SEFA Kitchen – A State Of Relaxed Delight

By Dining Dave on April 10, 2014 in Food

Sydney certainly doesn’t have a shortage of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants, and kebabs are nearly ubiquitous. So what can separate the truly special from the absolutely average? I wanted to find out, and word on the street pointed me in the direction of Bondi Beach to a quaint kitchen called SEFA, which is creating culinary waves in the area.

Hiding at the cuisine-filled beach end of Bondi Road near the corner of Denham Street, SEFA Kitchen was opened by owner Utku Ayhan at the beginning of 2013 and, judging by the number of the full tables on a rainy Wednesday night, has gained a pretty strong following.

According to Utku, the word ‘sefa’ means a state of relaxed delight, and he wants you to be in a ‘sefa state’ after enjoying a meal at his restaurant. SEFA’s cuisine is not specifically Lebanese or Turkish, but rather what’s known as Levantine – the traditional cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean. In Utku’s words, he “didn’t want to put a map on it”. This is a place where share is caring, as the plates are served as ‘meze’ (lots of small dishes), so it’s best to bring your friends with you.

When making your way inside, be sure to avoid knocking over the classy black birdcage-style wine rack at the front door. Not being very big, you’ll immediately notice the large bench table with a horse head sculpture on top at the center and the variety of red and pink pillows spread around the room. Mainly raw brick and soft lighting, SEFA is certainly set up well for dates and groups of close friends. Look for the live herbs growing on the walls, as these are used in the dishes and are a sign of freshness.

My three companions and I started off with some cocktails including the fruit-filled watermelon mojito and a few quick mezes of marinated olives and lettuce and fennel crudités with whipped goats’ curd. Following in rapid succession (never will you have a bare table at SEFA) came the cold dishes: garden fattoush; beetroot, bulgur and feta; a pumpkin fatteh, sour yoghurt and pine nuts; haloumi with honey and za’ atar; and basturma (sliced beef) on hommus with burnt butter. The look of each of these dishes really complemented the taste.

Moving on to the hot stuff, we selected the Balmain bugs with lentils, cacik (strained yoghurt) and isot pepper, crispy Brussels sprouts with almond tarator, and the baharat spiced lamb shoulder. The lamb is large enough for four and melts in your mouth, while the bugs, brought alive by the yummy cacik, are like a sweet lobster. If you like Brussels sprouts, SEFA’s take on them will make you swoon.

With some room left for dessert, we tried all three sweet choices: sweet tahini, dried figs, prunes and bran crumble; yoghurt pannacotta with mint tea granital; and ashat booza, sweet potato and salted walnuts. Needless to say, they left us feeling full and happy.

Plans to expand are afoot; coming soon will be dining in the garden-like backyard, which will increase the oasis vibe of the place.

There are no kebabs served here, so drunk diners may be mildly disappointed, but everyone else will be happy to end up in the ‘sefa state’.

SEFA Kitchen

Address | 292 Bondi Road, Bondi
Phone | (02) 8068 6461
Website | www.sefakitchen.com
Email | dine@sefakitchen.com
Open | Dinner: Tue-Sun 6-late; Breakfast/Lunch: Sat-Sun 9am-3pm
Prices | Entrees: $9-$18; Mains: $27-$36
Cards | Visa, Amex, Master
Licensed/BYO | Licensed. BYO Tue-Wed.