Disclaimer: I didn't actually try the food here. But for good reason!
About 2 weeks after a trip to Turkey, I was craving a pide and some Turkish meatballs. After reading a few mixed reviews, I grabbed a member of the parental unit saying they HAD to try some (potentially) good Turkish food. As it turns out, Alara is about a 3-minute drive from my house - the location used to be a Golden Griddle and I was completely unaware of the switch.
First of all, it was extremely hard to find the entrance. The huge sign facing Sheppard at the front of the building is very misleading - there was no door to be found. The entrance is actually at the back of the building right beside a window full of plastic replica Japanese meals - how confusing! We got there around 8:30pm - prime dinnertime for people from that part of the world. However, the place was completely deserted except for a happy family of 4 in one corner. There was a musician playing some music on a stage half-heartedly. All in all, this was not the setting I had pictured for my Turkish feast. The waiters and kitchen staff seemed very friendly but I grabbed a take-out menu and fled.
We sat in the car perusing the menu for a while - $14 for a pide?! That just seems ridiculous. I would give this joint 1 star but since I didn't actually eat anything, 2 seems fair.
And so my hunt for good Turkish food continues .. somehow, I don't think Alara is where it's at.