Here is Melbourne’s real Turkish delight. A modest 50-seat restaurant in Balaclava that draws inspiration from Turkey’s seven different culinary regions. And as Tulum enters its third year, co-owner and chef Coskun Uysal seems more emboldened than ever to reimagine classic Turkish recipes.

On a recent visit, when he was exploring the cuisine of Anatolia in Turkey’s southeast, Uysal sent out artfully plated dishes that were at once homely and complex, modern and traditional.

Barramundi anchored a Turkish yoghurt soup; supple lamb neck was enriched with almond tahini and a sucuk (dry spicy sausage) crumble; and a dessert daringly unified sekerpare – Turkey’s beloved semolina cookies – with hazelnut mousse and black tea ice cream.

Uysal’s signature cilbir (slow-cooked egg with smoked yoghurt in brown butter crumb) was a comfort stop on this revolutionary road, enhanced with spinach and paprika butter.

Tulum’s treats, served with great style by a switched on front of house crew, are best taken with a Turkish wine. Choose from an intriguing list, then lean back and prepare to be amazed.

Must eat dish: Lamb neck, almond tahini and sucuk crumble