BUSINESS

Open and shut: 'Better than Salt Bae' MythPoint Bistro serves Turkish fare

After moving from Istanbul to the U.S., Turkish restaurateur Cuneyt "Jimmy" Biskin and his family opened MythPoint Bistro in Thousand Oaks on Oct. 3. The menu features his grandmother's recipe for kofte.

He may be famous around the world, but Turkish chef, butcher and restaurateur Nusret Gökçe, aka the Instagram sensation Salt Bae, better steer clear of the Conejo Valley.

That’s because, “my kofte is better than his,” said Cuneyt “Jimmy” Biskin, owner of the newly opened MythPoint Bistro in Thousand Oaks.

Biskin is only half-joking. He and his family moved to the U.S. about 15 months ago from Turkey, where one of his restaurants was within walking distance of a Gökçe outpost. Biskin also is affiliated with Mythos, a restaurant that serves Greek and Turkish delicacies in Istanbul’s landmark 1908 Haydarpasa train station.

“Mine is a 150-year-old recipe passed down to me by my Macedonian grandmother,” Biskin said of the restaurant’s kofte, or meatballs. “The meat is ground twice, and we use seven spices, but they aren’t hot-spicy.”

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MythPoint Bistro is located in the North Ranch Mall at 3825 E. Thousand Oaks, Unit E, in Thousand Oaks.

Flattened on the grill to assure the meat is cooked through, MythPoint’s kofte are available on sandwiches ($9.90), salads ($12.90), panini with guacamole and mozzarella ($12.90) and plates ($14.90), the latter served with rice, hummus and a side salad.

Other house specialties include Polish sausages cooked in a family-recipe sauce and served as sandwiches ($6.25 each) that range from the Istanbul (topped with a Russian salad of potatoes, peas, carrots, mayonnaise and pickles) to the Italian (layered with mustard, sauteed onions and peppers).

Salads include the Aegean ($7.90), made with feta cheese and a lemon-olive oil dressing, a kale combination with walnuts and raisins ($7.90) and the Myth Chicken Avocado ($10.90), a pairing of spring mix, avocado and sweet corn with an avocado oil vinaigrette.

At the newly opened MythPoint Bistro in Thousand Oaks, patrons are greeted with a sample kofte, or meatball, served with hummus atop a piece of pita bread.

A mezze platter ($12.90) offers diner’s choice of four house-made appetizers from a selection that includes hummus, rice-stuffed grape leaves and eggplant with paprika.

Continuing the family theme, Chichi Biskin, Biskin’s wife of 20 years, makes desserts that include tiramisu, a yogurt-based cheesecake and a lightly sweet baklava. She plans to add sweet and savory French crepes to the menu in about two weeks.

Formerly the home of Taj Express Indian Cuisine and Håagen Dazs in the North Ranch Mall, the restaurant’s dining room is now decorated in white with varying shades of blue. Gingham oilcloth covers the tables and a display of protective evil-eye amulets hangs on the wall.

MythPoint Bistro opened on Oct. 3. For now, its hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays (3825 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Unit E, 805-443-4242, http://mythpoint.com). 

Decor at MythPoint Bistro in Thousand Oaks includes a display of evil-eye amulets, at left.

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Elsewhere in Thousand Oaks, Soom Soom Fresh Mediterranean opened in September at The Promenade at Westlake space that previously was The Melt and Pick Up Stix.

The chain opened the first of its four Los Angeles County locations in November 2016; an additional site is “coming soon” in El Segundo. According to its website, “soom soom” means “sesame seeds X 2.”

The menu features chicken and beef shawarma served as a pita or wrap ($11) and as plates ($12). Vegetarian options include falafel, roasted cauliflower and sabich ($9-$10). Grab-and-go containers of hummus, tahini and baba ganoush are also available by the half pint and pint ($6 and $10).

Soom Soom is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (180 Promenade Way, 805-917-2008, http://soomsoomfresh.com).

But Rokabab Mediterranean Grill is no more at 1321 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 116, in the Northstar Plaza. The business’ website remains live, with a “Rokabab season II coming soon” notation under the menu tab. A call to the phone number listed on the website was answered by someone who said the business had been sold and that he didn’t know what was planned for the space.

In Ojai, the new location of Hip Vegan Cuisine recently took two major steps toward a possible November debut date: The city on Oct. 3 held a public hearing to discuss the restaurant’s conditional use permit for serving alcohol and offering live entertainment and outdoor seating at 201 N. Montgomery St. Four days later, its owners posted “now hiring all positions” notices on Facebook and Instagram (interested parties can send email to jobs@hipvgn.com).

Also making strides is Sama Sama Ojai, to be located in the under-construction Topa Topa Brewing Co. taproom at 345 E. Ojai Ave. The Instagram account for Sama Sama Kitchen, an Indonesian restaurant that opened in downtown Santa Barbara in 2013, on Oct. 5 included a photo showing a preliminary menu for the Ojai location.

Available “in the next coming weeks” will be dishes ranging from crispy Brussels sprouts with dates, almonds, herbs and fish sauce ($12) to signature wings in a sweet and spicy tamarind glaze ($15).

In Simi Valley, the recent closure of Old School Sandwiches & Salads due to the retirement of owner  Kristina McClure will be followed by the debut of All About the Burgers. The new restaurant at 1464 Madera Road, Suite E, has an anticipated opening date of late October. For updates, check the All About the Burgers Facebook page.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following information was updated on Oct. 15. In Ventura, the opening date for Tap’d Craft Beer & Fine Food has been delayed after its announcement via a post to the business' Instagram page. Formerly the site of Amigo’s Cantina and Charline’s Urban Tapas, the address will be the first in Ventura County to offer 43 beers and other beverages — think cider, wine and kombucha — on self-serve taps via the iPour It system (546 E. Main St., https://tapdventura.com).

In Westlake Village, the proposed opening date for Julio’s Agave Grill  in the Westlake Commons shopping center has shifted from October to November, according to the “NOV” sign taped to the glass walls of its patio.

The restaurant at 2809 Agoura Road will be operated by Bob Wilson of Cisco’s Mexican Restaurant in Thousand Oaks and formerly of Westlake Village. Menus taped to a window near the entrance indicate that, in addition to lunch, dinner and happy hour, Julio’s will serve a Sunday brunch menu that includes micheladas ($4), a lox platter ($12.95), Belgian waffles ($9.95) and huevos ranchera ($10.95). 

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Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. To contact her, send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com. To have the VCS Eats newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, visit http://bit.ly/VCS_Eats and type in your email address.