Susam Restaurant, Kyrenia, North Cyprus
August 7, 2009 by Essential Ed
Filed under Restaurants & Dining, See & Do
We at Essential Cyprus have been on a budget streak recently so we thought we would continue along this vibe by telling you about a special little place where you can eat cheap! Being cheap though does not mean the food is lacking in quality and as we live here we seek them out as we would be broke otherwise!
Susam is one of a few restaurants which we frequent on a regular basis and can be put in the same category as Beyti’s (many people will know Beyti’s as a venue for cheap and plentiful tucker) for example. It’s a busy little place located on a back road (Şehitler Caddesi) running parallel to the main Kyrenia road – find the fountain roundabout and turn off the main road and take the right in front of the power station, continue along and not far on the right hand side is Susam.
The place is not that salubrious to be honest, but it’s clean, tidy and the cooking staff all wear hats and white overalls and that’s more than can be said for some places! (We like it however, as it’s always a sign of somewhere not being pretentious). The waiters don’t speak too much English, but are extremely courteous and efficient and if you don’t speak Turkish then you can always point to what you want from the menu!
There is a lot on offer, which can sometimes be a bit off-putting until you realise that here the main ingredients remain the same, such as pides, but the toppings are plentiful so you can choose from lots of things without getting too confused. We believe Susam is also run by staff from the Black Sea region in Turkey so you can find dishes which are unique to that area.
The main courses at Susam are pretty varied and you can choose from grills such as chicken shish at 12TL up to a full grill at 20TL. There are also dishes like chicken wings and lamb cutlets from 12-15TL which are really good value for money. Everything always comes with rice, salad, chips and a portion of Fındık Pide to share. This particular pide is a Susam special and although Fındık means hazelnut, it doesn’t actually contain any; it’s just a Turkish thing!
Alternatively you can choose from a wide range of pides which are really good quality with plenty of flavour. You can have the basic Lamacun (Turkish pizza) at 2TL each or cheese varieties at 7TL, veggie, mushroom or hellim and egg pides at 8TL. There is also the Karadeniz (Black Sea) pide which is made from different bread at 9TL. There is also a selection of normal pizzas to choose from to with prices up to 10TL.
In addition to all that you can also go for a doner meal with chicken, meat or mixed from 10-15TL or even try the Iskender Kepab which is strips of meat layered on top of plain pide bread and yoghurt.
You can choose from a few desserts such as rice and bread pudding – puddings don’t seem to be much of a popular thing in a lot of local budget eateries, but perhaps that’s because the main courses are more than enough for most!
One thing about Susam is that they don’t serve alcohol. Perhaps we should have mentioned this earlier on in the article, but it’s not all about drinking sometimes! It could also have something to do with not wanting the hassle
of obtaining a drinks license. Soft drinks are cheaper than other places at 2TL, and an Ayran (yoghurt drink) at 1TL.
Susam also has a popular delivery service and it’s always busy in the evenings with the delivery mopeds coming and going, so if you don’t fancy eating in you can always call for delivery. Durum (pide wrap) and Ayran will cost you 10TL at lunchtimes too.
Our bill for four main courses, Ayran, water and free coffee came to 45TL which is an absolute bargain although we would have liked to have not wasted so much of the food as there was far too much to get through!
You can contact Susam on +90 (0)392 8160952 or mobiles +90 (0)533 844 2437 / +90 (0)542 887 8217. There is also a branch in Lefkoşa if you fancy and that can be found on the corner of Bedrettin and Atatürk Caddesi.
If you enjoy eating out in North Cyprus, then why not check our Restaurants and Dining in North Cyprus section which will no doubt wet your appetite with more reviews and articles on the best places to eat and the various types of cuisine available.