Turkish Delight

Merhaba! That’s hello or welcome in Turkish. Yep! I just got back from a fabulous week in Istanbul with my 4 soul sisters. We try and plan a trip every year and we've been on 3 so far :) 

Istanbul, a fascinating city that excites all the senses with what it has to offer. Amongst the beautiful architecture of the mosques, churches, palaces and bazaars that form the city skyline, are the most charming and inviting cafes and restaurants. Let me share a bit of my experience of places to eat at, in and around this amazing city.

Istiklal street is like the Oxford street of Istanbul. The main street and by-lanes are quaintly lined with an array of high street shops, bars, restaurants and food carts and are bustling with tourists and locals alike that were there to eat, shop and just take in a bit of the city.
There, in the middle of the street on the corner of a by-lane was eSmer. A restaurant, although humble in appearance, served up some good, clean, flavourful food. It had a simple but fun atmosphere with pumping pop music and a team of happy and very efficient staff that were eager to please. As we were a very hungry five girls, we quickly grabbed our menus which had a mix of Italian and Turkish items and a few Italian-Turkish options and in no time at all off went our orders and here’s what I chose; Mixed meadballs with salad and fries. Yes, meadballs. Not meatballs, meadballs. I loved it. Five juicy pieces of grilled beef patties served with fries, barbeque sauce and a side salad with a tangy lime dressing. Simple, clean and tasty fast food, Turkish style, done.

A trip to the crowded and very inciting and exciting 541 year old Grand Bazaar is a must. Filled with carpets, jewellery, pottery and a whole lot of trinkets that you have to spend a ton of energy bargaining  for, left us all famished and ready for a good lunch. Nestled in between the shops was a local favourite, Havulzu. I learnt later that Havulzu is the Turkish word for a fountain. An oasis in a sea of shops. A simple dhaba-style restaurant that claimed to serve Ottoman-Turkish food that was displayed in a bain-marie behind a glass counter. You had to choose the dish you wanted from the counter and it was plated, garnished and brought up to the table after you were seated. The atmosphere was chaotic, customers shouting out orders in all languages and waiters that could speak a few words of English trying to make sense of what was happening. Unsure of what we should order, we decided to get a few dishes to share and here is what we got; A serve of a beef lasagne type dish that had a crusty potato and cheese topping served with a squiggle of a spicy tomato-ketchup like sauce, a plate of meat doner that was sliced off the vertical spit onto a plate served with some soggy fries and yoghurt, a mixed mince and vegetable stew and a plate of artichokes. All in all the food was exotic looking but mediocre in taste. Filling but not as flavourful as we had imagined, a place that we wouldn't plan to return to, but worth a one-time visit if you're in the area and hungry.

The local Gozleme was a dish I had been waiting to try. Available in upmarket restaurants and sold on the streets by local hawkers this dish is a Roti type bread, usually freshly made by Turkish women at the venue over an open griddle and stuffed with mince, spinach or cheese. A Turkish paratha of sorts. A mixed spinach and cheese gozleme later I was happy as Larry. Perfectly cooked and seasoned wilted spinach, blended with chunks of crumbly white Turkish feta, stuffed into a pancake like roti. A simple but flavourful dish that’s a must have if your ever in Turkey.

A trip to the Chiragan Palace is highly recommended. Especially for those that want to experience a bit of luxury. The former Ottoman palace is now a collection of the five star Kempinski hotel chain. Situated on the shores of the Bosphorus this beautiful palace was home to a small hotel-owned bar/café overlooking the courtyard that lead to the water. This little bar that offered a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, teas, coffees and Turkish nargile (shisha), served up one of the most delicious hot chocolates I have ever had. Sticks of creamy chocolate were brought in a tall glass mug. The waitress proceeded to pour a small cup of hot frothed milk that just melted the fresh chocolate into the milk to create a little mug of heaven. As the weather was cold and I was freezing, this went down a real treat and for a few minutes I forgot all about the beauty around me and lost myself to the hot cup of melted milk chocolate. Mmmmm!

Ortakoy is a charming little suburb situated on the shores of the Bosphorus, filled with quaint little cafes, restaurants, food stalls and an open market all overlooking the water. Party lovers must visit the chic but expensive night clubs like Reina and Angelique that stay open past 4am for some great music and cocktails.

Our last main meal was eaten at one of the restaurants in the area that was highly recommended and one that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Istanbul. The House Café. A charismatic, buzzing little hotel cum restaurant, with funky décor, cool lighting and a team of busy and super efficient staff. The café had an extensive menu with a mix of continental and Turkish dishes that were so well described, it just made you drool. After ordering our special lemonades, a popular cold sweet lemon water, flavoured with mint leaves, we were ready to get our mains; Pide and Meatballs, Steak and Mash, Seafood Salad, Sea Bass Risotto and a Pumpkin and Goat cheese Risotto. The dishes were brought out together, perfectly portioned and garnished, ready to be devoured. Each one was more delicious than the next. Spoonful’s of rich, flavourful, cheesy risotto followed by flawlessly cooked succulent bites of meat/fish, teamed with crunchy salad leaves and creamy mashed potatoes. Each mouthful more fulfilling than the next. Just delicious! We scraped our plates clean and ended the night with a piece of rich chocolate cake to share. A sweet end to a really sweet dinner!

While we are on the topic of sweets and desserts, Istanbul is filled with places that satisfy the sweetest tooth. Visit Hafiz Mustafa, a chain of stores that flaunts the local Turkish sweets like: Baklava, thin layers of puffed pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetmeats and drizzled with sugar syrup with a hint of rose and orange blossom; Halva, a bar with a distinctive crumbly texture made with tahina (sesame paste), flour and honey and often served at the end of a meal with tea or coffee; Turkish Delight, gooey exotic flavoured jujubes dusted with icing sugar. The sweets were displayed in every colour, shape and flavour. Pistachio, almonds, rose, hazelnuts, pink, red, green, yellow, round, square, triangular…I could go on! Each one more ‘delightful’ than the next.

My final recommendation is a place that you just have to visit! A small patisserie tucked away in one of the Istiklal by-lanes, Inci. This little bakery just lures you in. It had the most mouth-watering baked goods on display. From cakes to breads to tarts to savoury rolls, you name it, they had it. The most delicious item that had been freshly made in the kitchen below, were small plate-fulls of profiteroles that had been drowned in thick chocolate sauce…ooh la la! The best part was that as we walked in, little portions of profiteroles were ready and waiting for us, as if the smiling men behind the counter knew what we were there for. We picked up our plates, sat down on the cute little inviting tables and dug into our little gooey balls of soft, sweet choux pastry that just oozed fresh cream and that had been dowsed in a coat of thick, velvet chocolate. Every bite was bliss! Sigh!

Back to the real world and as I sift through the photos that I have and go over the few notes I managed to scribble down while on my trip, I realise that what I have shared is just a snap shot of the sights and flavours that make up the exciting city of Istanbul. One really has to experience it first hand to get an actual taste of what it’s all about.
On that note I bid you adieu and hope that when your back you can share some of your own experiences with me. Şerefe (Cheers)!