Hot Appetizers
Turkish Hot Appetizers in Singapore Halal Starters at Anatolia Arab Street
In Turkish and Middle Eastern dining, hot appetizers are not an afterthought. They arrive before the mains, they are made to share and they set the tone for everything that follows. At Anatolia Restaurant on Arab Street, the hot starter menu covers the full range borek straight from the fryer, fresh falafel, grilled halloumi, kibbeh, saksuka and more. Everything is halal, made in-house and available for both dine-in and delivery across Singapore.
Our Turkish Hot Appetizers Menu
Borek
Sigara böreği crispy phyllo pastry rolls filled with white cheese and herbs, deep-fried until golden. One of the most popular Turkish street foods and a staple hot starter at Anatolia. Crunchy outside, melted cheese inside.
Falafel
Ground chickpeas and herbs, shaped and fried fresh. Anatolia's falafel is made in-house not frozen, not pre-made. Crisp on the outside, dense and herb-heavy in the centre. Served with tahini sauce.
Falafel Wrap
The same fresh falafel rolled in lavash with salad, pickles and sauce. A complete light meal in one wrap one of the better halal falafel wraps in Singapore.
Halloumi Cheese
Grilled halloumi the Cypriot and Middle Eastern cheese that holds its shape under heat and develops a golden crust without melting. Salty, chewy and genuinely satisfying as a hot starter.
Halloumi Wrap
Grilled halloumi wrapped in lavash with vegetables and sauce. A solid vegetarian option that works as a starter or a light main.
Kibbeh
Minced lamb mixed with bulgur wheat and spices, shaped and fried. A Levantine dish that requires time and technique to get right. Crisp outer shell, spiced meat inside.
Saksuka
Fried eggplant and vegetables cooked in a spiced tomato sauce and served warm. A Turkish home-cooking classic soft, rich and rarely found on restaurant menus in Singapore.
Lahmacun
Thin Turkish flatbread topped with minced lamb, onion, tomatoes and herbs, baked until crisp at the edges. Often called Turkish pizza but the preparation and flavour are entirely different lighter, crispier and more herb-forward.
What Makes Turkish Hot Appetizers Different
Most fried starters in Singapore are generic. Turkish hot appetizers have specific identities each dish has a region, a history and a preparation method that has been refined over centuries.
Sigara böreği comes from the Ottoman tradition of börek layered pastry dishes that appear across Turkey, the Balkans and the Middle East. Falafel traces back to Egypt and the Levant. Kibbeh is the national dish of Lebanon and Syria. Saksuka is found in Turkish home kitchens. Lahmacun is a staple of street food culture in Gaziantep and Adana.
At Anatolia, these are not adapted or simplified versions. They are made the way they are supposed to be made.
Borek in Singapore Sigara Böreği at Anatolia
Borek is one of the most searched Turkish foods in Singapore and one of the hardest to find done properly. The version most people know sigara böreği is a cigarette-shaped roll of thin phyllo pastry filled with white cheese and sometimes herbs or meat, fried until the pastry shatters when you bite through it.
At Anatolia, the borek is made fresh and fried to order. If you have been searching for borek in Singapore, this is where to find the Turkish version not the Lebanese or Balkan adaptation, but the Istanbul style that most Turkish households make for guests.
Grilled Halloumi in Singapore A Hot Starter Worth Ordering
Halloumi has become well known in Singapore but most versions are pan-fried in a restaurant kitchen and arrive barely coloured. Properly grilled halloumi over direct heat, long enough to build a crust is a different experience. The exterior caramelises, the inside softens slightly and the natural saltiness concentrates.
At Anatolia the halloumi is grilled properly and served hot. Order it as a starter alongside the borek and a portion of cold mezze to build a proper spread before the mains.
Halal Hot Starters Dine In or Delivery in Singapore
Every hot appetizer on this menu is halal and made fresh at the Arab Street kitchen. For dine-in, hot starters arrive quickly and are best eaten straight away. For delivery, the falafel, falafel wrap, halloumi wrap and lahmacun all travel particularly well. The borek is best eaten at the restaurant when it is freshly fried.
Open daily from 10am to 12am. For group orders or event platters, contact us on WhatsApp in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find Turkish hot appetizers in Singapore?
Anatolia Restaurant at 58 Arab Street, Singapore 199755 serves a full menu of Turkish and Middle Eastern hot appetizers including borek, falafel, grilled halloumi, kibbeh, saksuka and lahmacun. All are halal and made fresh daily.
Where can I find borek in Singapore?
Anatolia serves sigara böreği crispy phyllo pastry rolls filled with white cheese, fried fresh to order. We are at 58 Arab Street, Kampong Glam, two minutes from Bugis MRT Exit B. Available for dine-in and delivery.
What is sigara böreği?
Sigara böreği is a Turkish hot pastry made from thin phyllo dough rolled into a cylinder with a white cheese and herb filling, then deep-fried until crisp. Sigara means cigarette in Turkish the name comes from the shape. It is one of the most common hot starters in Turkish cuisine.
Is falafel halal?
Yes. All falafel at Anatolia is halal. It is also suitable for vegetarians made from ground chickpeas, fresh herbs and spices, fried fresh in-house.
What is saksuka?
Saksuka is a Turkish hot appetizer made from fried eggplant and vegetables cooked in a spiced tomato sauce. It is a traditional home-cooking dish from Turkey, similar in concept to a warm vegetable stew but served as a starter. It is vegetarian and halal.
What is the difference between lahmacun and pide?
Lahmacun is a thin, round Turkish flatbread topped with minced meat, onion and herbs baked until the edges are crisp. It is lighter and crispier than pide. Pide is a boat-shaped Turkish bread with various toppings, thicker and chewier. Both are on the Anatolia menu.
Are the hot appetizers suitable for vegetarians?
Yes. Falafel, falafel wrap, halloumi cheese, halloumi wrap and saksuka are all vegetarian. All items on the menu are halal.
Where is Anatolia Restaurant?
58 Arab Street, Singapore 199755. Two minutes from Bugis MRT, Exit B. Open daily 10am to 12am.
