Introducing Tamam Turkish Restaurant

Hello there!
This is your Sarukuma writer — the aroma-loving lady who lives for a good day out♪

Today I’m excited to introduce
a wonderful spot located in Suizenji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City —
“Tamam Turkish Restaurant” (トルコ食堂タマム).

When people talk about the world’s three great cuisines, they mean French, Chinese, and — you guessed it — Turkish food!

The owner here actually lived in Cappadocia for 10 years.
My heart was racing at the chance to taste authentic Turkish cuisine again ☺

Getting there: head west along Kencho-dori (Prefectural Office Avenue), turn right at the Suizenji 6-chome intersection, and at the first corner turn right for the parking lot or left to reach the restaurant.
Here’s the parking lot. There are 5 spaces toward the back (No. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Here’s the restaurant! Such a stylish exterior♡

Right next door is “chana spa,” offering Thai traditional massage and Thai facials.

Hours (weekdays) 11:00–20:00 / (Sat, Sun, holidays) 10:00–20:00
TEL: 070-8374-8738

I’d love to get a massage there too (*´艸｀*)

This week’s lunch!
You get all of this for just 1,000 yen — what a deal!

Starting July 9, the dinner service will begin too.
From 17:30, the venue transforms into a Meyhane (Turkish tavern)! I’d love to come back at night (*^-^*)

Takeout is also available (Kebab bowl: 500 yen).

Here’s a look inside! There are 4 table seats.

Decorated with fresh and dried flowers, with soft, gentle lighting that gives the space a wonderfully warm atmosphere.

The counter has about 7 seats.

The large mirror and plants are lovely too 💛
The interior is exactly my style — I couldn’t stop taking photos ☺

Beautiful dried flowers hang from the ceiling, so even waiting time becomes an enchanting experience 💛

Even sitting at the back of the counter, the soft lighting and gentle atmosphere make lunchtime feel like a real luxury (*^-^*)

There’s also a water dispenser ♪ Plenty of flowers here too 🌺

Heading toward the back of the shop, you’ll find some stylish accessories — let’s take a look!

So cute~💛 So stylish~💛

These pieces are from “Turkish Oya Lace Shop,” a specialist Oya boutique.

What is “Oya”? It refers to traditional Turkish needle lace.
Each piece is meticulously hand-crafted by skilled Turkish artisans from Cappadocia, the home of Oya (*´艸｀*)
The quality is genuinely incredible.

Beautiful pieces that make you gasp out loud.

You can also choose between pierced earrings or clip-ons, with allergy-friendly options available — be sure to ask if you’re interested ☺

I’m getting hungry. Let’s eat ♡

Tamam Turkish Restaurant — Recommended Menu

Here’s the menu!

Lunch changes weekly and there’s just one set on offer.

This week’s lunch (1,000 yen incl. tax):
✨ Tavuk Sote (chicken stewed in tomato)
✨ Havuç Çorbası (carrot soup)
✨ Colorful vegetable salad
✨ Pilaf with orzo pasta
✨ Çay (Turkish tea)
(Add-on) Large rice: 100 yen

Today’s topping: 100 yen
This week’s topping is “hummus,”

a chickpea paste seasoned with lemon, cumin, and other spices.

Side menu (prices incl. tax):
✨ Turkish red wine: 500 yen
✨ Turkish white wine: 500 yen
✨ Apple juice (imported from Turkey): 300 yen
✨ Grape juice (imported from Turkey): 300 yen
✨ Stretchy Dondurma (Turkish stretchy ice cream): 500 yen
　※ Chocolate / Vanilla / Cranberry & Mozzarella cheese

I couldn’t wait any longer 💛
I ordered this week’s lunch with a hummus topping, plus an ice cream!

First to arrive was the Havuç Çorbası (carrot soup) ☺

“Çorba” means “soup” in Turkish.

Right away — “Itadakimasu! 💛💛 Mmm, delicious!”

If you were expecting an unusual or strong flavor — think again ☺
The seasoning is so gentle that my friend and I both blurted out, “This is amazing!” (*´艸｀*)

This vegetable-based soup tastes like Turkish home cooking.

Ah! The main course has arrived 💛💛💛

Here we have
Tavuk Sote (chicken in tomato), colorful vegetable salad, pilaf with orzo, plus the hummus topping.

The Turkish way to eat this? Mix everything together!
The owner himself said, “I always mix it all from the very start (*^-^*)”

I felt like it would be a shame to mix it all immediately, so I tried each one separately first before going for the mix-up ♪

Once again — “Itadakimasu 💛”

Ahhh 💛 So delicious! (*´艸｀*)

The chicken in the Tavuk Sote is incredibly tender, and the sauce — with its yogurt-like tang and aromatic herbs — adds a refreshing accent that makes the whole dish wonderfully light and easy to eat ☺

The colorful vegetables are pickle-style, with that same bright tartness — so refreshing!

The pilaf works beautifully with the sauce from the Tavuk Sote and the tang of the pickled vegetables, so the rice changes flavor with every bite as you eat your way through.

Mixing the hummus with the chicken was so good that this is where the all-in mixing officially began (*^-^*)

Just like the owner said — once you mix everything together, brand-new flavors open up in your mouth! Truly delicious!!

And here’s the çay!

Wait — “Where’s the milk?” you might think (*´艸｀*)
Milky chai is the Indian style!

This is Turkish-style çay = Turkish black tea.

It’s clean, easy to drink, and absolutely delicious.
Add a little sugar to taste if you like 💛

And many of you have probably been wondering about this one!

“Stretchy Dondurma” — Turkey’s famously stretchy ice cream.
This one is the cranberry & mozzarella cheese flavor.

The subtle sweetness of cranberry blends with the soft hint of cheese — the ice cream is wonderful as is, but to really stretch it, you’ve got to

“Knead!” “Knead!” “Knead!”

It stretches best when it’s starting to melt.

This is as far as my kneading skills got me (lol)
But with a bit more skill, you’ll be rewarded with that fun, gooey-stretchy texture ☺

With international travel still tricky, why not enjoy a taste of the exotic right here in Kumamoto? Tamam’s refreshing and absolutely delicious Turkish cuisine is the perfect escape from the summer heat.

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is as of the time of reporting. Prices and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.