Another Week of Good Eats in Istanbul

Since I have Istanbul on my mind this week, I thought I would write another foodie post involving my last two trips to this magical city.

Though our travels always revolve around food, Turkish food is something that I miss and was more than happy to indulge in with our willing (and missed) friends. So here’s a rundown of some of the tasty places we tried for the first time or revisited for the umpteenth time in Istanbul.

Midye Dolması

In March, we introduced our skeptical American friend to eating midye dolması (stuffed mussels) off the streets in Beyoğlu. “Is it safe?” he asked us. To us, it’s just one of those things you MUST do in Istanbul, especially after you’ve had a few drinks. The street sellers will keep giving you more mussels until you tell them to stop. Then, you pay based on how many shells you emptied.

Turkish Etli Ekmek

Now, you don’t have to travel all the way to Konya to try this meter-long flatbread pizza. My friend’s Turkish husband, Kartal, treated me to a delicious etli ekmek at Ikonium in the Levent neighborhood. Of course, when I’m back in Istanbul, I must have an Efes beer too! Grab a friend or two because you’ll need them to help share this flatbread pizza!

Location: Aytar Caddesi Dilek Apartmanı No:28, Levent. 5-minute walk from Levent metro stop.

Turkish Grilled Meat

Our Turkish friend, Huseyin, loves good food as much as we do, so we had to try one of his favorite meat-centric places in Etiler. Before taking a seat at Nusr-Et Steakhouse, be sure to look in the meat showcase near the grill. Try the lokum (Turkish delight), spaghetti (thinly sliced beef) and sliced-to-order lamb ribs. The meat used comes from the Marmara Sea region. Accompany your meat with unlimited crispy fries and a salad. This fancy, crowded steakhouse is a place to be seen so don’t be shocked by your 100tl per person bill. (Note: we didn’t have any alcohol that night because local elections that day forbid it.) However, I think the experience is worth trying at least once!

Some of the best grilled rack of lamb I've ever had in Turkey!

And for dessert, don’t skimp on the pistachio baklava that is flown in fresh every day from Gaziantep and served tableside with a generous scoop of Maras dondurma. My mouth is just watering thinking about this heavenly baklava!

Location: Nispetiye Caddesi No:87, Etiler

Bosphorus Views on the Asian side

Once again, Kartal and his wife, Nicole, treated me to a special dinner at Del Mare. Half the fun was taking a free ferry boat from the Kuruçeşme Iskelesi (Pier) to the Asian side of Istanbul. This seafood restaurant is housed in a former 19^th-century factory and features a splendid, canopied outdoor terrace with beautiful Bosphorus views. 

The menu features the typical Turkish mezes and fresh seafood. And for dessert, don’t forget to order irmik helvası, which is semolina cooked with butter and sugar and served with vanilla ice cream in the middle. Delicious!

Location: Kuleli Caddesi No:53 / 4, Çengelköy

Literally next door to Del Mare, you’ll find an unique concept at Tapasuma Restaurant where Turkish and Mediterranean food is served as bite-sized tapas in a modern setting. It’s definitely worth checking out if want to dine by candlelight away from the hectic crowds of the city. The restaurant is housed in a luxurious boutique hotel (a restored former raki distillery) in case you want to stay the night and wake up to these beautiful Bosphorus views as well.

Tasty mini versions of Turkish and Mediterranean food at Tapasuma.

Last year, we even got to peak into the kitchen and meet the friendly Executive Chef Gökay Çakıroğlu and his cooks at Tapasuma.

Location: Kuleli Caddesi No:43, Çengelköy

Beer Break under the Galata Bridge

After you’ve been sightseeing for several hours, you’ll definitely want to enjoy a break under the Galata Bridge. Sure, this area is touristy. However, I still love sitting under the bridge right by the water, sipping my Efes beer and people watching. Just make sure the café you sit at actually sells alcohol as several of them now have signs that say “alcoholsuz” (no alcohol).

Turkish Breakfast at our Hotel

The Turks are well known for their Turkish breakfasts! Luckily, we had breakfast included at the Anemon Galata Hotel where we stayed for 3 nights for about $100 per night. The hotel offers a fantastic location right by the Galata Tower and a lovely view over the Golden Horn where you can enjoy your breakfast or a glass of wine later at night.

Group Dinner with Friends

Sometimes, it’s simply easier to organize a group dinner with friends when we’re back in Istanbul. We met our friends at Yüzevler Kebap, a restaurant originally based in Adana, that features traditional Turkish kebabs and meze dishes. We enjoyed a good dinner and even better conversation catching up with our friends. But at 100tl per person, we don’t think we’ll be coming back here as the food didn’t live up to its reputation.

