Ephesus is named after the famous ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of what is present day Izmir Province in Turkey. The photos adorning the walls of the restaurant instilled in me an urge to learn more about this culture and the lives of the people there.
The Vural family started Ephesus. While mom and dad cook at the back of the kitchen to prepare you with the most authentic Greek and Turkish style cooking, two sons take care of the front end of the restaurant. Mehmet Vural is the patriarch of the family, a professional cook with over 25 years of experience.
According to Galip Vural, one of the owners of the restaurant, yogurt is one of the main elements in Mediterranean food. Tzatsiki is a wonderful cold appetizer that is made of strained yogurt mixed with cucumber, mint, lemon juice, and touch of garlic. The yogurt is light in taste with a cool, clean cucumber flavor to give a refreshing sensation. I had similar yogurt in Persian restaurants before, but the type served at Ephesus was lighter in taste.
Next, our calamari arrived. I have to say this is some of the best calamari I’ve ever had. The squid is distinctly fresh and tender, not too oily. I was told that they use fresh ingredients every day—no frozen food here. From the taste of the calamari, I can testify that this must be true. I could honestly finish the entire plate of the calamari by myself without that greasy aftertaste feeling. It was an A+ dish.
Another interesting appetizer I picked from the menu was Lahmacun. Lahmacun consists of a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat. After adding vegetables, you can then roll it into a wrap. If you are looking for a fun, unique appetizer, this is a very safe one to try. The taste is light and fresh.
We moved on to our main course: Lamb Shish Plate. In this dish, you get cubes of tender lamb marinated in a special blend of herbs and spices served with fresh vegetables and rice. The lamb was marinated very well again and the texture was just right for a grilled dish. I could easily pull the meat off the skewer. It comes with healthy grain rice.
Read More . . .More tasty entrees
Magluba was the last entree we had. This is another very delicious house special consisting of rice topped with grilled chicken, eggplant, and cauliflower. The rice was infused with chicken flavor. The dish is served with fresh vegetables and tzatsiki. All the vegetables tasted extra fresh, and the Tzatsiki made for a great combination.
Towards the end we had Baklava and Kunefe for dessert. The Baklava served at Ephesus is surprisingly tasty. It is a sweet pastry made with layers of phyllo dough filled with pistachios and sweetened with honey syrup. Unlike a lot of sweet desserts that are loaded with honey, the portions here are just right. Kunefe is a baked, shredded pastry with sweet cheese served with honey syrup topped with pistachios. You have to eat it right away to experience the instant crunchiness of the shredded pastry. Inside this Kunefe is goat cheese. I’m not usually a big fan of goat cheese but this one is delicious. It is crunchy on the outside and the inside just melts into your mouth. It was perfectly sweet and hot. Very delicious!
During the course of dinner, we also had Ayran. This yogurt drink is very light and refreshing. Since none of us knew what Turkish coffee tasted like, we decided to give that a try as well. It contains ground Turkish coffee, water, and sugar. It’s quite bitter. But if you like a strong coffee flavor, this may be your best option. There are also wine and imported beers from Greece and other European countries for those who like to drink.
This restaurant offers great flavors served with lots of warmth at very affordable prices. We will definitely return with friends and family to experience more of the Mediterranean culture. There are many entree options with prices that range from $9.95 to $13.95. Appetizers are divided into cold or hot categories. Ephesus serves plenty of soups, salads, and desserts, as well as vegetarian options. All items are available for takeout.
Ephesus Mediterranean Cuisine
185 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
650-625-8155
Hours:
11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Mon-Sat
11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday
