Mado: Is this what the fuss is all about?

Open: Sunday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday 2pm to midnight, Saturday 8am to midnight.

The Poet, Vivek and I went to a new Turkish restaurant that has been causing something of a sensation on Durban’s Florida Road.

Nestled in the Quarters Hotel complex, Mado is a Turkish ice-cream and pastry brand that has over 300 outlets in Turkey and 22 other countries around the world. It was founded in 1850 by Yaşar Kanbur and became a chain in 1991. This is the first such opening in South Africa.

The first thing we notice is the impressive bakery counter loaded with an array of delicious looking pastries - kunefe, baklava, profiteroles, croissants and pain aux chocolats - all looking glossy and magnificent behind glass. There’s also the ice-cream counter with a veritable array of interesting and unusual flavours. The Poet spotted what she would be having for dessert - the pomegranate sorbet. It was something neither of us had tried before. But so much to choose from - chocolate, coffee, almond, pistachio, orange and even things like melon and strawberries. I would decide later.

It’s a large modern restaurant, possibly over lit, but humming with families and large groups all getting a part of the action. There’s an upstairs we never got to see. In fact on a coolish Saturday night it was so full that they could only seat us on the outside verandah and warned there may be delays in the food coming out. We were happy, and suitably dressed for the great outdoors. Plus we could see what was happening in Florida Road.

The second thing we notice is the menu. At 64 pages complete with glossy stylised pictures of many of the dishes, it’s more a small coffee table book, than a menu. It made it very difficult to get a grip on what was on offer. One kept on paging through it to find things that had jumped out at you to order, only to lose your place again. In the end one almost ends up relying on the waiting staff’s recommendations.

At least a third of the menu relates to pastries and ice-creams, then there’s breakfast, and then drinks. Mado is naturally halaal, but offers an array of lemonades, shakes, smoothies, juices and teas and coffees. Vivek decided that if he couldn’t have his Scotch, water would suffice. But the Poet and I asked about a traditional Turkish apple tea. It’s something I remember from my time in Turkey some 20 years ago. Sadly they were out of it. Ditto peppermint tea.

Then I spotted something I had to try simply because of its name - a butterfly pea lemonade (R80). Our waitress couldn’t tell us why it was so named or what was even in it. It came with a thin layer of super sweet ice-blue-green cordial at the bottom topped up with an incredibly tart lemonade. Not unpleasant, just odd. The poet asked for one of their special juices, only for our waitress to say they were out of one of the ingredients. She ended up with water.

Now to master the massive menu. Large chunks of the hot food menu were not necessarily particularly Turkish even. Yes there’s a burger and a number of wraps, but no shawarma.