Think you know Mediterranean cuisine? Try exotic Albanian!

By Frank Whitman

It’s always surprising to find a restaurant offering an unfamiliar European cuisine, particularly when the restaurant is sophisticated, the food delicious and the service polished.  You can find almost any culture represented within the Fairfield County restaurant scene, but until now I didn’t know that Albania was on the list. 

Albania, on the Balkan peninsula, faces the Adriatic coast opposite the heel of Italy’s boot on its west and the rugged Albanian Alps on its eastern border. The climate and cuisine are Mediterranean with a strong dose of Turkish influence dating back to the Ottoman era.

Fli

Çka Ka Qëllu is hard to find, but worth the effort.  It’s on Clark Street, an extension of restaurant-rich Summer Street in downtown Stamford.  The best bet is to set your GPS for the Bell Street Garage and then walk out the north side. The restaurant is on the corner right across the street.   

The restaurant’s name, Çka Ka Qëllu, translates roughly to, “what we happen to have” representing the Albanian tradition of hospitality – warmly welcoming guests and serving from the best that’s on hand.  The restaurant hits that nail on the head.

The multi-page menu names the dishes in their native tongue, but follows up with a clear, helpful English description. The Albanian staff is happy to give a more detailed explanation and make recommendations for further clarification. Our dining companions were familiar with the menu and,

Burek

with the help of our server, picked out a range of dishes for sharing.

Every plate was a winner.   

We began with a trio of appetizers: Fli, Mantia and Burek. Fli ($14), a slender triangle of layered crêpes was slow-baked with butter and cream into an almost solid but delicate filling. A wedge of tangy feta cheese was paired with it. 

Golden brown dumplings, Mantia ($13.50), looked like American dinner rolls, but were, instead, filled with a mixture of ground veal and aromatic spices. Slightly lumpy Albanian yogurt was the traditional sauce. 

Puffy Rolls

Well-browned flaky pastry, Burek ($15.75), had a melted feta core and more of the yogurt on the side. It was our companion’s favorite from previous visits with good reason.  

Our waiter suggested that dips were a must-try. Pepper Dip ($7.75) combined cheese and roasted peppers in a mild blend.  Sausage Dip ($9), with two cheeses, had more spice complexity. A basket of warm, generously-sized, house-baked puffy rolls were the vehicle to mop up the irresistible dips. 

The food is rich and the portions ample, so we were getting full after our first round. But a couple selections from the Grill menu were necessary to experience the range of possible Albanian flavors. (We skipped the Tava – Clay Dishes and Seafood sections of the menu, saving them for another visit.)

Qebapa

Stacked on the plate like fireplace logs, Qebapa ($22 for 10) were skinless sausages or cylindrical meatballs, depending on your frame of reference. The flame-grilled ground meat was well-spiced, accompanied by a pool of peppered yogurt. The long, tapered Qofte Shari ($27.50) looked, at first glance, like a grilled pork tenderloin or a whole branzino, but was, in fact, a mix of ground veal and beef filled with a rich cheddar-like cheese, sort of an inside out cheeseburger only much better. Both were accompanied by a tangy cabbage salad presented in a curl of thinly sliced cucumber. 

Our server, knowing that we were sharing, realized that the Qofte Shari had only three of the roasted “golden potatoes” and brought a fourth without being asked. The staff, in their traditional costumes, were all attentive and eager to explain.  Service was smooth and well-coordinated. 

Chef/owner Ramiz Kukaj was inspired by his son’s curiosity to bring little-known native Albanian cuisine and culture to the New York area. It’s his collection of 18th and 19th-century Albanian artifacts that decorate the space.  Part of the architecture, hung on the brick and stone walls or displayed in museum-like showcases, they tell a story about Kukaj’s home country.  Massive studded doors, delicately carved woodwork, pottery, and more create a castle-like European atmosphere. 

Full to the brim, we none-the-less shared a baklava, an Albanian speciality and a favorite of our companions. Turkish coffee, served in individual bronze pots finished the meal on an exotic note. 

Çka Ka Qëllu is an exciting restaurant if you’re looking for something new. Can I pronounce it?  Not a chance, even after a lesson from the waiter, but there’s no need, just google Albanian restaurant Stamford and it pops up. Ju bëftë mirë!