To the list of the “esnaf nouveau” in town we should add the restaurant/café at the Istanbul Culinary Institute, a stylish spot that since its opening a few years ago has become something of a neighborhood institution.

The idea here is simple: let the students of the culinary school upstairs prepare the food for the customers downstairs. The menu changes frequently depending on what is being taught, but it always features a selection of classics from the Turkish kitchen, sometimes made with organic fruits and vegetables grown on the ICI’s farm in Turkey’s Thrace region, near the Greek border.

Although it might sound like there’s an element of culinary risk in putting yourself in the hands of neophytes, we’ve always been happy with what comes out of the Institute’s kitchen. On a recent visit, we had very well-made mucver, zucchini fritters that were exceptionally fluffy and tasty – much lighter than other version of the dish that we have had around town – as well a nicely-done eggplant stew. Our dessert, a traditional milk pudding with stewed sour cherries at the bottom, was also very satisfying. And unlike dining at an old school esnaf lokanta, you can have a glass of wine with your meal and a cappuccino to finish it off.

There’s zero risk, meanwhile, when it comes to the restaurant/café’s interior – a stylish space that successfully fuses industrial cool with homey warmth. It’s the kind of space that wouldn’t seem out of place in New York, London, or any other capital of global chic.

Address: Meşrutiyet cad. No: 59, Beyoglu
Telephone: (212) 251-2214
Web: www.istanbulculinary.com/eng/

(photo by Yigal Schleifer)

(Editor’s Note: This review of one of our favorite places in town originally appeared on May 4, 2009.)
One of the big downsides to Istanbul’s otherwise great food scene is the lack of a credible Mexican option. We’re not asking for anything special, just a place that serves simple, tasty tacos or burritos. But when the craving for Mexican gets strong, we don’t despair – we just head down to the waterside Karaköy area, home of Besaltı Kirvem Tantuni, a hole-in-the-wall (literally) spot whose food and atmosphere remind us of the tiny taquerias in Mexico and the United states that we miss so much.

As the name implies, Besaltı Kirvem serves up tantuni, one of Turkey’s classic – though shamefully lesser known – street foods. For the dish, thin strips of beef are grilled, somewhat like Mexican carne asada, and kept warm on the side of massive circular pan with a concave depression in the middle. When an order is made, the cook scoops some of the beef up and reheats it in the middle of the pan in a steamy combination of oil and water, creating a thin gravy. In the meantime, he starts warming up a long piece of lavash, a flatbread that is the Turkish equivalent of the tortilla, on the side of the pan, letting the lavash soak up some of the meat’s juices. Once the beef is warmed up, he piles it on top of the lavash – along with tomatoes, sumac-dusted onions, parsley and a combination of spices, including cumin and red pepper – and rolls it up into a long, thin torpedo that’s easy to gobble down in a few quick bites. It’s simple, but delicious, served along with nothing else but a side of hot peppers.

Tantuni originated in Mersin, a city on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast best known for, well, being the birthplace of Tantuni. From there, the dish has gone on to become a street food staple in other parts of the country. In Istanbul, the backstreets of Beyoglu have loads of tantuni shacks that do bustling business, particularly late at night. But we’ve found Besaltı Kirvem, which caters to a lunchtime crowd in the more commercial Karaköy neighborhood, to be in a league of its own. It’s a two for one deal: best tantuni – and, we like to pretend, Mexican – in town.

Address: 35b Mumhane Cad., Karaköy
Telephone: 212-244-0347

(Photo by Ansel Mullins)

But even as the average Beyoglu working stiff profile shifts from a spackle-spattered demographic to one which smells of L’Occitane products, certain dietary habits never change. It might as well be written in the Turkish constitution that all working people are entitled to an inexpensive lunch of daily specials roughly estimating the home-cooked meals that mom prepares. This is the right of the esnaf, or tradesmen.

