Fes Osakbasi

[Greg Whitehead]

This topic might be a bit dual-purpose?

Firstly can I take the time to praise the owners of Fes Oaskbasi - my now favourite Turkish eaterie (although mainly due to my previous favourite shutting down after the fire). I think they ought to be praised for making use of a ruin. When I moved to Sydenham some 5 years ago it was the crumbling remains of the Criterion Ice...showroom? With the factory round the back On Tewkesbury Road?

Anyway - despite them sticking a horrid great neon sign on it I think they deserve a round of applause. It seems to be rammed most nights and perhaps in no small way they've convinced the owners of the Dartmouth Arms that there is very much demand for something other than fish/kebab/chicken outlets in Syd (Gurkha's et al are the exception rather the rule).

Well done again. I'm going there tonight.

Of topic AGAIN but can anyone tell me what the new Hexagon housing association on the corner of Knighton Park Road was? From memory it was a dis-used garage?

[charlie]

hello again greg,
must admit, i was so blinded by fury when lokal closed down (i know i'm going back a bit) i've always seen this place as a poor substitute and never tried it. (the neon sign didn't help.) but thanks to this post, i will now.
re, the dolphin: i'm almost disturbed by how thrilled i am by this news...

[stringfellow]

Thanks for that, I must admit the neon sign has put me off venturing in there, it makes it looks a bit 'Olu Deniz' but I will give it a go.

I would highly recommend 'Kafe La' the Bangladeshi restaurant on Perry Vale (just round the other side of Forest Hill train station, I know its's not strictly Sydenham but it's only a 10 minute walk along Mayow Road, the food, service and presentation are excellent, me & Mrs Stringfellow have been in their twice now once just us and once in a group of about 12 and the food was just as good both times, far better than any of the other restaurants I have tried around here.

[Greg Whitehead]

A wonderful turn of phrase there Stringfellow A little bit Oludeniz - that sums up my feelings about the place initially. Albeit when Katherine & I were holidaying in Turkey a few years back it was Hisaronu up in the hills that was REALLY like 'Blackpool in the sun' Oludeniz we didn't find all that offensive, although it did play on the fact The Blue Lagoon had been filmed there, a little bit too much.

I'd say to both you and Charlie that I agree, the neon sign does it no favours at all, in fact I boycotted the pace for the first 6 months in protest at the vulgar sign. But now I'd implore you to give it a go - the food's good.

(As a side-note does anyone in the converted Church get smoked out? I can't imagine you'd be able to open your windows without getting a noseful?)

AND they don't have the belly dancer in there that used to come to the Lokal on Saturday nights (I dont' know about you Charlie but I would face down and hope she didn't pick me to get up and dance with her)

Thanks for the tip of Kafe La.

[stringfellow]

I'll definitely give it a go in the next few weeks and let you know what I think. Before I get slated I wasn't being rude about Turkey, I went to Kas a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. I've also been to Koh Samui and they have Pizza Hut & Burger King etc. so everywhere has it's places to avoid!

[Greg Whitehead]

I can't see why you would get slated. I thought it was funny.

I think we were all apoplectic when the sign was hoiked up. After a while I thought, it's only a sign...sure it's a bit low-rent being neon but hey it doesn't seem to be stopping all these folk from eating there. I've since had more that a few good sit-down meals and a few good 'pick-ups' from there. We also feared that it might become a McDonalds if it wasn't a success, a bit of positive action needed so we ventured in, and were glad of it.

Shame the Lokal isn't with us anymore. I'm not saying Fes Osakbasi is better but it's a good place to eat Meze.