Melbourne! Lezzet - For the carnivores and the herbivores

LEZZET ANATOLIAN KITCHEN - 81 BRIGHTON ROAD, ELWOOD VIC 3184

'Celebrate the Land' - $45 p/p

Now, I (Christina) am not the biggest red meat eater but for those in a similar situation to me, you still have to give Lezzet Restaurant a go. It would have to be some of the best meat I have ever eaten. Plus, some of the best service you will receive in Melbourne.

All food and beverages were provided on behalf of Lezzet Restaurant.

Lentil Soup

To begin, we were served a lentil soup, which is usually eaten during Ramadan. To say the least, it was a taste sensation. I could have just had a huge bowl of this, it was that good. But who just goes out for soup? Definitely not a food blogger.

'Local Calamari' - $16.50

We chose two entrees to share, the 'Local Calamari' with sumak (a lemony spice), saffron aioli (yes, you read that correctly - SAFFRON aioli) and herb salad. The calamari was very light.  Sometimes you can get hit with a bad batch of calamari and it's heavy on your stomach but this calamari was a great start to the evening.

'Zucchini Fritters' - $14.50

Our second entree was the 'Zucchini Fritters "Mujfer"' with relish, feta, cucumber and baby cos. The relish was a beautiful pairing with the zucchini and showed how this dish is a great example of the vegetarian meals Lezzet has on offer. I especially loved how this dish was served, as you take a piece of the baby cos lettuce and wrap it around the fritter amplifying the Turkish spices.

Now, our main was the real show stopper. Literally, have a look at the dry ice display in the video. It's called the 'Lezzet Platter' and it is ever changing depending on what's in season and inspired by the owner's visit to the market. Ours included: 18-hour slow cooked lamb, marinated and grilled chicken, lamb skewers, Turkish koftas, sauteed onion, halloumi chips and beetroot dip, all on a bed of rice with saffron aioli and tahini.

Lezzet Platter

The lamb just fell off the bone, it was succulent and full of flavour. The chicken was incredible  - I tend to stay away from chicken because I often find it to be dry in restaurants. However, Lezzet nailed the chicken with the marinade.

Our dessert platter!

I insisted on skipping dessert because I was so full. But, as I said earlier, the service was exceptional and they brought us dessert anyway. I could have not eaten it but that would just be rude! We were given a small platter of four different desserts. The Baklava Pyramid, Apricot orange blossom granita, Pomegranate rose granite, and the Strawberry mess, which was meringue, strawberry cookies and cream with fresh berries strawberry halva and pistachio. Our favourite was the Baklava. It was served with almond foam, walnut snow, walnut kurabiye sahlep ice-cream finished off with a drizzle of honey dressing.

Well, after all that - I managed to walk out and not crawl to my car cradling my stomach. If you're after a meal that leaves a smile on your face, I strongly suggest Lezzet. The platter is exquisite and would be a great addition to a group dinner. If you're going with just another person, maybe skip entrees or have just one, then focus on your main as the platter.