Whereas the traditional esnaf lokantasi has a standard interior design – one we associate with a hastily built hospital cafeteria – and a staff and clientele that remind us of an American diner, these days we are noticing a pleasant new trend in the esnaf lokantasi tradition. Without straying too far from the typical esnaf offerings, a new class of restaurant has emerged adding more creature comforts to traditional Turkish comfort food, something we are calling “Esnaf Nouveau.”

Take the example of the charming Golge, a small restaurant/café located on an athmospheric Beyoglu back alley. Though exposed steel beams, nostalgic tiles and thick wooden tables might be the signature of chic places like House Café, theirs is a mere forgery of the Golge aesthetic. Ten years ago, when Golge was opened by a stylish husband and wife team, there were plenty of esnaf lokantasi around, but none that looked and felt like this place.

Golge was also one of the first to bring home-style esnaf favorites into a mellow café setting. The daily specials often include a thicker-than-usual cacik, or chopped cucumbers in garlicky yogurt, a mound of moist, red bulgur pilav and something slow-roasted and delicious. On a recent visit, the chalkboard promised specials such as roasted chicken over begendi, a creamy eggplant puree, or vegetables in a clay pot. Though esnaf lokantasi purists might recoil at the cheesecake on offer, the gullaç, a traditional Ramazan milk pudding flavored by rose water, is the real deal.

Taking the cue from Esnaf Nouveau standards like Golge, the newly opened Dai Pera has upped the ante by adding alcohol, with a strong focus on Turkish wines, to an otherwise conservative menu. On one recent visit we had a plate of very credible green beans stewed with chopped veal alongside a pile of buttery rice flecked with thin, dark erişte noodles. We couldn’t resist the kadin budu köfte, a batter-coated and fried meat patty thought to resemble ladies thighs. The vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat were standouts. We didn’t consult the sommelier about the appropriate wine pairing for this feast, but we can attest that a cold Efes beer worked out just fine.

Along with the home-cooked traditional specials, the new school esnaf restaurants understand that a tradesman wants lunch fast and at a good price. Daily menus rarely exceed 20 TL and, in a pinch, could be gobbled down in a hurried half hour lunch break.

Golge Cafe
Address: Olivia gecidi 7, Galatasaray
Telephone: 212-251-8430

DAI Pera
Address: Yeni Çarşı Caddesi No 54, Galatasaray
Tel: 212-252-8099

(photo by Ansel Mullins)

(Editor’s Note: we first ran this roundup last summer, but we’re bringing it back for those who may have not found it in our archive.)

The mojito may go the way of the grasshopper and other forgotten cocktails, but a cold beer accompanied by a panoramic view of the waters and hills of Istanbul will never go out of style. Though the guidebooks may steer you elsewhere, we’ve compiled a short list of lesser-known but equally rewarding spots to have a drink while keeping an eye on the city.

Dersaadet
Under most circumstances, we wouldn’t recommend drinking under a bridge, but Dersaadet offers spectacular views of the Old City from its perch under the Galata Bridge, right at the junction of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Here we like to blow the froth off of a few while fisherman above reel in little fish right past our table.
Address: First café on the northeast (Karaköy side) side of the Galata Bridge, Karaköy
Telephone: 212-292-7001

Buyuk Londra Oteli
This quirky, cult classic hotel is a great place to swill all year-round. With its eclectic clientele, you might be elbow to elbow with a video artist from Berlin or a Macedonian diplomat. The low-key terrace bar is a perfect spot for a sundowner, without paying the premium for the Golden Horn views.
Address: Mesrutiyet Caddesi. No: 117, Tepebaşı
Telephone: 212-245-0670

Çok Çok
The street side tables of this funky Beyoglu Thai restaurant benefit from a perfect position for sunsets over the Golden Horn. We are not sure what they put in those big blue cocktails they serve, but it certainly does the trick while soaking in the late afternoon sun.
Address: Meşrutiyet Ave. No:51 Tepebaşı
Telephone: +90 212 292 64 96
website: www.cokcok.com.tr

