Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream, Newtown

Chewy ice cream. That's the fastest way to describe dondurma, or Turkish ice cream, unique not only for its dense texture, but also for its prolonged ability to withstand melting, even in the summer heat. Its secret weapon is salep, found in the roots of a special type of orchid. They use it in every ice cream in the display counter at Hakiki, Newtown's newest dessert house, with flavours that run from Black Sea hazelnut to Turkish Delight to the wild sounding melon and feta.




Husband and wife team Nev and Zeyneb Bagriyanik are the force behind Hakiki, opening on Enmore Road in late April of this year. Nev is in charge of the dondurma, churning it by hand each day. He uses a traditional long paddles to stretch and pull the ice cream mixture, made from a blend of goat and cow's milk.


Turkish coffee dondurma Turkish ice cream

The display cabinet offers a rainbow of flavours. Most customers are struck by indecision. Chirpy staff behind the counter are keen to offer tastings but - speaking from experience - that only tends to increase, not decrease, the number of flavours being considered.


Sour cherry baklava

Wife Zeyneb is a qualified pastry chef, pumping out a range of baklava flavours not normally seen. That includes the likes of sour cherry, apple and cinnamon, and grape molasses and tahini alongside plain pistachio or walnut.


Turkish coffee cup holders

Turkish coffee is brewed the proper way - in traditional copper pots. The strong and dark brew is then poured into tiny coffee cups set inside ornate coffee holders with lids. And sure you could stick with black or white coffee, but why would you when there are flavourings of chocolate, cardamom, cinnamon or mastic on offer?


Kettles on the boil

If it's too late for caffeine, they do hot chocolates, Turkish tea, apple tea and salep, a popular hot drink of milk thickened with salep flour and dusted with cinnamon.


Baklava Turkish ice cream

But let's face it. It's all about that dondurma ice cream. Who cares if its the dead of winter? The night crowds still flock here. The promise of baklava ice cream will do that to you.


Pistachio; tahini and grape molasses; and melon and feta dondurma Turkish ice cream

The ice cream comes in three sizes: small ($4), medium ($6) and large ($8). The tahhini and grape molasses is studded with chunks of halva, a crumbly sweet made from sesame paste (tahini). Pistachio has an intense and natural nuttiness but its the melon and feta that has me going back for me - a wicked combo of rockmelon with feta cheese. The rockmelon really does taste like the real thing.


Turkish coffee, Black Sea hazelnut and 100% cacao bean dondurma Turkish ice cream

Turkish delight is a winner too, subtly nuanced with rosewater and in a blushing shade of pink. For stronger flavour hits, head for the bitter but good 100% cacao bean or the Turkish coffee that tastes like a super strong iced coffee. My absolute favourite so far, however, has been the Black Sea hazelnut, super fragrant with an eye-opening intensity of pure hazelnut.

The ice creams all hold their own when it comes to flavour, without any overriding sense of artificial flavouring or cloying sweetness. There's a terrific chewiness to it too, like the love child of creamy ice cream and a Japanese mochi rice cake.

Hakiki means "genuine" in Turkish. We reckon it's the real deal too.


Turkish coffee copper tins






Hakiki Turkish Ice Cream
63-71 Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 8040 1676

Open daily 10am-11pm


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Turkish ice cream - Mado Cafe, Auburn