Feb 15
Monday
Beyoglu Oğretmenevi: The Teacher’s Lounge
Like Ataturk statues and crescent-and-star flags etched into the sides of mountains, the oğretmenevi (“teacher’s house”) is an integral part of the Turkish landscape. Found in almost every city in Turkey, the government-run oğretmenevi acts as an affordable guesthouse for educators on the road and – since anyone is welcome if space is available – for those traveling on a teacher’s budget.
For the most part, these guesthouses are drab affairs, 1970’s-era concrete boxes usually painted in a shade of pink and found in some of the least interesting parts of town. Not so in Istanbul’s historic Beyoglu neighborhood, where the local oğretmenevi in a grand old building dating back to the late 1800’s, formerly a French-built hotel that put up some of the same Orient Express travelers who stayed at the more famous Pera Palace Hotel nearby. Continue…
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48 Hours in Istanbul: An Eater’s Guide
7 responses - Posted 02.08.10
(Editor's Note: The New York Times' travel section recently ran a "36 Hours in Istanbul" feature that was low on good eating suggestions. Prompted by the Times piece, today's post is a food-centric "48 Hours in Istanbul" guide we prepared a few months ago for a local magazine.) Day One: Turkey’s ...continue
7 responses - Posted 02.08.10
(Editor's Note: The New York Times' travel section recently ran a "36 Hours in Istanbul" feature that was low on good eating suggestions. Prompted by the Times piece, today's post is a food-centric "48 Hours in Istanbul" guide we prepared a few months ago for a local magazine.) Day One: Turkey’s ...continue
Sultanahmet’s Dining Secrets
4 responses - Posted 01.29.10
Call it the Sultanahmet Squeeze: How to stay close to the monuments of the Old City and avoid eating in tourist traps? We get this question a lot. We. Since the Sultanahmet area is primarily a tourism zone, locals-only haunts are few and far between. At most restaurants, prices tend ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.29.10
Call it the Sultanahmet Squeeze: How to stay close to the monuments of the Old City and avoid eating in tourist traps? We get this question a lot. We. Since the Sultanahmet area is primarily a tourism zone, locals-only haunts are few and far between. At most restaurants, prices tend ...continue
Çukur Meyhanesi: When Liver Met Hamsi
1 response - Posted 01.25.10
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as Meg Ryan’s big moment at Katz’s deli in “When Harry Met Sally,” but a low-register, guttural moan of pleasure was detected from our table upon our tasting of the shredded celery root in yogurt, a house specialty meze at Beyoglu’s Çukur Meyhanesi. And we ...continue
1 response - Posted 01.25.10
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as Meg Ryan’s big moment at Katz’s deli in “When Harry Met Sally,” but a low-register, guttural moan of pleasure was detected from our table upon our tasting of the shredded celery root in yogurt, a house specialty meze at Beyoglu’s Çukur Meyhanesi. And we ...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
Durumzade: Wrap Artists (and Television Stars)
no responses - Posted 01.19.10
(Editor's Note: This review first appeared back in April of 2009. Turns out the "wrap stars" at Durumzade were among the stars of last night's episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show, which recently visited Istanbul. In honor of Durumzade's new found television success, we decided to offer this "rerun" ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.19.10
(Editor's Note: This review first appeared back in April of 2009. Turns out the "wrap stars" at Durumzade were among the stars of last night's episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show, which recently visited Istanbul. In honor of Durumzade's new found television success, we decided to offer this "rerun" ...continue
Istanbul Eats Drinks: Otantik Turku Bar
no responses - Posted 12.21.09
One night in Otantik, a Turku (Turkish folk music) bar in Beyoglu, delivers all the emotional peaks and valleys of life itself. As the saz strumming bard on stage moans out the first few bars of a familiar song of lost love, even the table of stony-faced, raki-drenched fellows in ...continue
no responses - Posted 12.21.09
One night in Otantik, a Turku (Turkish folk music) bar in Beyoglu, delivers all the emotional peaks and valleys of life itself. As the saz strumming bard on stage moans out the first few bars of a familiar song of lost love, even the table of stony-faced, raki-drenched fellows in ...continue
Ciğerimin Köşesi: New (Kebab) Kid on the Block
1 response - Posted 12.16.09
We’ve long been big fans of Canim Ciğerim, a wonderful kebab joint in Beyoglu's Asmalimescit area that serves up thin, long skewers studded with tiny and very tender morsels of either beef or liver. Recently we noticed the arrival of Ciğerimin Köşesi (“My Liver’s Corner,” roughly translated), a gleaming, new kebab ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.16.09
