Baghdad Cafe

[Vancouver]

I noticed a place I hadn't heard of before today on West Pender called Baghdad Cafe (430 West Pender - next to Cassis Bistro). With the lack of Turkish places in Vancouver I wonder if anyone has tried this place?

Cheers!

[Sam Salmon]

Drove by last week and wondered if it was an Iraqi place-since Baghdad is in Iraq.

Damned few Turks in this town and fewer Iraqis.

[Sam Salmon]

Managed a look @ the menu today-standard Middle Eastern fare and quite appealing-as is the interior of the Café.

Warmly done in dark reds, lots of fabric, staff well trained and gracious.

Will try to have lunch there later in the week.

[the g-man]

It is really good. Never had Turkish food before this place, but now we go grab lunch there on a regular basis.

This cafe may be one of the smallest restaurants in town. There are about half a dozen tables, set very close to each other.

[bill_n_opus]

Iraqi "Turkish" food?

[Sam Salmon]

Made it to lunch-I must have been wearing sunglasses when I visited earlier-the wall I thought was fabric was brick and the restaurant is decorated in early bric-a brac, warm and comfortable.

Ended up ordering the Eggplant plate-something of a mixed bag taste wise.Deep fried Eggplant spears had little taste Yogurt/Garlic sauce notwithstanding-the oil needed changing-but the Bean Stew that accompanied it was outstanding.

I said earlier that it was standard Middle Eastern fare-that too was wrong and a person should check out the menu outside to see for them self.

The server-a girl of maybe 14 years-wasn't confident enough in her spoken English skills to answer why a place called Café Baghdad was serving Turkish food.

[*Deborah*]

That struck me as counterintuitive also...

Speaking of Turkish, there's a newish place on Robson near Hamilton called Turka that serves nice donairs (chicken or beef) with a very tasty minty yogourt sauce. Cash only.

[prasantrin]

Perhaps they are Iraqi Kurds who came through Turkey? I used to have a student (Iranian Kurd) who lived in Turkey before coming to Canada as a convention refugee.

[Sam Salmon]

Thanks for that Rona-there is an Iraqi Kurd community here has been for some time.

Also one knowledgeable student of history pointed this out "Sam,...maybe it serves Turkish food because the city was conquered by Turks twice in its history, and ruled by Ottoman Turks until Britain carved it all up after WWII. "