Opulence. That’s the word that springs up in your mind as you enter Öz by Kebapçi, situated on the second floor of UB City Mall. A doorman opens the door for you with a practised smile. A three-foot ornate fountain welcomes you into the reception. The metal doorway arch leading into the dining room has intricate floral patterns. Inside, you find more elements of elegant extravagance, like the kaleidoscopic Oriental rugs adorning the walls, the hanging decorative lamps emitting a pleasant golden-yellow light, the multi-coloured stained glass panel arching the counter, the chocolate-brown wooden chairs with plush cushions, the dramatic dark marble table tops – even the plate (white with blue floral patterns) looks like it should belong in a living room showcase. You don’t just eat at Öz; you fine-dine.
Öz (yes, with an umlaut atop the ‘o’), in Turkish, means essence or core. Aasim Shah, the restaurant’s founder, reckons the name resonates with the place because the food and the ambience try to capture the soul of Turkey. “Along with most ingredients and cutlery, the interior décor elements – the paintings, handwoven carpets, lamps – of the 6000 sq. ft dining space are from Turkey. Mert Duyal, an interior designer from Istanbul, set up the space,” he says.
Aasim’s family was into ship chartering. So, he has travelled a lot of the world – Turkey, in particular. As a culinary enthusiast, he grew fond of Turkish cuisine and felt he could fill the need for a place in India that served premium Turkish food.
