This Istanbul-based mini-chain is one of the few places in town where you can find sahlep ($2.95). Prepared from the ground tubers of a mountain orchid, heated with milk (and sugar, I believe), then garnished with mellow Turkish cinnamon, sahlep is creamy, and clings slightly to the inside of the cup.
Sahlep is also a folk remedy for sore throats and (due to the appearance of the tubers) for male "lassitude"; for reasons more related to environmental conservation, the beverage now contains less root than it used to. Don't we all.
See also my dining brief on the Manhattan location in the November 25, 2009 edition of The New York Times.
Gulluoglu
Locations in Manhattan, Astoria, Brighton Beach, and Cliffside Park, New Jersey
www.gulluoglubaklava.com
