Sep 29
Tuesday
Sakarya Tatlicisi: Just Dessert

The arrival of fall usually finds us heading instinctively, like a salmon swimming towards its ancestral headwaters, to Beyoglu’s Balik Pazar, the neighborhood’s old fish market. Autumn is quince season in Turkey and that means the appearance – for a limited time only – of one of our favorite desserts, ayva tatlisi (literally “quince dessert” in Turkish, although “quince in syrup” might be more accurate), and the market’s Sakarya Tatlicisi, a pastry and sweets shop with old-world charm, is one of our top stops for the dessert. Continue…
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Güngör Büfe: Sultan of Sandwich
1 response - Posted 09.25.09
The büfe is a prominent part of the Istanbul streetscape, playing a vital role in the daily life of the city. These are corner stores, where you can get a can of beer, a single cigarette, a lotto ticket and, often, a panini-like grilled cheese sandwich. At most büfe, food ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.25.09
The büfe is a prominent part of the Istanbul streetscape, playing a vital role in the daily life of the city. These are corner stores, where you can get a can of beer, a single cigarette, a lotto ticket and, often, a panini-like grilled cheese sandwich. At most büfe, food ...continue
Istanbul Eats’ First Photo Competition
1 response - Posted 09.24.09
We are happy to announce the start of our first ever photography competition. Open to all, the contest’s first prize is lunch at one of the restaurants reviewed on our site (winner’s choice). Subject: "Istanbul Food Culture" Deadline: October 31, 2009 (Note: Due to popular demand, we've extended the deadline to ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.24.09
We are happy to announce the start of our first ever photography competition. Open to all, the contest’s first prize is lunch at one of the restaurants reviewed on our site (winner’s choice). Subject: "Istanbul Food Culture" Deadline: October 31, 2009 (Note: Due to popular demand, we've extended the deadline to ...continue
Istanbul Street (food) Photography
no responses - Posted 09.23.09
One that got away at Karakoy's fish market. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. continue
no responses - Posted 09.23.09
One that got away at Karakoy's fish market. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. continue
Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi: Gaucho Kebab Rides Again
11 responses - Posted 09.21.09
We were alarmed to recently discover that one of our favorite spots, Erzurum Cağ Kebab in Karakoy, had closed down. Turns out the owner returned to his former job – being an electrician. Istanbul has plenty of kebab joints, but places serving cağ are sadly hard to find. Originating in the ...continue
11 responses - Posted 09.21.09
We were alarmed to recently discover that one of our favorite spots, Erzurum Cağ Kebab in Karakoy, had closed down. Turns out the owner returned to his former job – being an electrician. Istanbul has plenty of kebab joints, but places serving cağ are sadly hard to find. Originating in the ...continue
Mutfak Dili: Tradesmens’ Paradise
1 response - Posted 09.18.09
Istanbul Eats lunch hunting tip #1: Wander into one of Istanbul’s numerous districts of small commerce and find yourself on a small street with a shoe cobbler, a knife sharpener, and hardware shops. #2: Enter one of those shops, preferably one where two old men are sitting at the counter looking at the ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.18.09
Istanbul Eats lunch hunting tip #1: Wander into one of Istanbul’s numerous districts of small commerce and find yourself on a small street with a shoe cobbler, a knife sharpener, and hardware shops. #2: Enter one of those shops, preferably one where two old men are sitting at the counter looking at the ...continue
Istanbul Street (food) Photography
no responses - Posted 09.16.09
A group of women in Istanbul's Tarlabasi neighborhood getting ready to shuck a pile of corn for sale in a street cart -- photo by Nicki Sobecki continue
no responses - Posted 09.16.09
A group of women in Istanbul's Tarlabasi neighborhood getting ready to shuck a pile of corn for sale in a street cart -- photo by Nicki Sobecki continue
A 48-hour Tasting Tour of Istanbul
1 response - Posted 09.13.09
Thinking about spending two days eating your way through Istanbul? If so, Anya von Bremzen, a travel writer who knows her way around Istanbul better than most, has an itinerary for you. You can check out her short article from Travel + Leisure here. (photo by Yigal Schleifer) continue
1 response - Posted 09.13.09
Thinking about spending two days eating your way through Istanbul? If so, Anya von Bremzen, a travel writer who knows her way around Istanbul better than most, has an itinerary for you. You can check out her short article from Travel + Leisure here. (photo by Yigal Schleifer) continue
Gönül Abla: Mighty Manti
1 response - Posted 09.04.09
The mini dumpling manti, a dish that traces its roots to the mobile kitchens of nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia, is often referred to as “Turkish ravioli.” But could the Turks have beaten the Italians to the punch? Is it ravioli that should actually be called “Italian manti?” We’ll never ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.04.09
The mini dumpling manti, a dish that traces its roots to the mobile kitchens of nomadic Turkic tribes in Central Asia, is often referred to as “Turkish ravioli.” But could the Turks have beaten the Italians to the punch? Is it ravioli that should actually be called “Italian manti?” We’ll never ...continue




