norwood. You’ll also find them on Mr D and UberEats for takeouts.
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