a good sandwich - the simit breakfast sandwich at simurgh
on a bit of a low-energy monday morning, spirits were noticeably lively inside welcoming simurgh bakery and cafe in emeryville, as customers at cafe tables tucked into huge and hearty turkish breakfast plates and others ordered bags of specialty breads (in oven-fresh piles at the counter), house-made jams, dolmas and baklava to go.
the spot named for a mythical, phoenix-like bird is owned by baker hatice yildiz, a native of turkey's gallipoli peninsula and a hard-working dynamo, who sold her elegant honey cakes, baklava and other specialty turkish fare at local shops and farmer's markets for years before opening her first brick-and-mortar bakery and cafe in 2022.
we ordered simurgh's 'simit breakfast sandwich' – a warm, halo-shaped turkish bread bedazzled with sesame seeds but surprisingly fluffy on the inside, sliced and piled with a mix of lettuces, sliced cucumber and tomato, just enough feta with just enough tang (or cream cheese, or turkish labneh), and sliced hard-boiled eggs. the heaped ingredients are sprinkled with mild, lightly sweet pickled onions, and the whole thing tastes fresh, balanced and nourishing.
simurgh's welcoming interior is filled with eclectic, personal trinkets and decor. photo credit berkeley eats.
for meatier morning fare, try simurgh's 'eggs in a hole,' a simit filled with two fried eggs, cheese or labneh and vegetables, along with sliced sujuk, a sort-of beefy pepperoni. pro-tip: ask for a knife, or at least for the wheel-sized sandwiches to be cut in half, for easier handling.
simurgh bakery and cafe is at 4125 san pablo avenue in emeryville. (note: as locals know, the parking lot next to the block's long-dead cvs is super convenient but can be somewhat sketchy. be alert.)
august 25, 2025