SINGAPORE – The “27” in 27 Mezze Bar & Grill refers not to the restaurant’s unit number, but the number of dishes on its menu at any given time. Though by no means a sum to scoff at, for owner Ozlem Ozbilgili, this is an exercise in restraint. 

There is a whole lot more she could chuck at diners, if other Turkish restaurants in Singapore are anything to go by: more cheese-flooded variations of pide, more falafel, maybe a musakka or two. 

The classics that make the cut on the recently updated menu are those deemed sophisticated enough. Among the mezze, diners might recognise babaganoush ($14++) – or smoked eggplant salad – and, of course, hummus ($14++).

Cannot decide? Try the mezze tasting board ($34++), which lets you pick three items from this category, into which you can dip toasty pillows of pita bread. 

Tradition is tightly woven into the menu, which is very much Mrs Ozbilgili’s love letter to her home town. The rice-stuffed vine leaves ($16++) might prove a bit of an acquired taste for Singaporean diners used to the warm, savoury sort of leaf-wrapped rice. But Sucuk & Hellim ($22++) – Turkish sausage with halloumi – is the kind of high-fat, high-salt goodness that translates just fine across cultures. 

Cut it with the supremely refreshing Gavurdagi Salad ($24++), tossed with tomatoes, onion, walnuts and pomegranate molasses. It comes in especially handy once the mains arrive. 

After all, what is a Turkish meal without some grilled meat? Chief among them is the Adana Kebap ($37++). Hand-minced lamb is seasoned with just salt, capsicum and paprika, letting the natural richness of the meat take centre stage.