Laura Ozyilmaz
Chef and Co-owner
Dalida

Husband and wife team and co-chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz make up the powerhouse behind San Francisco’s Dalida, a modern Eastern Mediterranean restaurant that Eater San Francisco named Restaurant of the Year in 2023. Lamb is prominently featured on the creative, flavor-forward menu. “As a Mediterranean restaurant, we’re expected to have lamb. At Dalida, we celebrate lamb, showcasing it in a number of different ways,” says Laura Ozyilmaz.

She and her husband are passionate about Australian lamb, pointing to its quality, flavor and consistency. “I was lucky enough to visit Australia recently, seeing firsthand the vast grasslands and experiencing how passionate the ranchers are,” she says. “Everyone we encountered exhibited so much pride in their product.”

Caring for the animals and the environment is a way of life in Australia. The sheep roam lush green pastures and wide-open spaces, grazing naturally on rich grasslands. “We love that the lamb is pasture-raised,” says Ozyilmaz. “In addition, Sayat and I find that Australian lamb is reliably consistent. Serving Aussie lamb allows us to standardize our cooking time. We can set it in stone and just concentrate on flavor development in our dishes.”

1

CYPRIOT LAMB CHOPS

Photo Credit: Isabel Baer

Dalida’s Cypriot Lamb Chops were inspired by Cyprus’ sheftalia, a crépinette that’s encased in caul fat. At the restaurant, they use both caul fat and seasoned ground lamb to encase the chops before grilling, then serve them over hummus with lamb jus and chives. “The beautiful fat melts into the lamb chops, adding rich flavor,” says Ozyilmaz. “It feels like you’re eating a kebab on the street, but it’s elevated. We’re really proud of this dish. It’s delicious and showcases a technique that’s not often seen on menus here.”

2

12-HOUR LAMB SHOULDER TANDOOR

Photo Credit: Maren Caruso

A showstopper on the menu, the 12-Hour Lamb Shoulder Tandoor features hawaij-spiced keshkek—a highly seasoned Turkish barley stew—along with braised chickpeas and mustard greens. The za’atar-spiced lamb is cooked sous vide-style for 12 hours, then picked up on the grill to crisp up and caramelize the fat. All the juices from the lamb serve to flavor the keshkek. “The shoulder is almost lacquered from the lamb jus and fat. We serve it with a spoon because it’s so tender and juicy,” says Ozyilmaz.

For more Aussie recipe inspiration, visit https://www.aussiebeefandlamb.com.

AUSSIE SUPPORT: Aussie Beef & Lamb™ works directly with food professionals to achieve success with Australian beef, Wagyu, lamb and goat, supporting them with new product development, menu ideation and customized marketing support.

GIVE US A SHOUT:

Doug McNicholl
Regional Manager
[email protected]

Sabina Kindler
Business Development Manager
[email protected]