Apr 23
Monday
Beyoglu Burger Wars: Counter Offensive
Six months ago we were very concerned to see one of our favorite burger joints, Mano Burger, closed down. The workers gutting the place told us there was financial trouble. Someone else said they’d opened up shop on the Asian side, in Bostanci. For six months, Mano seemed to go incognito.
We were then equally puzzled a couple of weeks ago to see a new hamburger restaurant, with the same décor, menu style and a suspiciously similar logo open in the same location. We can’t speak for the food, but in the category of originality, Roll Burger scores very low.
Skulking around Beyoglu, thinking about the injustice visited upon our friends at Mano, we turned the corner at Asmali Mescit, and, like a mirage, saw hanging off the side of a building the sign of Mano Burger – the real Mano Burger. Continue…
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Recent Posts
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Fazil Bey Kahvesi: Fad Proof
4 responses - Posted 05.18.12
Two young men stood about 15 feet apart on a sunny narrow street in the Kadikoy market, chafing in their brown lab coats. The one tending to a handful of white marble tables barked “buyrun!” (roughly, “come and get it!”) at passersby, the other quietly wiped down seven or eight black marble tables. The black tables – the ones in front ... continue -
Döner on the Side of Caution
1 response - Posted 05.17.12
We've previously sung the praises of Kasap Osman, a standby doner spot in the increasingly touristed Sirkeci neighborhood, but we've been getting unsettling reports from reliable sources that things might be slipping over there. We'll go to Osman's to check things out ourselves, but for now we suggest diners approach the spot with lowered expectations. Better yet, check out this ... continue -
Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes
no responses - Posted 05.11.12
A recent article in one of Turkey’s English-language newspapers, describing plans by Mey İçki, Turkey’s largest producer of raki, to introduce the anise-flavored liquor to Europe, left us both steamed and amused. As part of its efforts to promote the consumption of raki, it appears the company – along with an outfit called the Tourism Research Association (TURAD) – has ... continue -
And the Winner Is….
3 responses - Posted 05.03.12
We are very proud to announce that we have been voted "Best Culinary Travel Blog" in Saveur Magazine's third annual Best Food Blog Awards competition. The competition was stiff and we were honored just to be included among that group of six finalists. A victory by any one of us would have been a victory for good taste. Thank you ... continue -
Vahap Usta: The Man Who Would Be (Kokoreç) King, Pt. I
1 response - Posted 05.01.12
Vahap Usta pulled a pair of reading glasses from the inside pocket of a snug dinner jacket and sifted through a stack of newspaper clippings. Here was a full spread from a major daily paper proclaiming him the “King of Kokoreç” and another with him in his signature tuxedo and bowtie in front of his stand in the central Sirkeci ... continue -
Island — and Table — Hopping in Istanbul
1 response - Posted 04.25.12
Istanbul's Princes' Islands, a lovely archipelago just off the city's Asian shore, offer what we believe to be the best travel bargain anywhere in the world. Whenever we're in need of a vacation but can't afford the airfare, a ferry awaits to take us to the islands. For the price of just a few liras, we're transported to a small ... continue -
Beyoglu Burger Wars: Counter Offensive
8 responses - Posted 04.23.12
Six months ago we were very concerned to see one of our favorite burger joints, Mano Burger, closed down. The workers gutting the place told us there was financial trouble. Someone else said they’d opened up shop on the Asian side, in Bostanci. For six months, Mano seemed to go incognito. We were then equally puzzled a couple of weeks ago ... continue
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Fazil Bey Kahvesi: Fad Proof
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All entries filed under this archive
Read Between the Buns 4: Egg & Burger
10 responses - Posted 07.29.10
(Editor's Note: After previous installments of our "Read Between the Buns" series -- a look at Istanbul's burgeoning burger scene -- we received complaints that we failed to consider a spot called Egg & Burger. We recently had a chance to try things out there and now return with a ...continue
10 responses - Posted 07.29.10
(Editor's Note: After previous installments of our "Read Between the Buns" series -- a look at Istanbul's burgeoning burger scene -- we received complaints that we failed to consider a spot called Egg & Burger. We recently had a chance to try things out there and now return with a ...continue
A Beyoglu Burger War?
1 response - Posted 07.28.10
Early one recent morning, we noticed a big sign draped over a construction site in Tunel Square announcing the impending arrival of another branch of the upscale Dukkan Burger chain. This would place the gourmet burger shack only a few doors away from Mano Burger, a hip but more humble ...continue
1 response - Posted 07.28.10
Early one recent morning, we noticed a big sign draped over a construction site in Tunel Square announcing the impending arrival of another branch of the upscale Dukkan Burger chain. This would place the gourmet burger shack only a few doors away from Mano Burger, a hip but more humble ...continue
Up in Smoke: Homegrown Turkish Delights
2 responses - Posted 05.20.10
Yesterday, a New York Times article, titled “Marijuana Fuels a New Kitchen Culture,” reported that some “chefs are unabashedly open about marijuana’s role in their creative and recreational lives and its effect on their restaurants.” With dishes like poutine of foie grois, cereal milk flavored soft-serve ice cream and deep-fried ...continue
2 responses - Posted 05.20.10
Yesterday, a New York Times article, titled “Marijuana Fuels a New Kitchen Culture,” reported that some “chefs are unabashedly open about marijuana’s role in their creative and recreational lives and its effect on their restaurants.” With dishes like poutine of foie grois, cereal milk flavored soft-serve ice cream and deep-fried ...continue
Read Between the Buns 3: Istanbul’s Burgers
4 responses - Posted 04.14.10
(Editor’s Note: We've been looking this week at some of the new burger places that have recently opened up in Istanbul. After trying out some of these new joints, our thoughts kept drifting back to the classic "Wet Burger" served by Kizilkayalar in Taksim. A true Turkish original, the "Wet ...continue
4 responses - Posted 04.14.10
(Editor’s Note: We've been looking this week at some of the new burger places that have recently opened up in Istanbul. After trying out some of these new joints, our thoughts kept drifting back to the classic "Wet Burger" served by Kizilkayalar in Taksim. A true Turkish original, the "Wet ...continue
Read Between the Buns 2: Istanbul’s Burgers
9 responses - Posted 04.13.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
9 responses - Posted 04.13.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
Read Between the Buns: Istanbul’s Burgers
9 responses - Posted 04.12.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
9 responses - Posted 04.12.10
(Editor’s Note: Turkey is not unfamiliar with cooking ground meat – it is the home of köfte and kebab, after all – but hamburgers (at least the kind we’re used to) have never really been part of the landscape. That seems to be changing, though. Recently, a whole new crop ...continue
Wet Burgers: As Seen on TV!
no responses - Posted 01.21.10
(Editor's Note: Along with Durumzade, Istanbul Eats favorite Kizilkayalar was also featured in the recent episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations." The Taksim veteran's famous "wet burgers" -- which Bourdain seemed to enjoy immensely -- came in 3rd place in our recent "Top 5 Istanbul Street Foods" competition. For those ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.21.10
(Editor's Note: Along with Durumzade, Istanbul Eats favorite Kizilkayalar was also featured in the recent episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations." The Taksim veteran's famous "wet burgers" -- which Bourdain seemed to enjoy immensely -- came in 3rd place in our recent "Top 5 Istanbul Street Foods" competition. For those ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #3 – Kizilkayalar’s Wet Burger
1 response - Posted 12.02.09
(Editor’s Note: this is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top 5 street foods.) The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kizilkayalar’s moist mini patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.02.09
(Editor’s Note: this is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top 5 street foods.) The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kizilkayalar’s moist mini patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 ...continue
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