Sip Sak -- Turkish Done the Right Way

Earlier this month, I checked out a much-hyped restaurant called Sip Sak near my new home here on the Upper East Side. I'd heard raves about the moderately-priced, beautifully-spiced Turkish food for weeks from a good friend (who'd heard them from many of her own friends) and the two of us went in tow to check it out for ourselves.


The decor is Middle Eastern chic, with lucky eyes, arch-framed mirrors, and mosaic work transforming a small, long space into an inviting and intimate one. The food speaks for itself. We started with a hummus and falafel appetizer which we shared. Having spent 2 summers living in Israel myself, I have a fairly discriminate palette when it comes to such dishes. But I was more than pleased with the freshness and vibrancy of the hummus; the falafel was perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft inside. A wonderful start to the meal, indeed! But what came next--the lamb special--was the true highlight.



The menu claimed that our grilled lamb would come with a special sauce and fresh pita--but where was the pita? Ahh, the secret--the pita had been cut into cubes and mixed into the sauce, creating a whole new dimension of flavor that I'd never seen before. Soggy with the sauce, each piece of pita was a cloud of deliciousness that just evaporated upon consumption. And the sauce, which I can only guess had a light tomato base mixed with tzatziki, had a divinely smooth texture--I could have had some with basil as soup!

With just one appetizer and one entree, my friend and I were happily full. Could we have kept eating? Sure. Were we more than happy to stop where we did? Definitely. And did the check reflect our ordering style? You betcha.

Sip Sak
928 Second Ave., New York, NY 10022
nr. 49th St.