Mehmet has just opened his own Turkish bistro, Lotis Grill, at Cow Green, Halifax.

And his biggest competition is Cafe Passion at the other side of town, which happens to be run by his brother, Ebo.

He opened his restaurant, next to Electric Bowl, two and -half years ago and called on Mehmet to help him out. Mehmet left his home in Amasra in northern Turkey 30 years ago to live in Britain and spent time in London before moving north, first to Newcastle and then Calderdale.

When the former Tony's coffee shop came up for lease at Cow Green, Mehmet decided to branch out on his own and runs it with the help of his partner, Gail Nicholson.

The grill is named after Mehmet's family restaurant back in Amasra and serves similar national delicacies. Turkish food is considered one of the big three alongside French and Chinese. The range is enormous from an array of soups to an astonishing variety of meze (traditional Turkish appetisers) followed by meat and fish dishes.

Lotis Grill is run as a cafe during the day but come nightfall it turns into a bistro with Turkish music, candles and fresh flowers on the tables. Mehmet does all the cooking and operates a bring your own bottle policy.

The premises are bright, clean, friendly and unpretentious with lots of Turkish touches. There's a hubba bubba pipe and pictures of his homeland, and rumour has it that Mehmet is looking for a belly dancer to entertain customers while they eat.

Filling
Traditional lamb, chicken and fish dishes go down the best and the mixed meze for two is a must for anyone who loves olives, feta and goats cheese, houmous, dolma (stuffed vine leaves), cacik (minty yoghurt cucumber and garlic dip served with hot pitta) and taramasalata.
Hot mezes are also popular and go down well with frequent travellers to Turkey. Two of the most popular are Lotis rolls (a secret recipe) and arnavutcigeri (strips of lambs liver, sauteed with onions, herbs and spices). Karides (king prawns with seafood sauce ) are also worth trying, but be warned, the starters can be very filling and can spoil your main course if you are not careful. Gail tells me that some female cust-omers order lots of meze dishes, miss out on the mains, and then have desserts. Which is not a bad idea.

We had the mixed meze, followed by marinated lamb chops and Turkish favourite kofte, which is minced lamb spiced up with fresh herbs. The kofte came in a sauce and was served with roasted vegetables, while the chops were served with rice and salad. Neither of us had any complaints, although I think I would have enjoyed kuzu biftek (leg of lamb steak marinated in Turkish pepper sauce) better because I like my sauces to have a kick.

Mehmet tells me than anyone with similar tastes should mention it when ordering because any dish can be given the `hot' treatment. Other mains in demand are Lotis karisik, a mixed grill with lamb, chicken and kofte, and tavuk filleto which is a chicken fillet cooked on the grill, topped with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Specials
While I'm not a sweet fan I can't recommend the bali yoghurt dessert enough. It's creamy Turkish yoghurt laced with chestnut honey and mixed nuts. Mehmet either buys the yoghurt from Manchester or makes it himself and says everyone raves about it.

He's just started a three-course special every Wednesday and Thursday evening where customers get a choice of starters, mains and desserts for £12.50 and says it is a perfect introduction to Turkish food. Prices are reasonable anyway and we ate for just over £30.

Those who holiday in Turkey will know that the Turks can't be rushed so don't expect to be in and out of Lotis Grill in a hurry. Mehmet believes that food should be eaten at a leisurely pace and says his customers can stay all night if they so wish. Groups can take over the grill for a private party any Monday, Tuesday or Sunday evening.

So who is the better chef, Mehmet or Ebo? "We are a close family so it would be unfair to comment. It's best to let customers make up their own minds," says Mehmet.

Ratings
Name: Lotis Grill,
Address: 18, Cow Green, Halifax,
HX1 1HX.
Telephone: 01422 330545.

• Courier reviews are conducted without the prior knowledge of the restaurant