A Turkish Food Feast At The Olive Garden, Kabak

We've had a bit of running theme this week, enjoying the amazing scenery of the west side of Lycian Turkey. On Sunday, we looked out over the Mediterranean as we did the drive from Ölü Deniz to Kabak and then on Tuesday, we lazed the day away and were blown away by the views from the terraces at the Olive Garden. 

A bit of a break from the scenery of the area now though, because we also indulged in the fabulous food of the Olive Garden. (No one was allowed to start their meal until photographs had been taken!) It's a very simple menu that, when reading through the choices, doesn't particularly excite you. For example, 'Beef casserole.' That's it. No extra information to make your mouth water... But in the end, it didn't really matter. The food spoke for itself.

Antep ezmesi is probably our favourite meze

Spicy Antep Ezmesi and hummus, served with crusty bread, were chosen as a meze. Of course, we ate more bread than we really ought to have done - we'll learn to refrain one of these days - but what's a meze dip without the bread to dip into it?

Time for main meal and the beef casserole. Remember, that was all it said on the menu. It didn't say, 'huge, tender, lean chunks of beef, served in a traditional clay pot, in a casserole of charred aubergines, tomatoes, potato and onion.'

A Portion of Beef Casserole - the rest is still in the pot!

But that's what the Olive Garden beef casserole is. Everyone coveted my choice when it was placed on the table. This is a dish to take your time over. A perfect summer dish it may not be - but who cares? We'll recommend this one!

Cumin köfte

Two of the crowd went for the cumin köfte (kiremitte kimyon köfte). The köfte was served in a sizzling dish. Cooked in a tomato sauce and topped with roast pepper, tomato and a couple of potato wedges, cheese was melted over the top before it was brought out to us. We all sampled. We all gave the thumbs up. Again, perhaps not an ideal summer dish but we were hungry! 

Stuffed aubergine

And the last of the main meals: our friend went for the aubergine stuffed with chicken breast pieces and mushroom before being topped in a tomato sauce. She was the only one who was defeated, but the men were only to happy to help out. Forks were soon stabbing at the leftovers! 

You might be getting the theme now. Again, this is perhaps not a very summery dish but it was very tasty. We should point out that the Olive Garden has a good choice of salad dishes if all this heavy food doesn't appeal to you in 90+ degree heat. We were just really keen to try different dishes and there are definitely no regrets on our part. It's a rare occasion that we have no appetite!

Were we full after all of this food? Full-to-bursting, but Fatih, the owner, had told us that he had dessert prepared for the evening meals. Would we like a dessert? No, how could we possibly even entertain the idea of a dessert? Except our friend has a sweet tooth. Once Fatih had explained what was waiting in the kitchen, our friend set about persuading Barry to join him in the act of sugary over-indulgence.

Poached apricots

Poached apricots served in a light syrup on a bed of yufka (phyllo) and topped with a spoonful of natural yoghurt and cinnamon. Yes, complete over-indulgence, but we all helped out and managed to get through two platefuls between us. It was all worth the effort and it was four very satisfied people that drove back to Fethiye that evening. 

Olive Garden, Kabak - Extra Info

• To get to the Olive Garden, follow the mountain road from Ölü Deniz to Kabak. You will see the signpost on your right just before the road ends. View The Olive Garden On Our Map.
• We found prices to be very reasonable - for example, at the time of writing, the beef casserole is 18 TL. 
• For those who want to really relax, it's possible to stay overnight in one of the wooden bungalows. See our previous post about Olive Garden for the website and booking information.
• For more ideas of where or what eat in the Fethiye region, take a look at our Fethiye Eating & Drinking Page.