DINING OUT ON NEW YORK CITY'S EAST SIDE

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DINING OUT WITH ANN WATT
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AY Kitchen, Fine Turkish Cuisine
115 Lexington Ave.
New York, NY 10016
212-213-0200
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Octopus Salad

Opened only one month, already the place was packed and the people kept coming. My friend and I soon discovered why …the menu offered a great variety of appetizers and entrees for her vegetarian palate, whereas I enjoy eating just about everything, as long as it’s flavorful and well-prepared. My friend calls me fussy! But I say, “I’m a good cook and if I’m going to pay restaurant prices I want to eat something better than what I would cook at home.”In an ideal location, at the corner of Lexington and 28 Street, formerly occupied by Rice, AY Kitchen posts their Turkish menu outside with a cuisine that is Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. We were greeted right away by professional waiters. As we were seated we ordered wine, unfortunately we were told that currently the restaurant is awaiting their liquor license and is it is BYOB for now.The owner is Ramazan Ay (the "Ay" in Ay Kitchen comes from his name). Fourteen years ago he opened Kebab House in Little Neck which is successfully running strong. Ay’s son Ali explained to me that his Dad created this menu with a focus on fine Turkish cuisine. “My Dad could have easily offered three more pages of original recipes; however he prefers to offer a diverse menu with the freshest produce available.” First my friend and I shared an octopus salad ($12), which was big enough for the two of us. The raw onions were blanched, the octopus tender and moist. So many eggplant options, we chose the Iman Bayildi (oven baked whole eggplant stuffed with a vegetable stew for $7.) Next time (and there will be a next time soon) we will try the Kozleme Patlican, a char-grilled who eggplant topped with the chef’s special sauce. Ay’s home-made sauce means this dish can not be found anywhere but at the Ay’s restaurants. We also order the Branzino (a whole European sea bass, char-grilled marinated in lemon & parsley for $21.) The fish was delicately filleted table side, and the side salad and rice made this delicious dish a complete meal. I always leave a little room for dessert and the waiter brought us Kadayif (baked shredded wheat stuffed with pistachios and topped with a light honey syrup - $5) and Kazandibi (a semolina pudding - $5.) The desserts were not too sweet, just a perfect compliment to a wonderful dinner. This neighborhood restaurant will soon become a hit since the food is well-prepared, service is friendly and knowledgeable and the prices are affordable. Look for their website, which will be up live in a week. Meanwhile, drop in, order out – they deliver.
Photo By: Ann Watt/Society-Photos