We’ve eaten at Anatolia’s Gate Restaurant a few times, so I decided it was finally time to write its review. Located on Kingsway & Salisbury Ave in Burnaby, it’s a bit far from us, but gave me a good excuse to do some shopping at Metrotown (Forever XXI!). On this visit, we feasted on tantalizing Turkish fare with wonderful friends.
Anatolia’s Gate provides authentic, homemade Turkish cuisine. They offer everything from flat breads to stone grilled kabobs to guveches to lahmajun. Their menu is 100% Halal, which Muslims on the lower mainland will appreciate. Since they have a hot stone gas oven, they also offer pizzas with unique toppings like humus, and donair kabob.
Anatolia’s Gate’s owner (from Turkey) explained that he installed this gas oven for a pretty penny, but that the price was well worth this investment because the oven is essential to creating deliciously authentic Turkish food.
Wow, look at the gargantuan size of this bread! Lavash bread ($2/$4/$6) – Anatolia’s famous ballooned flat bread, with smooth & silky humus ($5.95), and creamy tzatziki-like yoghurt sauce. Its flat bread is made from flour, water and salt, so it’s both vegan and vegetarian friendly. Poke it with a fork and watch all the steam escape.
Lamb Durum ($7.95) – Roasted lamb meat wrapped in a freshly baked lavash bread, with onion salad & yogurt sauce. The lamb was moist and tender, veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, onions) were fresh, and the bread was soft – an all around very tasty donair.
Adana Kabob ($11.95) – Anatolia’s special ground beef mix grilled in a skewer served on top of Anatolia’s pideh bread with salad, rice and yogurt sauce. Another excellent dish; generous portion and fresh and delicious ingredients.
We couldn’t leave without sampling some Turkish coffee ($3.45). It was very strong thick and rich black coffee, and its overly full bodied flavour included a touch of grittiness. Not something that I would order again, as I found its taste and aroma to be extremely overpowering. Their freshly homemade baklavah ($4.95), which we took to-go, was honey-sweet, decadent, and its delicate filo pastry was expertly layered.
Service was warm and genuine, the kind of gracious hospitality you would expect from a Middle Eastern place. Overall, Anatolia’s Gate is a fantastic restaurant for Turkish fare, and other Mediterranean delicacies. If you enjoy Middle Eastern food like falafels, donair, kebabs, etc., then definitely check it out the next time you’re in Burnaby!
