27 Mezze Bar & Grill at Robertson Quay is all heart, with plenty of wholesome Turkish fare

When I first heard the name “27 Mezze Bar & Grill”, my mind immediately thought of the Katherine Heigl rom-com 27 Dresses, in which she becomes a bridesmaid 27 times before she meets the love of her life. 

As it turns out (obviously), this newish Turkish spot’s name has nothing to do with wedding dresses nor bridesmaids, but it is quite the love story — a Turkish native’s ode to her country’s fare, written right here in Singapore. 

How it began

Started by former marketing professional Ozlem Ozbilgili, 41, 27 Mezze Bar & Grill serves up a menu of 27 Turkish dishes at a time, with representation from all seven regions of Turkey. 

Three years ago, she moved to Singapore with her husband, Egemen Ozbilgili, and her daughter for his job marking the first time she’d ever been in Asia — much less Singapore — and lived overseas.

Just before that, Ozlem was working in her family’s F&B business — Harbi Adana Ocakbasi — a highly-rated Turkish kebab (or “kebap” in Turkish) spot that’s been featured on top food guides. She was also running a distribution company that brings in products to Turkey from the US. 

Having done so much back home, she was sure she wouldn’t be idle when they moved over, adding: “I had to find something for myself to do.”

When Ozlem and her husband first came across 27’s current space at Robertson Quay, they realised that it’ll be great for a modern Istanbul restaurant, given the diversity of F&B options and the casual vibe of the area. 

At the same time, Singapore didn’t have anything quite like the concept they had in mind — a meyhane-style spot serving up Turkish spirit raki along with other alcoholic spirits — yet.

Meyhane (“mey” means alcoholic drink and “hane” means house in Turkish) refers to traditional Turkish-style communal dining, where you wine and dine, while sharing mezze and stories. 

Ozlem adds: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a big gathering or one on one. Meyhane just means you need to share something — time, food,feelings, conversations. It’s all about sharing and enjoying the time together.”

Then, why 27, you might ask?

Aside from it being Ozlem’s favourite and lucky number, she explains that they decided on a fixed number of dishes, so that customers wouldn’t be too overwhelmed with too many options. 

The team would also be disciplined and selective in showcasing the best of Turkish cuisine. 

“We were certain we wouldn’t be one of those places that sells everything, but in low quality,” says Ozlem.  

She was also careful about picking dishes that would be good for Singapore’s market, given the resources and supplies she has access to. 

Trying 27’s meyhane-style menu

If you’ve never tried Turkish fare, even 27 dishes can be a bit much, but Ozlem suggests starting with the 3-mezze platter (S$34) where you can pick and choose any mezze from its starter menu.

Mezze, a term commonly used in the Mediterranean, typically refers to small dishes that can be eaten as appetisers ahead of a meal, or on its own as a light meal. 

Ozlem explains that the mezze they serve are chunkier and more wholesome — the consistency is not at all dip-like (as you might have seen elsewhere) and it’s best eaten as-is. However, you can opt to add pita bread (S$5) if you’d like. 

Of the starters, our favourites were the sauteed spinach with lemon (S$14), a simple yet refreshing start to the meal, the babaganoush (S$14), a somewhat-milky smoked eggplant dish with yoghurt, tahini, garlic, and pumpkin seeds, and lastly the 27’s muhammara (S$14). 

Ozlem is particularly proud of the latter, which is a smoked red capsicum dip with walnuts, and a special mix of herbs and spices. It’s got a slight heat, and the spices and herbs come together so well that you can barely distinguish what’s in there, but works well, regardless.

A dish that she makes at home and has introduced into the menu is 27’s green salad, a seemingly simple dish with lettuce, baby spinach, red onion, zucchini, green apple, and dried apricots, tossed with Turkish extra virgin olive oil. 

It seems almost counter-productive to fill up on veggies right before the mains, but the light flavours and fragrant oil are too inviting to pass up on. Plus, they lay a good foundation for the heavier dishes (and alcohol) ahead. 

Having heard so much from Ozlem about her family’s business and the kebap they sell — Adana kebap (S$36) or hand-minced lamb — we knew we had to try it. This is the exact version you’d find in Istanbul, down to paprika that is imported from Turkey. 

