Friday

Melengeç : Mean Greens

They might as well have named Melengeç the “Solar Eclipse” or the “Dodo Bird,” because, in the handful of meals we’ve had at this cozy Arnavutköy restaurant, its namesake dish, melengeç, made from the green leaves of a tree from the Aegean shores, has not once made an appearance at the table.

Luckily, there was no shortage of competent substitutes. On a recent visit we sampled no fewer than four different and unusual greens, all remarkably different. In a country where even an innocent-looking plate of rice usually conceals some form of meat, Melengeç’s wide variety of purely vegetarian offerings is a pleasant change of pace. Complemented by laid-back service in a tastefully decorated old wooden home, Melengeç sets the stage for a fine evening on the Bosphorus. Continue…

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