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Since its renovation in 2006, this Turkish restaurant has developed a dual personality: One side says sit-down and relax; the other says get your takeout in a rush. (A thin wall divides the two thoughts literally.) At the counter to the right, fluorescent lighting and a backlit diner menu shine on trays of pre-cooked rice, fat eggplants on the grill, and wheels of lamb and chicken gyro meat. To the left, a dimly lit, narrow dining room with wood paneling, embroidered rugs, and watercolor reprints encourages patrons to linger. The clientele is split as well: NYU students take advantage of the restaurant's 24/7 hours to combat hangovers with generous pita sandwiches; Middle Eastern men sit in the dining room to read the paper, sip Turkish tea, and nosh on meze platters. As the latter diners will attest, the kitchen's self-proclaimed from-scratch methods are best sampled via appetizers. Offerings like the piyaz (white beans with onion, lemon juice, olive and egg), the tangy sigara boregi (feta-stuffed, cigar-shaped pastries), and the impossibly thick homemade yogurts greatly surpass the tough, underspiced lamb of the entrees. — Laurel A. Fantauzzo

Combination plate, $12.95; baklava, $4; rice pudding, $4

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