The Mediterranean Kitchen famously goes for ‘flavours, not heat!’. The owners are Adem Görğülü, who has had extensive experience working in hospitality both on the Aegean coast of Turkey and in New Zealand, and Sheryl Entwistle, a longtime Cornucopia reader, who writes:

We are located in the centre of Hamilton City, which is located in the centre of the North Island, NZ. Turcophiles would love our special dish, Sultan’s Delight (İmam Bayıldı, smoked eggplant with lamb), and Capsicum Dolma. We are also very well known for our charcoal grilled kebabs (from our real charcoal grill, not gas).

We asked for recommendations in New Zealand:

Unfortunately due to NZ’s prolonged COVID-19 border closure, some of the speciality Turkish retailers have closed. But Mediterranean Living is still open and is an absolute treasure trove of all things Turkish, in the little town of Gisborne: https://medliving.co.nz/