The Yildiz family have been wowing ‘Little Turkey’ (in the 10th arrondissement) with their filo pastry delights for almost ten years now. They began with a kebab restaurant but due to increased competition, decided to turn it into Mesken Börek Salonu, a bakery with four small tables. And what a stroke of genius it was.
We’ve come especially for the börek (€2.50), a savoury filo pastry parcel eaten with ayran, a lightly salted cow’s milk yoghurt. Choose between meat, cheese, spinach or potato filling – our favourite was the ground beef, spiced with onions and parsley. The pastry was flawless, neither too greasy, nor stodgy; the stewed onions bringing in a lovely sweetness.
The börek is prepared the night before, stored in the fridge and cooked the following day. If you want to see a proper baker making this fine pastry – it’s an art to behold – come any day from noon until the early afternoon. For dessert, don’t miss their pistachio baklava (€1 per square), which is also made in-house. This tiny shop, with its mixed clientele of hipsters and Turks, is a true gem.
TRANSLATION: MEGAN CARNEGIE