I know, you thought you could never get bored of spicy noodle soup. Fried rice with veggies and six thousand chillies doesn’t appeal for breakfast? How about chicken feet? Trust me, after a few weeks or even months in China you may find yourself a little tired of the intense and rich flavours of Chinese food (especially the spice of the cuisine in Chengdu) and fancy something a little different. Which is exactly why I headed to The Sultan one evening in Chengdu. The sultan offers a relaxed atmosphere and great Turkish food in Chengdu.
The sultan has beautiful decor and friendly, English speaking staff. There was quite an extensive menu, which was in English as well as Mandarin, and had pictures of each dish. Cold Drinking water was served complimentary, which made a welcome change from drinking hot water as you do in most restaurants.
We chose 5 dishes to share between the 2 of us. First to come out was the Turkish Naan. It was warm, fluffy and everything I had hoped it would be. We ordered a portion of hummous to accompany the bread and my word, this did not disappoint. So thick and creamy. The combination of the bread and hummous made such a welcome contrast to the sweet and spicy flavours of Chengdu.
We also ordered a lamb kebab and a falafel wrap. This was literally to die for. It was served with a cool salsa and a yogurt dip. The falafel wrap was my favourite part of the entire meal and was a pretty decent portion for the price. We also ordered a large veggie rice to share. 5 dishes was plenty enough between the two of us and the atmosphere is the place was relaxed and comfortable. The restaurant however is pretty hard to find so I would recommend downloading or printing a map before you head out.
The only part that let me down was the food was served sporadically. I’m aware that in China your food is served once it’s ready, but normally there’s only a few minutes between dishes. There was however a half an hour time difference between receiving the first dish and the final one.
Overall a very lovely and different meal. For 5 dishes, the bill came to 124¥ and provided a welcome respite from food spicy enough to blow out your brains.
MORE CHINA INSPIRATION:
Fun Things to Do in Beijing, China
An Amazing Experience at the Panda Breeding Sanctuary – Chengdu
The Ultimate 24 Hours in Hong Kong Guide
The Best Way to See the Great Wall of China
Things You Should Know Before Going To China