Asma Altı Café Bar
One of our favorite pit stops in Beyoglu’s fish market, Asma Altı’s outdoor tables offer a window onto the bustling, if rough and tumble, social life of the Balık Pazar. From here, watch as butchers feeds scrap meat to seagulls, old ladies haggle with the fruit vendor for a kilo of cherries, the lottery man hocks a chance and a steady stream of transvestites sashay by.
Address: Kalyoncu Kulluk Caddesi 13/a, Beyoglu
Telephone: 0537-407-5877

Banyan
Despite the décor inspired by Miami Vice and the tony Ortaköy address, Banyan is a surprisingly mellow place to have a drink and take it all in. The bar itself seems to hang over the Bosphorus, offering unmatched views up and down the strait, from Ortaköy all the way down to the Old City. A cocktail will set you back $15-20, so nurse it while you memorize the priceless view.
Address: Muallim Naci Cad. Salhane Sk. No:3 (beside the Ortaköy İskelesi), Ortaköy
Telephone: 212-259-9060
Website: www.banyanrestaurant.com

Zeyrekhane
The open terrace at Zeyrekhane is a great spot to get up close and personal with the Byzantine brickwork of the monastery-cum-Mosque of Zeyrek. Overlooking the Golden Horn, the sublime Suleymaniye Mosque and across to Galata and Istanbul’s historic peninsula in the distance, this unusual Old City locale offers some very rewarding vistas. Though frequented by large tour groups, there’s plenty of room for everyone on the huge terrace.
Address: Sinanağa Mahallesi İbadethane Arkası Sokak No: 10, Zeyrek-Fatih
Telephone: 212-532-2778

Cihangir Steps
Though self-catering in public places is not exactly encouraged in Istanbul, it is not forbidden either. Casual drinkers of all ages prefer two outdoor spots in the Cihangir neighborhood for their awe-inspiring views of the Bosphorus and the monuments of the Old City and for their peaceful surroundings – all for the price of the package goods and a newspaper to sit on.
Address: Batarya Sokak (stairs next to building #1) & Iliyas Celebi Sokak (next to the Cihangir Mosque)

In Beyoglu, it’s easy to write off kokoreç as an olfactory nuisance. There is nothing too appetizing about a high pile of chopped sheep’s intestines in raw form sitting on the side of the flattop grill at Bambi in Taksim Square. But, like the spit-grilled kokoreç we’ve come to crave, we are “slowly turning” into this street food’s biggest boosters.

Down by Galata Tower, a pushcart’s charcoal grill sizzles and pops below a spit of tightly wrapped intestinal bounty sending a puff of smoke that seems to envelope the entire tower and its observation deck. Tourists visit this area for the panoramic views, but locals are drawn in by the smell of kokoreç. It’s a whiff of grill glory that even lures the staunch anti-kokoreç camp of which we were once hardcore members.

Nazmi usta works the wide plaza at the foot of the Galata Tower everyday from his bright metal cart, slowly roasting a long sheesh of kokoreç throughout the afternoon and evening. A customer walks up and he gets to work, sliding off a portion onto a worn wooden cutting block. Cats gather around begging for a scrap. He chops it up with tomatoes and green peppers kept beside the fire and sets it onto a griddle over the fire while the bread toasts over the coals. A blast of oregano and crushed red peppers and then it is scooped into the shell of a half (yarim) or quarter (ceyrek) loaf of bread.

For the uninitiated among us not knowing exactly what to expect, the first bite of kokoreç summons a wide arching of the brow, “not bad.” The crispy rim of those tightly wound innards offer a smoky, crunchy counterpoint to the softer rich cuts at the center, which seem to melt right into the folds of the bread like sinfully rich butter.

“That’s the uykuluk,” said Ramazan usta of Akdeniz Kokoreç referring to the sweetbreads around which the intestines are wrapped. “Some places just use fat in the middle, but uykuluk is important for real kokoreç. And skills, of course.”

