Visits to Fruitopia in Lidcombe Shopping Centre often draw attention to the Turkish bread stocked from Menzil Turkish Bakery in Auburn. After discovering that the KMall09 outpost for salt bread had permanently closed—and still craving bread—we finally decided to try it.

Simit ($2.50)

Exceptionally dense and lightly savoury, this simit lacked the tender chew characteristic of a fresh version. It bordered on stale and likely required toasting to restore an acceptable mouthfeel. The version from Bubeleh Bakery is markedly superior in every respect—aromatic in both sesame and dough, with a tender, fresh texture and far more developed flavour.

Pişi (?$2.50)

Selected out of curiosity due to its resemblance to bánh tiêu in Vietnamese cuisine, this pişi shared the same hollow structure and sesame-coated exterior but diverged significantly in execution. It appeared not to be deep-fried, and its dense interior and salt-forward profile offered none of the light spiced sweetness typical of its Vietnamese counterpart. The result was flat and unmemorable.

Menzil Turkish Bakery failed to deliver on quality or flavour. Not recommended.

Menzil Turkish Bakery is located at 40 Auburn Rd, Auburn NSW 2144.