‘Seriously, all the bready things here are so good’: You’ll break bread (but not the bank) at generous Yakamoz

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In the back corner of Yakamoz, on Lygon Street in Brunswick East, a wood-fired stove glows with embers. Once you’ve arrived and ordered, a member of the family that runs the restaurant will drop a gift from that oven: a round of bread, warm and puffy, stretchy on the inside and lightly crisped on the outside, along with a bowl of olive oil speckled with spices for dipping.

They do so nonchalantly, the way all bread used to be offered at nice restaurants, and as if this isn’t one of the best things you’ll eat all night. Don’t fret if it goes too quickly: there’s more where that came from, and it’s offered freely.

Yakamoz is the work of father and son duo Ali and Ogulcan Atay, who also own Halikarnas across the street. Where Halikarnas delivers more traditional Turkish food, Yakamoz is a place for chef Cagri Ergin to play with the genre, modernising it just enough to make for food that is interesting as well as comforting.

There’s plenty about this place that screams old-school, family-run Brunswick: the white walls are decorated with the kinds of landscapes you might find in a mountain rental cabin, and it’s obvious almost the entire staff are family members who have varying degrees of professionalism but a high level of genuine hospitality.

The wine list won’t cause you anxiety, unless you’re looking for nuance; you need only choose from a handful of bottles described as “chardonnay”, “shiraz”, and so on, all of which cost between $35 and $40.

But it’s that kitchen, with its wood-fired oven and what comes out of it, that makes Yakamoz notable.

I’d love to come here with a huge group of people and order half the menu, because when grouped together, the small plates make for a fantastic feast.

There are tight little kofta balls ($15), served over a creamy yoghurt-and-almond situation then doused in a mild chilli oil. Saganaki ($15) comes in a thin layer on a small cast-iron platter, maximising the sizzle-to-surface ratio so that every bite is at least 50 per cent crisp cheesy goodness, punctuated with a subtle whisper of honey. Sauteed green beans ($14), which arrived as a gift from the kitchen one night when other food was taking a while, were an unexpected favourite, singing with garlic and piled over a rich magenta-coloured beetroot yoghurt.

The bread alone is worth the entirely affordable price of admission.

The Turkish version of dolmades, yaprak sarma ($15.50), are here made with the addition of sour cherry, for a lovely hint of fruitiness. Manti ($15), small mincemeat dumplings, are crisped, then given a dousing of chilli oil and a smattering of walnuts.

There’s a whole section of the menu dedicated to pide ($18), and you’d be remiss to leave without trying one, as filling as they are. The kiymali version, with minced beef, onions and peppers, has the option to add egg for $3. And you should absolutely do so, as it makes for a bready, meaty and softly lush snack for four (or a meal for one).

Mains are hard to choose from, but I’d go for the claypot ($28), a meaty stew of beef or chicken with potatoes, eggplant, onion and tomato, covered with a layer of stretchy pastry that’s been dappled with char from the oven. (Seriously, all the bready things here are so good.) If you’re looking for something more hearty, the six-hour beef rib ($35) over a silky potato mash is rich and fatty and filling in all the right ways.

There are a few missteps in the cooking, though not many. A dish of seafood sauteed with white wine and parsley ($22/$30) is marred by oddly bitter mussels. And a whole fish ($38) – a baby snapper the day I had it – was slightly overdone, the flesh a little dry. But it was also an absolute bargain – try finding a whole oven-roasted fish for under $40 elsewhere in the city.

That value and generosity, paired with the quality of the food, is what sets Yakamoz apart. It’s not schmick, nor is it trying to be. It’s a family joint, a casual place to come and eat food that won’t break the bank but that feels special enough for a nice night out. The bread alone is worth the entirely affordable price of admission.