Mehmet Sarı started cooking in Istanbul in 1998. Close to three decades later he is running the kitchen at Tabac Plus, the Turkish kitchen and lounge in Little Italy, and he has rewritten the menu around the food he grew up with.
Ottoman palace cooking on one side, Anatolian home cooking on the other. Plan on a long table and a lot of plates.
From a Sultanahmet Kitchen to Little Italy
Chef Sarı came up around the restaurant business through his uncle, which is where the interest took hold. He opened his own career in Sultanahmet and has stayed with Turkish cooking ever since.
The menu reflects that. Recipes sit close to their origins, the preparation follows the methods Turkish kitchens have used for generations, and his own experience shows up in the execution rather than in reinvention.
Muhammara, Gavurdağı, and the Opening Round
Order cold first. Muhammara is roasted pepper with walnuts, tahini, and pomegranate molasses. Gavurdağı is the Anatolian chopped salad, loud with walnuts, herbs, and pomegranate. Havuç Tarator turns roasted carrots into garlic yogurt, labneh, and walnuts.
The hot side is where it gets serious. Paçanga Böreği is phyllo gone crisp around pastirma, melted cheese, and sweet pepper. İmam Bayıldı is the Ottoman eggplant with caramelized onions, pine nuts, and raisins. Tereyağlı Karides is shrimp baked in garlic, butter, and herbs.
Start With Hünkar Beğendi and Work Outward
Ottoman braised beef, smoked eggplant, brown butter, and very little standing between you and it. Mutancana follows with braised lamb, dried fruits, almonds, and warm spices.
Mantı are hand-folded dumplings packed with seasoned beef, finished with garlic yogurt and mint butter. Kuzu Güveç is a lamb casserole baked under peppers, tomato, and melted cheese.
Ali Nazik puts a grilled Adana kebab over smoked eggplant and garlic yogurt, and Piliç Topkapı is Ottoman stuffed chicken with rice, pine nuts, and dried fruits.
A Copper Cezve, Ottoman Sherbet, and Künefe to Close
Nothing behind the bar contains alcohol, and the list is better for it. Ottoman Sherbet arrives chilled over tamarind, rose, ginger, clove, cinnamon, and cardamom. Caffe Alla Turca comes out of a copper cezve with Turkish delight alongside. Teas and handcrafted mocktails round it out.
Then dessert. Künefe is warm kadayıf layered with melted cheese, pistachio, and syrup. Katmer folds crisp yufka around pistachio and kaymak. Fırın Sütlaç is rice pudding finished with hazelnuts, pistachios, and a baked crust.
Families Inside, Hookah Out Back
The indoor room is smoke-free and set up for families and dinners that run long. Out back, a separate lounge for 21 and older carries premium hookah drawn from Turkish tradition.
Owner Muhammed Karatay opened Tabac in 2017 before expanding into Tabac Plus, bringing the dining and hospitality traditions he grew up with to Southern California. Breakfast, coffee, a full dinner, a slow evening. It is built to catch you at any of them.
See you there!
Round up four people, order more than looks reasonable, and let the table fill up. Turkish dinner works best when nobody is counting dishes.
📆 Now Open
📍 2215 Kettner Blvd, San Diego
🎟️ Make reservations here
ℹ️ See the full menu here
See you there, San Diego!
Dining and Cooking