rendezvous @ rendezvous

framover vil eg posta sporadiske innlegg med såkalla matanmeldingar frå etestader me har vore på. desse kjem først og fremst til å vera på engelsk, men eg kan sjølvsagt omsetja dei til norsk også dersom det er interesse for det. kom gjerne med tilbakemeldingar.

i’ve decided to start posting occasional food reviews from places we’ve been to eat. it’ll be from aberdeen and around (no limits here really). to the delight of non-norwegian-readers, you will also be able to understand them!
don’t be afraid to give me feedback.

first one out is the wonderful rendezvous @ nargile, that sits just around the corner from our home in the west end of aberdeen. that comes in handy when we have to walk home like stuffed sausages. it serves contemporary turkish cuisine and is awarded a michelin recommendation.

this monday we had a friend visiting from norway, and we wanted to have a «taste of our neighborhood» so to say. i made sure to book ahead at the rendezvous @nargile restaurant, because we’ve popped in maybe five times without a reservation, and always been (very politely!) rejected. we’ve managed to book a table one other time in the past, when we (more or less) successfully brought our friends with two kids, so we knew that the meze for starters is an absolute must. and it was a winner this time too. soft hummus (i could easily eat just the hummus the whole evening), artichokes, tomatoes, coriander, champignong, aubergine -everything very well compositioned and placed on small plates for us to share. it could over all perhaps been a bit more spicy, but who am i to criticize turkish food…
the two ladies serving us (and the whole restaurant) was extremely attentive, friendly and polite. they were almost unreal for this city. when we ordered from one, she picked up that i’m a vegetarian, and would make sure that i got an extra plate of veggie meze’s. just a little thing that makes your whole dining experience perfect. we ordered the sauvignon blanc from marlborough (as one does) and it was as perfect as just a marlborough sauvignon blanc can be. a bit too full already after the meze, but we welcomed the main courses heartfully. looking at the menu, i can’t tell you that i didn’t wanted exactly the same meal as i had on the first visit: patlican iskender -a perfect symphony of one of the best (halep) sauces in history, aubergine and halloumi on a bed of pita bread that soaked up all the delicious flavors. but i had to try something different this time. i wasn’t disappointed, but i wasn’t gobsmacked either. the dish consisted of risotto-filled yellow peppers with parmesan on top, roasted potatoes and a green salad. i loved the flavors, although it was a bit dry and not as spicy as i hoped for. i got one jalapeño on top of the salad, but i could easily have eaten four. however i do understand that you all may not be as happy with hot stuff (!) as i am. my to fellow companions had respectively lamb and venison and were both very satisfied. both dishes were tender and smooth, with the venison having a really good sauce that might have been a bit overpowering. it made the venison disappear a bit in the richness of the sauce. especially did we all love the taste of my husband’s tomato/aubergine saus (if that’s allowed to say out loud). for desserts i had to pass, as my waist could’t cope much longer, but the guys enjoyed marshmallows on meringue and the classic sticky toffee pudding together with port and whisky. both perfect in taste and very delicately presented.

another delightful meal at the rendezvous was over, they do deserve their michelin recommendation very much. and my waistline is sad to hear that: we will return.