And here's what followed immediately after this shot was taken:
The other participants were a little less interested though:
And Thank you sarah for scouting out such a lovely place for us. Here's pictoral proof:
Even the card holder was authentically Turkish!
But all these were only a sneak preview of the gastronomic pleasures waiting to unfold. Sarah and I did the ordering, and this came first : 
An assortment of chickpeas, tomatoes, mint leaves etc. pureed to a smooth consistency, meant to be slathered on this huge lavas. 
And the next dish was nothing short of a surprise. I was cautious about ordering 'pizza' from a Turkish restaurant, having tortured my palate before with hamburgers from a chinese diner and (shudder) Italian Yoghurt from a road side bubble tea stall. And remembering how the hamburgers from the chinese diner turned out to be spherical white buns, I was even more skeptical when the pizza arrived boat-shaped. But, the cynic in me disappeared at a bite of melt-in-the mouth bread encasing warm melted cheese and tender lamb chunks. Here is the winning surprise: 
This was followed by a dish called 'Imam [insert Turkish word here which would translate the dish's name as (the Imam fainted)]'. So why did he faint? Probably from the awesome stacks of eggplant, tomato puree and cheese. 
It even came with a cute spoon. 
And we could never step into a Turkish Restaurant without feasting on its Kebabs. So we ordered a platter.
This dish disproved the western style of consuming lamb: if it has been simmered to the point of succulent tenderness and when it emits the enchanting aroma of herb mixture, you don't need mint sauce!
And all this was washed down with mint tea and ice water (Sarah, Jean and I had the former of course!). The beverages were served with an interesting tray, and drunk from delicate pottery.
But of course it would not have been complete without the birthday cake! 
Poor Germaine and Zah sawed and ploughed through the frozen hazelnut praline base, before serving up:
Sarah gave me the macaroon :)
And all this happened in Alaturka @ Arab Street. Perfect example of how there's so much of Singapore that we have yet to explore. Like, this shop:
Today's celebration shows the sweet benefits of leaving the car keys behind, boarding a random bus or taking the train, diving into unexplored lanes, feasting at quiet eateries which dish up the best foods, and with the best company :)
On a lighter note, Jie and I braved the Friday night Orchard Road crowds for the 鳩首fair. Everything was so buyable. But I always make the mental note to myself to exercise restraint whenever I step into a Japanese stall. So we left only with these:
But that restraint lost some of its inhibitions at 紀伊国屋。 
What a wonderful day!
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