SADLY, TURKISS IS NOW CLOSED.
When one falafel joint closes, another opens. It doesn’t always work that way, but it almost always does in and around Bleecker Street in the West Village. Yatagan sat on Macdougal Street for years churning out doner kababs and falafel. I never made it to Yatagan, but now that it’s been replaced by Turkiss, I finally got to give the space a try.
It’s a tiny space, but it’s surprisingly more spacious than its more famous neighbor Mamoun’s. Here there are a few tables and a counter area to sit at, but since the space is small and the falafel and doner are cooked to order, it’s quite hot throughout the space. It’s a good thing this is considered fast food. In the summer, there’s no use lingering.
Their Turkish falafel are fried to order, which I appreciate, but they might have felt pressure from my hungry energy because the falafel ended up being a little undercooked.
Otherwise, I was impressed that it was hot and fresh. It was missing that distinct crunch, but there was enough filler to make for a chewy experience. Peppery flavors and a soft tender exterior is nice and enhanced the experience, but I was still missing the crunch.
I can’t compare it to the previous tenant, but Turkiss is an adequate falafel option in a location with many falafel options. If they fried the mixture just a little bit longer, they’d get it right. I still recommend supporting Turkiss when in the neighborhood and looking for a cheap offering. So hopefully I won’t be writing about another falafel joint opening up in its place anytime soon.
Does Turkiss have the best falafel in NY? While they were fresh and fried to order, the balls were a bit undercooked and a little too soft throughout. The peppery flavor and tender texture saves them from earning below a 7 out of 10.
| TURKISS |
| 104 Macdougal Street (between Bleecker and West 3rd Street), Greenwich Village (646) 398-7849 |
| turkissnyc.com |
