e're getting closer to Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto all the time. Last week, Cafe Silan, featuring Kurdish and Mediterranean food, opened at 867 Santa Cruz Ave., location of the departed Suzanne's Muffins.
Kurdish food refers to the native cuisine of the Kurds who occupy southeast Turkey, northern Iraq, and northwest Iran. It is also "home cooking" for Silan's owner, Ismail "Jan" Unlu, who grew up in a Turkish village.
Mr. Unlu says he believes Cafe Silan is California's first Kurdish restaurant. For the diner, this means kebabs (marinated and grilled strips of lamb, chicken of veal), served with bulgur pilaf; clay pots of diced lamb, eggplant and tomato; or bell pepper stuffed with ground beef and rice.
Veal and chicken are carved from vertical rotisseries. There are also many vegetable dishes, using the tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers so prevalent in Turkish food.
Lunching at Cafe Silan last week, we sampled the Hevir U Gost, very thin pizza dough with ground veal, lamb, tomato, onion, bell pepper and parsley ($4.95); and Goste Miriske, a flatbread chicken sandwich from the rotisserie, served with lettuce, tomato, and dill-flavored yogurt ($5.95). Both were fresh and flavorful.
We sampled Ava Rezi, a drink made from boiled golden raisins and apricot ($2), and a yogurt drink ($1.50), best described as acquired tastes.
A fellow staff member likes Cafe Silan's take-out. When it was too hot to cook last week, she ordered hummus; green beans with olive oil, onion and tomato; a garbanzo bean dish; rotisserie veal; and flatbread for a refreshing supper.
Cafe Silan was originally conceived as a take-out cafe; however, the faux-finished ochre walls, Kurdish artifacts, and wrought iron furniture make it a pleasant spot for indoor or outdoor seating for 25. One wall sports a mural of Mr. Unlu's native village.
"Jan" Unlu's is a classic "coming to America" story. He started out at age 9 washing dishes in a restaurant, and worked in restaurants in Istanbul and London before coming to this country in 1986.
Three years later he opened his first Italian restaurant in North Beach. He now owns Cafe Silan, Silan Italian Restaurant in Los Altos; La Scala in Burlingame; and Cafe Silan Italian Seafood and Grill, opening soon at 201 South California Ave., Palo Alto. He recently sold Scala Mia Italian restaurant, located on Santa Cruz Avenue.
Cafe Silan is Mr. Unlu's first venture featuring his native dishes. He says he first opened Italian restaurants "because everybody in America likes Italian food." There are still a few Italian items -- focaccia, pizza, and calzone -- on the menu, but all have a Turkish twist, such as using feta cheese.
Desserts at Cafe Silan include caramelized custard ($5.50) and dried fruits in gelatin ($5.50).
Cafe Silan (Silan means rose, a flower that grows profusely in Turkey) is a stylish addition to the downtown dining scene. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with all items available for take-out. Telephone: 326-5404.