With its cultish following and vocal opposition, kokoreç is probably the most polarizing street food in town – either you eat kokoreç or you do not and you defend your position fiercely.  So we naturally expected it to be a bit more challenging – like a novel by James Joyce. But after taking the plunge and happily sampling many a kokoreç ceyrek around town, we found eating kokoreç to be surprisingly simple – more like a Dan Brown paperback. Having joined the kokoreç eating camp, it is now our joy to proselytize.  Below find the kokoreç trifecta of Galata.

Nazmi Usta
Every afternoon and evening at the Galata Tower
No phone

Akdeniz Kokoreç
Address: Galipdede Caddesi 21, Galata
Telephone: (212) 251-2237

Gala Kokoreç
Addresss: Galipdede Caddesi 111, Galata
Telephone: (212) 249-8407

(photo by Yigal Schleifer)

Meanwhile, a Beyoglu municipal official tells HDN that the only street food they will license are simits, chestnuts and corn! Nothing wrong with any of those things (well, except that most of the street vendor corn we have tasted around town is of the horse feed variety), but what about all the rest of the amazing things being sold by cart vendors (such as the desserts being sold by the vendor in the picture on the right)? Another official said it was a matter of “hygiene,” such as making sure vendors dress “appropriately,” but we generally find that the unlicensed vendors around town show up to work with a lot more polish than their licensed colleagues.

Is Istanbul really willing to shoot itself in the food in the name of “cleaning up” the streets? We certainly hope not and we will be watching to see what happens.

The HDN article can be found here.

Can Tunel support burger joints? There are some big differences between the two (price, most notably) and, fortunately for our readers, we’ve previously reviewed Mano Burger and another Dukkan Burger branch. Read and decide for yourself.

With the heat of summer finally descending upon Istanbul in full force, we thought it might be a good time to offer up some suggestions for winning spots to eat outdoors. Here are five of our favorites (plus one bonus entry):

Abracadabra
Although we’ve heard some reports that the kitchen has been slipping, the Bosphorus-side location in the charming Arnavutkoy neighborhood and the funky menu help this fun spot keep its magic. Full review here.

Akin Balik
This spot right on the Golden Horn has a laid back vibe that makes us feel like we’re no longer in the big city but instead relaxing in some seaside village. The fish on offer comes straight from the fish market next door and the beer is served in brown paper bags. What more can we say. Full review here.

Çukur Meyhanesi
Eating outdoors at one of the restaurants on Beyoglu’s side streets is an Istanbul summer classic, although some of those side streets have become too popular for their own good. Çukur, one of our favorite Beyoglu meyhanes, has a wonderful outdoor area that has managed to keep its original charm. Full review here.

DTVAE
This charming Old City restaurant serving excellent Uighur food is located in what may be one of the most enchanting outdoor dining spots in the city: the courtyard 16th-century former medresa (religious school) that is shaded by massive maple trees. Full review here.

Kalpazankaya
One of the great joys of spring and summertime in Istanbul is the chance to get awayfor a day to one of the Princes’ Islands, the car-free and forested archipelago that is a short ferry ride away from the city. The out-of-the-way Kalpazankaya, on Burgaz island, is one of our favorite spots on the islands. Full review here.

Suna’nin Yeri
This small fish restaurant that, with its army of tables, chairs and frazzled waiters, seems to have conquered the waterfront of the Bosphorus-side Kandilli neighborhood, is a favorite spot on Istanbul’s Asian side. Ful review here.

(Editor’s Note: We are proud to announce that an Istanbul Eats guidebook to dining in Istanbul will soon be available in Turkey, published in English by Boyut Publishers. In the course of preparing the book, we went back to some of our favorite haunts and took some new photos. One of our favorites was of Ahmet, the indefatigable waiter at Enver Usta in Beyoglu. In honor of him and the soon-to-be released book, we are rerunning the review along with the new photo.)

We usually avoid cramped basement spaces that have open fires and only one, narrow exit. But we make an exception for Kebapci Enver Usta, a subterranean kebab joint that hits the spot when we’re looking for a simple and satisfying lunch.

