21/06/25 |



Efes, Canning Town: The Turkish Spot That’s Off-Grid but On Point



They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and in my family, that rings especially true. For Father’s Day this year, we wanted to celebrate with good food and even better company, and oh yeah, and of course celebrate our dad.

My family and I are a family of foodies through and through, and while our go-to for family meals is usually a buffet (where everyone can pile their plates high with favourites), this time we decided to switch things up.


Instead of our usual all-you-can-eat setup, we opted for a sit-down meal at Efes restaurant for a traditional Turkish experience. And let me tell you this, it did not disappoint. Ordering 2 Efes 1 platters, here's how our Father's Day feast unfolded...

Before the platter arrived, our server brought over two small baskets of warm, fluffy bread with two sauces – the first sauce rich and tomatoey with a peppery kick, and the second sauce cool, yoghurty and laced with hints of mint. Just what we needed to whet our appetites before the main event arrived.


A while later, out comes the platters. I started with the chicken wings which were chargrilled and slightly smokey and coated in a deeply savoury sauce that brought out the meatiness of the chicken. Succulent and juicy, each bite did not disappoint. The chicken wings on their own could have very well been the main event. The Adana kebab was spicy with a slight peppery after taste, a nice contrast to the umami flavour chicken wings. Still sizzling from the heat, the lamb chops were juicy and deeply savoury, with a flame-grilled crust that added a smoky kick.


Layered underneath the meats was a bed of traditional Turkish rice; two kinds – a white rice and a tomatoey rice. Both rice were buttery, fluffy and soaked up all of the juices from the meats. Mixed in with the rice were shredded pieces of lamb and chicken donner. This was a nice surprise with the rice – with both donners I could taste the fresh flavours of garlic, onions and herbs.


We ordered two salads to accompany our platters – a Tabbouleh and a mixed Mediterranean salad. The Tabbouleh was fresh and finely chopped, with sweet pops of tomato, zingy lemon, and fresh mint. It was a little tart, but in the best way. The second salad came loaded with rocket, red cabbage, cucumber, carrot and crunchy white onions. It had a vinegary kick that balanced out the meal beautifully, and the freshness of the onions really stood out for me – sharp, clean, and not at all overpowering.


That buttery, fluffy rice with the mixed meats and zesty salads? Every forkful was a flavour-packed delight.

We came for a Father’s Day meal and left with full bellies, happy hearts, and a new go-to for family feasts. Efes’s Canning Town branch may be off the grid when it comes to social media, but trust me – the food does all the talking. If the other branches are anything like the Canning Town branch, I’d happily pull up a chair at any Efes table, anytime.