Sultan Kebab

C says:

This place is a tad out of the way, but if you’re prepared for a 5 minute walk, it’s a good pre or post-movie meal option when you’re next at The Cathay.

Sultan Kebab is a simple little diner tucked away in Peace Centre. I’d call it a hole-in-the-wall place, but the phrase may give the wrong impression that it’s a bit seedy and less than hygienic. It couldn’t be further from the truth, though. In sharp contrast from the rest of the joints at Peace Centre, Sultan Kebab is clean, bright, and a welcome breath of fresh air.

Fresh from Turkey (well, not so fresh, cos Sultan Kebab has been open for just over a year), the place is run by 3 family members who, while harbouring a dream to open a full-fledged Turkish restaurant here, are in the meantime selling some no-frills but very tasty kebabs.

The menu here is pretty small – chicken or beef kebab (by kebab, I mean meat sliced off large rotating spits, not satay-esque skewered meat), served either with rice, in a tortilla, a hotdog bun, or Iskender style, which is meat piled on top of cubes of bread, with mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce. I went for the chicken with rice, and A had the beef in a tortilla.


The beef seems to be more popular, if the size of the spits is anything to go by. The chicken one still had lots of meat on it, but the beef was more considerably skimpier. Strangely enough, I actually preferred the chicken. It was marinated with some chilli and spices, and was flavourful without being overpowering. The chicken was also very tender and not dry at all. The rice was surprising, because it was a little on the sweet side, but together it was really addictive. I could easily have polished off another plate…


The beef, on the other hand, was a bit too strong, with the flavour of the meat overshadowing any marinade. The tortilla was definitely up A’s alley, but I’ll take my chicken and rice any day.

My one complaint about this place is that they don’t sell hot drinks – only cold canned drinks. I would have loved a latte or a cappuccino with my meal. Still, I’m glad we’ve found a new place to have lunch after catching a movie, and prices are definitely reasonable. The rolls and tortillas are only $5 each, and the rice and Iskender are $7. There was a fairly decent flow of customers ordering a few rolls to go, but it would be nice to see a bit more support for these guys who, judging from the immaculate nature of their store, are just interested in working hard and serving good food.

A says:

Friendly staff. Decent food. Relatively reasonable price. Although I think that the food at the Turkish restaurant at Rendezvous Hotel is better, overall, I’d rather come here. My only complaints would be the lack of hot drinks (i.e. coffee) and that they don’t have lamb on the menu.

Sultan Kebab
1 Sophia Road
#01-15 Peace Centre
Tel: 6338-8750
Open daily, 11 am to 9 pm (or until the meat runs out, whichever comes first)

Cappadocia Café

C says:

The Cathay is our current cinema of choice, mainly because the seats are comfy and it’s not too crowded on a Saturday morning. The problem is a lack of good eating places in the vicinity. After the disappointment of the Rendezvous Nasi Padang, we were a but stuck on Saturday for a lunch option after watching Transformers. In the end we decided to try the Turkish café in Rendezvous Hotel – Cappadocia.

This place seems to be fairly authentic, since it was mentioned in an article about eating places frequented by homesick expats. It’s a nice causal place, simply decorated, with only a flag, some cushions and a shisha pipe to distinguish it as a Turkish joint.


We ordered a couple of dishes to share. The Doner Iskender is one of their specialities, and comprises sliced chicken kebab on a pile of bread cubes, topped with a sweet chilli sauce and yogurt. This turned out a lot better than I expected – the chicken was charred and flavoured, and the combination of the sauce and yogurt was creamy, tart and sweet all at once. And I like the fact that the bread was cut up into cubes – it soaked up the sauce really well.


We also ordered a Turkish version of pizza with sliced roast lamb, mozzarella and egg. This had a cleaner, more subtle taste than the Doner, but was good too. I liked the fresh tomatoes on the pizza, and the egg gave it a rich and creamy finishing touch.


The Turks certainly take their coffee seriously. I ordered the Turkish coffee, and while it was an interesting experience, I think I’ll pass next time. It was really strong and thick, and I only managed to drink half of it because the second half was pretty much all coffee grounds. A’s cappuccino fared much better.

This turned out a lot better than expected. I won’t come all the way just to eat here, but it’s certainly a viable option whenever we’re at the Cathay for a movie. Also worth noting: their main branch is apparently at Robertson Walk where the menu may be more comprehensive, and some internet searches show that there’s another branch at Rail Mall too, though I’m not sure how up to date that info is.

A says:

Very good flavour, but the taste of the meat tends to get lost. It’s also just a bit pricy for the size of the portions. It’s an interesting place to try if you’re in the area, but nothing I’d go out of my way for.

Note to self: Cappuccino is rich and foamy.

Cappadocia Café & Restaurant
9 Bras Basah Road
#01-02, Hotel Rendezvous
Tel: 6337-9982
Open daily, 11 am to 10 pm (last order 9.30 pm)