Finding Enver Usta is part of the fun. Located for the last 20 years on a quiet Beyoglu alley that thankfully has been bypassed by the neighborhood’s gentrifying wave, the restaurant occupies the bottom most floor of what seems like an abandoned building, the only sign of life a lone flower pot that sits on one of the window ledges. Next door is a forlorn-looking teahouse.

Things get livelier once you step down the stairs that lead from the sidewalk and into the restaurant. On most days, Enver Usta is packed to the gills with locals who are either eating at one of the few tables or waiting for one to open up. At the far end of the low-ceilinged restaurant stands Enver Usta himself, a skinny and slightly hunched over man with a serious gaze and an occasionally surly manner. While he tends to the smoky grill, Enver also barks out orders at the tireless Ahmet, the joint’s sole waiter for the last 14 years.

Enver Usta carries the standard array of kebabs, but does them all just right. We are partial to his tasty Adana kebab, made of minced meat that is mixed with red pepper flakes. But we’ve also enjoyed the chicken kebab and wings, both marinated in a piquant red pepper sauce, and the cop sis, tiny cubes of tender beef grilled on a skewer. When you order, be sure to ask Ahmet for a plate of the excellent ezme salatasi, a salad made of finely chopped red onion, tomato, red pepper and parsley, and of the equally good bulgur pilaf. We also like asking Ahmet for a plate of lavash, thin flatbread that’s great for wrapping around the kebabs. At the end of your meal, do yourself a favor and get an order of the excellent baklava that’s delivered to restaurant on a daily basis.

We tend to leave Enver Usta feeling stuffed. That’s when we encounter the real danger of eating in an underground restaurant – getting up the pitched stairs on a very full stomach.

Address: Tramvay Sokagi No 5A Tünel
Telephone: 212-252-2941

(photo by Yigal Schleifer)

Is it delicious like, say, chili cheese fries or pizzagna? Definitely. Inspired like a chocolate soufflé? Hardly.

Honestly, we find that the whole Iskender debate – claims to which kebapci does it in the “real” Bursa way, lawsuits pending on trademark infringement – takes all of the fun out of eating this kebab. We say, cancel the side order of nonsense and take Iskender at face value – as a good greasy lunch – and you might be surprised at how many fine, upstanding Iskender kebabs there are around town.

At Bursa Kebapcisi, we found ourselves in good company. Everyone there seems to eat Iskender with great gusto. This restaurant might have the ambiance of a hospital waiting room – complete with its burly kitchen staff in white scrubs and blue slippers and dining room lit by long florescent tubes – but the food and service make up for it.

Akif bey, our waiter of many years now, has an unusually formal style of service that we’ve come to appreciate. He is not the sort of waiter we’ve encountered at other places, one who may comment on our weight or collapse into a chair beside us and complain about the price of petrol. No, Akif bey takes his job seriously and, on one recent visit, responded to our request for an Iskender karisik with extra butter with his customary, “Hay, hay, efendim!”

If the tricked out Iskender is the Camaro of kebabs then the Iskender karisik is the 8-cylinder option with a racing spoiler. In this variety, the usual helping of doner gets turbo-charged with köfte and strips of filet. It comes out on a metal plate popping and sizzling with butter; the dietician on our left shoulder shook his head, “no” but the devil on the right said, “hell yes.” The plate may be scalding hot but nothing could keep us from devouring this dish at a dizzying pace. After all, isn’t that what the original Iskender was meant to be? A meat and vegetable mish-mash with a drizzle so tasty as to be irresistible? Was it really meant to be trademarked, or just scarfed down without a thought? As surely as the doner will continue to turn, this debate will rage. Our allegiance remains firmly in the camp of everyman’s Iskender, like the one at Bursa Kebapcisi.

Address: Atif Yilmaz Cad: 8, Beyoglu
Telephone: 212-249-9742

(Photo by Ansel Mullins)