Anchorage, Alaska isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of authentic Turkish cuisine — and that’s precisely what makes Turkish Delight so extraordinary.
Tucked inside a quiet strip mall on East Northern Lights Boulevard, this beloved Anchorage hidden gem restaurant is quietly serving some of the most distinctive, made-from-scratch food in the entire state — dishes you simply cannot find anywhere else in Alaska. 🌙✨
From hand-rolled phyllo dough to spices and cheeses shipped directly from regional producers in Turkey, every bite at Turkish Delight carries the unmistakable weight of intention, heritage, and love. 🇹🇷
How Turkish Delight won Anchorage’s hearts
The story of Turkish Delight is one of oceans crossed, ingredients obsessed over, and a sibling bond that turned a shared longing for home into something Anchorage didn’t know it desperately needed. 💛
Siblings Zeynep and Engin Kilic — both born and raised in Turkey — took ownership of the restaurant in December 2022, stepping into a space that had already been operating under the Demir family since 2016.
After five months of thoughtful renovations, they reimagined the entire experience from the ground up: the atmosphere, the menu, the sourcing, and the spirit. Turkish Delight reopened its doors on May 2nd, 2023 with extended hours and an entirely refreshed identity. 🎉
Zeynep is no ordinary restaurateur. An accredited scholar and award-winning documentarian, her 2016 film Tables of Istanbul — which earned 10 awards — explored food, culture, and identity through the eyes of an immigrant returning home.
It was Engin’s persistent nudging that finally convinced her to stop researching delicious Turkish food and start cooking it for Anchorage.
The two siblings, by their own admission, typically polar opposites, found that food became the bridge — with Zeynep’s detail-oriented focus complementing Engin’s laid-back entrepreneurial spirit beautifully. 🤝
And it didn’t stop there — their kitchen partners, prep chef Nesim and grill master Cüneyt, are also siblings, making Turkish Delight perhaps the only restaurant in Alaska powered entirely by the magic of brother-and-sister teamwork. 🧑🍳👩🍳
Spices, pomegranate molasses, hand-rolled yufka dough, lokum, twice-roasted tahini, regional cheeses, olives, and dried fruits are all shipped directly from Turkey.
Zeynep even appeared on Hometown Alaska, sharing her personal history and the deep emotional connection between immigrant identity and the food we carry with us — a story that resonated deeply with Anchorage’s own wonderfully diverse community. 🎙️
This is not a restaurant that simply feeds you — it’s one that invites you into a culture, one fragrant, handcrafted dish at a time.
Food Highlights
- Adana Kebab: A spiced ground beef and lamb skewer grilled over an open flame and served with ezme (a lightly spicy sun-dried tomato dip with walnuts) alongside rice and salad. 🔥
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Mercimek (Red Lentil Soup): A lemony, velvety red lentil soup served with naan — one of the most consistently ordered items on the menu. 🍋
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Dolma: Rice, pine nuts, and fresh herbs wrapped in grape leaves, served with house-made garlic yoghurt. 🍃
- Iskender: Döner meat layered over sautéed pita, blanketed in rich tomato sauce, creamy yoghurt, and drizzled with browned butter.
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Sigara Börek: Cheese and herb stuffed unleavened dough, hand-rolled from imported yufka and fried to crispy, golden perfection, served with a roasted red pepper dip. 🧀🌶️
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Hünkar Beğendi (Sultan’s Delight): One of the most unique dishes in all of Alaska — slow-cooked beef in tomato sauce, served over a bed of grilled eggplant and cheese, with rice, sourdough, and an onion-sumac salad. 👑
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Pirzola (Lamb Chops): Grilled halal lamb chops seasoned with oregano, served with fries, house sauce, sautéed mushrooms, grilled jalapeño, and a cup of lentil soup or house salad. 🥩
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Falafel: Crispy chickpea and veggie patties served with hummus, tahini sauce, roasted pepper dip, and salad — available as a full plate or sandwich with fries. 🌿
Atmosphere
Turkish Delight wraps you in warmth the moment you step inside — a welcoming, intimate space where the aromas of spiced grilled meats, freshly brewed Turkish coffee, and warm phyllo dough do all the heavy lifting. ☕🕯️
The vibe is cozy and unpretentious, with a cultural authenticity that feels genuinely transported — not performed — from the sound of Turkish music softly in the background to the hand-sourced lokum waiting beside your coffee. 🌺
With a small, tight-knit team and owners who are often present on the floor, guests consistently describe Turkish Delight as the kind of Anchorage local dining experience where you feel seen, welcomed, and fed with purpose — the very best kind of neighborhood restaurant. 🙏
Bottom Line
Turkish Delight is Alaska’s most singular dining experience — a siblings’ passion project built on immigrant love, hand-sourced Turkish ingredients, and dishes you cannot find anywhere else in the 49th state. From the Sultan’s Delight to the warm Künefe, it is one of a kind. 🇹🇷✨
Address:
2210 E Northern Lights Blvd, Ste 110, Anchorage, AK 99508
📞 (907) 929-3680
🕔 Open Tue–Fri, 11 AM–2 PM & 4:30 PM–9 PM | Sat, 12 PM–9 PM | Sun, 1:30 PM–9 PM (Closed Mon)