Having tasted some of the finest baklavas in different parts of the Middle East and Greece, I have always struggled to choose one when to feed my baklava cravings, back here in India. The ball always rolls between ‘over the top sweet’ and ‘too satisfactory to impress.’ However, that was until I sunk my teeth in the decadent variants of Turkish baklava at Hurrem’s, a premium gifting store and cafe launched just a couple of months back.
Enter Hurrem’s and you’re greeted by ravishing elements from classical, Ottoman and contemporary architecture. Think unique artworks and a chandelier with astonishingly intricate levels of ornamentation, it is love at first sight! This one serves more than fifteen variants of baklava.
We love their savoury treats like the pide, a flatbread with several toppings and borek a traditional Turkish bread stuffed with cheese and spinach. The Turkish tea and coffee also tick all the right boxes. We couldn’t help but order a second serving of these. Lunchtimes, there are soups and salads as well. Our pick is the delectable green olive salad. The pomegranate dressing elevates the humble salad making it a hero. On offer are also some of the finest quality of nuts.
Coming to the best part- the baklavas, there are classic varieties like the pistachio baklava, hazelnut baklava, walnut baklava. We love the exquisite Havuc Dilimi, a large triangular sliced baklava filled with dry fruits, served with a dollop of ice-cream. Surely a baklava lover’s dream comes to life.
Dozens of delicate layers melt into a single tender bite in the syrupy Sobiyet baklava loaded with chopped pistachios. It is the gold standard in baklavas. The crunchiness, after all, is the result of 40 odd sheets of paper-thin dough. The delicate dessert, which is traditionally painstakingly created by layering paper-thin dough with nuts and spices before baking and soaking in a sweet syrup, can sometimes be over-the-top sweet and sticky — a decadent treat, but not one suitable (or palatable) for frequent consumption. Hurrem’s method, however, creates just the right balance of light sweetness and flakiness, for a crave-able snack that you’ll have a hard time putting down. After all, it is baked by chefs who have mastered the art in Gaziantep, Turkey, and prepared using ingredients flown in from the country.
Space does the crunchiest of nuts, the freshest brew, delish salads, and savouries where freshness takes center-stage and swoon-worthy baklavas that are the stuff of gastronomic heaven, serving you with serious dessert coma.
Where: Taj Building, Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Rd, Azad Maidan, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
Note: The critic was invited by the brand but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own
