You can tell that Ayse’s Cafe is family run restaurant in the most complimentary way possible. And once you sit down, order take out, or hire them as a cater it becomes obvious why they have been around for 33 years. It is a bit hard to find, but it’s worth finding because the food is fantastic and the family that runs it are friendly.
According to one source who immigrated to this country from Turkey, this place doesn’t bother dabbling in any attempt at trendy or avant garde Turkish food. What they make instead is the kind of food that a Turkish mom would make you when you visit them or if you grew up in Turkey itself.
“I’m always looking for recipes from different regions of Turkey,” Ayse Uras, the owner, said. She’s kept her business going while most enjoying “just being with the people.”
It is on the northern side of the Courtyard shopping mall at 1703 Plymouth Road. The 46 seat interior is a quiet, comfortable place to retreat to when you need a sensory break.
Since she is so conveniently close to north campus, Uras estimates that “99 percent of the customers are not Turkish. Because most Turks cook these things at home, most of my customers are Americans, or from other regions.” Catering options are available and the restaurant can be rented for groups of around 50 people.
Ayse’s is one of those no-bad-option places that comes with a funny problem should you choose to order something for the table before everyone orders. That problem is that if you order an appetizer like the eggplant salad with pita, it will be so delicious and filling that it might spoil your appetite for the entrée, which will be just as good or better.
Another appetizer worth getting is the Borek – a filo dough snack coiled in a circle reminiscent of a cinnamon roll, but with a totally different palate. You can choose between spinach feta, cheese, yam, vegetables or meat.
Portion sizes are large here and spices outnumber herbs in general. But it is cooked by an experienced set of hands, which you can tell knows exactly how to make the complicated mix compliment each other in an invigorating, sophisticated and satisfying way.
The cinnamon chicken provides an intriguing mix of tender meat and a tomato sauce. The sauce indeed makes up for the meat being a tad dry, and the accompanying rice has a good mix of flavors and textures.
Another good entrée choice is the onion kabab plate. It’s an onion lovers’ dish, accompanied by big lamb shank meat balls and rice.
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Drink options include Turkish coffee and tea that you’d expect. Raki, a spirit that the drinks menu describes as a “Turkish aniseed liquor” is served. Yakut, a Turkish red wine, is another nice alcoholic option that doesn’t coat your mouth too much. It is a good go-with-dinner drink that feels like it doesn’t have much of anything to prove, especially if you like your red wines dry.
There are only two soups on offer, but some might consider them Ayse’s strongest menu items. The red lentil soup is a hearty rich soup with an almost smooth texture. Ayse’s spin on tomato soup is also really intriguing. It’s mixture of spices into an otherwise plain tomato concoction makes it almost feel like you’re eating a mix of tomato and mint tea. A notable salad is the olive walnut salad which any olive lover will enjoy.
Ayse’s is open from noon to 8pm Monday through Saturday. You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and order online. Food prices range $6 to $28.95. Drinks go from $3 to $8 per glass, or up to $35 for a bottle of the Turkish wine.
When asked about the future, Uras said that she plans on keeping the place going for “as long as my body allows it.” In the far future, she said, “I hope to hand it off to any family members that are interested in continuing it. We’ll see.” She has “had a wonderful 33 years” but for right now, she is not thinking about retiring. “I’m not at that point yet. It’s all open.”
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
