Photo by Selma S.
Coffee With the Chef: Lisa Mayisoglu of Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Ridgewood
APRIL 23, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014, 12:16 PM
THE RECORD
Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Ridgewood
In 1985, Lisa Mayisoglu left Ankara with her family and started working in restaurants. Seven years ago, she opened her first Lisa’s Turkish Kitchen in Ridgewood. Her husband died a year later, leaving her to care for their three children alone. Two years ago, with the help of her sister, the 46-year-old chef moved locations and renamed her place Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine. The restaurant received three out of four stars from this newspaper. Here, Mayisoglu discusses why Turkish cuisine is good for you, her love for desserts and how she stays thin.
The most difficult dish to make: The dumplings ($18). It’s time-consuming. It’s a little dumpling stuffed with lamb and seasoning, but everything is done from scratch. We never buy anything from the outside. The Turkish kitchen is the most difficult to cook in, ’cause everything is done by hand. I know a lot of restaurants say that, but I know myself that it’s true here.
I make my own: Stock, tomato sauce, tahini, cacik [yogurt mixed with cucumber and seasonings], thick Turkish pita bread. A lot of customers take the bread home.
Turkish cuisine is … Unique. It’s very healthy. It’s Mediterranean. We cook with a lot of nuts, a lot of tomatoes, cucumbers. It doesn’t have a lot of creamy sauces, butter.
Advice for diners: Be happy.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/coffee-with-the-chef-lisa-mayisoglu-of-lisa-s-mediterranean-cuisine-ridgewood-1.1000985#sthash.4l17AmXV.dpuf
Those little dumplings are very, very good.
Great restaurant with terrific food owned and operated by a lovely Ridgewood family. I would urge everyone to give them a try!