Location: Nispetiye Cad. No:10, Etiler

Everyone Eats at Çiya (Old Post)

During my last three trips to Istanbul, I’ve made it a point to dine at Çiya. This last time, we tried a unique bulgur meatball soup and perde pilavi, a special rice dish from southeastern Turkey. The “curtain rice” as it is so called features a seasoned rice with raisins, pine nuts, almonds and chicken wrapped inside a crispy baked phyllo shell. It’s an uncommon dish, but one that I highly recommend if you find it on the menu.

Turkish Yogurt in Kanlıca (Old Post)

Another Asian-side place we like to return to again and again is the yogurt shops in the small neighborhood of Kanlıca. Again, half the fun is taking one of the water taxis from Emirgan, especially after visiting the Turkish lale festival in the spring, to Kanlıca. Pull up a chair outside, order some of the best Turkish yogurt with a side of powdered sugar and a glass of tea. Enjoy!

 

Turkish Staples

You’ll find several locations of Günaydın Restaurant throughout the city. The restaurants feature well-made Turkish kebabs and meatballs, but last time, I thought the prices were a bit more hefty then what they used to be. Still it’s a good place to enjoy some typical Turkish dishes and a sinful künefe for dessert.

Location: Suadiye Mahallesi, Kazım Özalp Cad.

After reading about all these Turkish dishes and restaurants, I hope you’re ready to visit one of my favorite cities!

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Exploring Kanlıca in Istanbul, Finding the Best Yogurt

Have you ever hopped on some kind of public transportation – not knowing where it would go?

During our travels in Turkey, that’s happened to us several times. It’s just inevitable when you are trying to figure out how things work in a foreign place.

Well, while staying in Emirgan lately, we’ve observed these water taxis picking up and dropping off people along the Bosphorus in Istanbul. These small boats seem to run about every 10 to 15 minutes, but we didn’t know where they landed on the Asian side.

The other Sunday, my husband posed the question, “Let’s just hop on one of those boats and see where it goes. Wanna go?”

Of course, we hopped on the boat and ended up visiting the sleepy, waterside village of Kanlıca. We did this the next two weekends in a row via these water taxis. The cost is 5 tl per person, which is a lot more than the regular ferry boats (2 tl). However, the weekend ferry boat schedule to small destinations such as Kanlıca is quite limited.

This past weekend, we took my cousin Greg from Nebraska to visit Kanlıca via the water taxi too. Just sit back and enjoy the short ride across the Bosphorus.

We had no idea what to do in Kanlıca so we walked north along the shoreline where we passed dozens of fishermen and swimmers. Honestly, the walk wasn’t that scenic, but it was relaxing.

Before stopping near the Çubuklu Iskelsi (about 2 km.), I got yelled at by an armed Turkish  jandarma because apparently I had stepped onto a military pier. I never saw the sign indicating no photos and no trespassing. Oops!

Don't step on this pier like I did!

I waved, shouted “pardon” and hoped I would be forgiven for my yabancı moment.

We hopped on a bus back to Kanlıca and decided to walk around the small crafts market. I bought a ladybug nazarlık bracelet and a glass nar paperweight. Two Turkish women also were knitting and selling these adorable baby outfits and socks.

Most of these small gifts cost only 5-15 tl.

I noticed the nearby waterside cafes and suddenly remembered that Kanlıca is known for its creamy and tart yogurt! Visiting Kanlıca is listed in the Top7 Things to Do and Places to Visit on the Asian Side by The Guide Istanbul.

We grabbed an open table at the busy café and ordered 2 yogurts with powdered sugar. You also can order the yogurt with jam or honey.

For some reason, I had expected a more frozen-like or whipped yogurt (don’t ask why!), but nope, it was a traditional thick, creamy Turkish yogurt. Our order came with a large bowl of powdered sugar so you could sprinkle in as much sweetness as you wanted. The vast quantity of powdered sugar here reminded us of eating beignets in New Orleans as we did for our wedding weekend in 2010.

We also bought a large tub of yogurt to take home, which went well with fresh peaches for breakfast.

After our yogurt snack, we played with several street cats and their kittens and briefly walked around Kanlıca.

Just off the main square area, we found an antique store and several old wooden Ottoman houses. Then, it was time to catch the 4:50 p.m. ferry back to Emirgan.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Istanbul for a few hours, head to this charming village. Simply getting to Kanlıca is half the fun!

How to get Kanlıca:

The water taxis depart every 10-15 minutes near the Emirgan Iskelesi on the European side.

Or check the regular ferry boat schedule here by departure location and destination.

A third option is to take bus No. 15 from Üsküdar to Kanlıca; or by a Beykoz-bound dolmuş from Üsküdar.

If you want a simple, but delicious Turkish meal by the seaside, try Yakamoz, pictured in the yellow building, here in Kanlıca.

Boats docked near the Kanlıca Iskelesi. Don't worry, the water taxis are motor boats.

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