My Food Fetish: Rubin Mardini Turkish Cuisine in Penang

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Rubin Mardini Turkish Cuisine in Penang

We had an exciting new find over the weekend, a Turkish restaurant that is.

Rubin Mardini is probably the one and only Turkish restaurant in Penang, opened since the beginning of this year. Restaurant owner cum chef, Halil Duzgun who is also an avid backpacker hailed from the historic province of Mardin in Southeastern Turkey, which explains the name of the restaurant. He runs the restaurant with his Malaysian wife.

We were quick to order the Chicken and Lamb Shish Kebab sets which is meat grilled on skewers.

Traditionally shish kebab is made with lamb and I have to say the lamb kebab was definitely a great pick. The lamb meat was very well marinated with spices and hubs just couldn’t get enough of the juicy and tender lamb meat.

The set is served with Turkish pilaf rice, fries, roast vegetables, fresh salad with pomegranate sauce and extra olive oil on the side and Turkish flat bread.

We also ordered the highly recommend Mutton Tirshik which is a roasted vegetables stew cooked with mutton. They also serve the chicken alternative of the stew.

Rubin Mardini serves the famous Turkish dessert i.e. baklava. I like their version of the walnut pistachio baklava which is thin, crispy and not too sweet.

We don’t have photos of the Turkish pizza (Pide) which we ordered to go. That’s another Turkish dish that you should not miss. Turkish pizza has a thin dough and can be ordered plain, with egg or with minced chicken or mutton.

The lovely meal sure brings back a lot of fond memories of our holiday in Turkey two years ago. Turkey is such a beautiful country with very rich natural reserves. We must have spent at least half an hour chatting with Halil after our meal, reminiscing about the diverse beauty and rich history Turkey.

Rubin Mardini is currently running a promotion on Groupon so don't miss the chance to try the authentic Turkish cuisine. Do check out the restaurant's new menu at their website (link below).