Ozlem stresses: “For your ingredients, you have to be so careful — even a small twist can make a difference in the taste.” 

Head chef Andac Erkek, who is a native Turk that’s lived here for nearly two decades, laboriously cleans the lamb leg and lamb ribs, removing any chewy nerves or tendons, and hand-minces both cuts of meat daily for this dish. 

However, beyond the preparation process, the marination is done to order and surprisingly no-frills — there’s only salt, chopped capsicum and paprika. 

Simple is truly best — the meat, which is smoky, owing to it being grilled over charcoal, is sweet, tender and not in the least bit gamey that even this non-lamb-eater here wavered slightly. 

If you’re strictly no-lamb, there’s beef, chicken, seafood and vegetarian mains on the menu, too. 

Aside from the kebap, there’s one other main dish you absolutely shouldn’t leave without trying: the Turkish beef dumplings (S$32), known as “manti” in Turkish. 

27’s version is deep-fried and comes with an aromatic minced beef filling with onion chunks. The crunchy, well-stuffed meat pillows are served on top of a bed of velvety garlic yoghurt and topped with a tomato sauce, a drizzle of burnt mint butter and sumac. 

Ozlem says this isn’t a dish commonly found in Turkish restaurants, but rather, one you’ll find in Turkish homes instead. 

While the elements are mostly familiar to us, what stood out was the texture. It was chunky, well-stuffed and wholesome — almost as though it was full of beef chunks, so much so that we were surprised to learn that it was instead minced beef in the filling. 

Ozlem recommends having each dumpling with a huge spoonful of yoghurt and a light dusting of sumac.

Those with a low tolerance for spice might have a natural aversion to the vibrant, red-hued herb on the side and steer clear — don’t! Sumac, made from sumac berries, actually comes with a tart flavour and is often used as a substitute for lemon. 

The barley risotto with mushrooms (S$28) is also another sleeper hit. If I hadn’t been prodded by Ozlem to order and try it, I’d probably have skipped it as a non-vegetarian. 

Keskek is a barley dish usually served at ceremonies such as weddings and is traditionally made in a huge pot. While it typically comes with meat, 27’s version is amped up with generous chunks of white button and portobello mushrooms. 

Even though no meat-based broth is used, the risotto is hearty, slightly peppery thanks to the paprika-butter sauce, and brimming with umami with discernable chunks of shallots within. 

By this dish, we were stuffed, but it was so delicious that we couldn’t stop till we had wiped the bowl clean. 

More conventional protein-eaters might want to try its chicken rolls with spinach (S$30), a new and recent addition — each portion is made to order, so a 30-minute wait is needed. 

The dish was introduced to the menu recently, in response to requests for more chicken dishes, and Ozlem didn’t want to serve just regular chicken. 

Akin to a chicken roulade, the Turkish ispanaki tavuk sarma comprises sage-marinated chicken breast stuffed with baby spinach and capsicum. It comes served with a garlic-yoghurt sauce on the side. 

It’s a simple, well-seasoned and tender dish that’s hard to fault, really. 

As you dine, don’t forget to enjoy a swig or even a bottle of the Beylerbeyi premium raki (from S$10 for a glass to S$120 for a bottle, with varying sizes available), brought in exclusively from Turkey by 27 Mezze Bar & Grill. 

Raki is a traditional Turkish drink made with grapes and anise. When diluted with water, the clear spirit turns milky, earning it the name “lion’s milk”. 

It came served to us with another glass of water, which Ozlem stresses is needed, because the raki is strong — and strong it was. 

As a non-anise fan, I didn’t take to the raki, but what I really loved was the Turkish coffee (S$5), which comes served with a side of the sweet Turkish delight. 27’s version is robust, non-gritty and well-balanced. 

I’ve had variations of overly acidic, gritty and bitter Turkish coffee before in various locales around the world, so finding this version here at a decent price was a pleasant surprise. 

And if you’re worried about the coffee keeping you up, Ozlem tells us, then have more raki to balance that out. 

This was an invited tasting. 

For more places to dine around Singapore, check out the latest openings in town, or try Hi Hot Pot, Haidilao’s newest budget hotpot concept. 

27 Mezze Bar & Grill is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.  

You can also book a ride to 27 Mezze Bar & Grill at Robertson Quay.