We’ve long been big fans of Canim Ciğerim, a wonderful kebab joint in Beyoglu's Asmalimescit area that serves up thin, long skewers studded with tiny and very tender morsels of either beef or liver. Recently we noticed the arrival of Ciğerimin Köşesi (“My Liver’s Corner,” roughly translated), a gleaming, new kebab ...continue
EatingAsia Interviews Ciya Chef Musa Dagdeviren
2 responses - Posted 11.22.09
EatingAsia, a marvelous blog that (mostly) covers Asian food and culinary traditions, recently caught up with chef Musa Dagdeviren, creator of Istanbul's Ciya restaurant. A kind of culinary anthropologist, Dagdeviren has helped introduce Istanbulites and visitors to the city to traditional recipes and ingredients from across Turkey that are even ...continue
2 responses - Posted 11.22.09
EatingAsia, a marvelous blog that (mostly) covers Asian food and culinary traditions, recently caught up with chef Musa Dagdeviren, creator of Istanbul's Ciya restaurant. A kind of culinary anthropologist, Dagdeviren has helped introduce Istanbulites and visitors to the city to traditional recipes and ingredients from across Turkey that are even ...continue
Zinnet Restaurant: Silk Road Trip
no responses - Posted 11.17.09
There are those restaurants worth going to because of their out-of-the-way location – a fish shack at the end of a lonely beach, a fondue hut at the top of an Alpine ridge. Then there are those worth seeking out despite their location – that culinary gem stuck inside a ...continue
no responses - Posted 11.17.09
There are those restaurants worth going to because of their out-of-the-way location – a fish shack at the end of a lonely beach, a fondue hut at the top of an Alpine ridge. Then there are those worth seeking out despite their location – that culinary gem stuck inside a ...continue
Adana Özasmaalti: Club Kebab
1 response - Posted 11.13.09
In London or New York, one could spend hours before lunch deciding between Eritrean, Guatemalan or that Jamaican jerked chicken joint on the corner. The choice in Istanbul, for the most part, is comfortingly simple: “fish or meat?” On one recent lunch run with Mehmet bey, an Asian-sider who acts as ...continue
1 response - Posted 11.13.09
In London or New York, one could spend hours before lunch deciding between Eritrean, Guatemalan or that Jamaican jerked chicken joint on the corner. The choice in Istanbul, for the most part, is comfortingly simple: “fish or meat?” On one recent lunch run with Mehmet bey, an Asian-sider who acts as ...continue
Kebapci Enver Usta: Underground Favorite
1 response - Posted 10.30.09
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 ...continue
1 response - Posted 10.30.09
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 ...continue
Döner: Heavy Rotation
1 response - Posted 10.16.09
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Atilla Kapar, author of the blog Turkiye ve Dunyadan Lezzetler (“Good Tastes from Turkey and the World”) and a Turkish food enthusiast who, as he describes it, “reviews lesser known restaurants in İstanbul that offer great tasting food.” Atilla is a graduate of ...continue
1 response - Posted 10.16.09
(Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Atilla Kapar, author of the blog Turkiye ve Dunyadan Lezzetler (“Good Tastes from Turkey and the World”) and a Turkish food enthusiast who, as he describes it, “reviews lesser known restaurants in İstanbul that offer great tasting food.” Atilla is a graduate of ...continue
Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabi: Gaucho Kebab Rides Again
7 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
7 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
Antiochia: Style and Taste
3 responses - Posted 08.16.09
In Istanbul, we’ve noted an inverse relationship between a restaurant’s atmosphere and what’s coming out of the kitchen. In most cases, as furniture design goes slick, as bathrooms get properly lit and ventilated, as the wait staff becomes customer-savvy, the quality of the kitchen inevitably goes down. Presumably there are ...continue
3 responses - Posted 08.16.09
In Istanbul, we’ve noted an inverse relationship between a restaurant’s atmosphere and what’s coming out of the kitchen. In most cases, as furniture design goes slick, as bathrooms get properly lit and ventilated, as the wait staff becomes customer-savvy, the quality of the kitchen inevitably goes down. Presumably there are ...continue
Mehmet Ercik’s Sucuk Sandwich Stand: Top Dog
1 response - Posted 08.07.09
Just as London’s Savile Row is known for its tailors, and New York’s Canal Street for its cheap handbags, Kadirgalar Caddesi in Istanbul is surely known to all as sucuk central. On any given evening, in this street running between the hills of Maçka Park and the nearby Acikhava Tiyatrosu, ...continue
1 response - Posted 08.07.09
Just as London’s Savile Row is known for its tailors, and New York’s Canal Street for its cheap handbags, Kadirgalar Caddesi in Istanbul is surely known to all as sucuk central. On any given evening, in this street running between the hills of Maçka Park and the nearby Acikhava Tiyatrosu, ...continue
Mekan: The Cosmopolitan
4 responses - Posted 07.24.09
Sometimes billed as “that Armenian-Jewish restaurant in Beyoglu,” Mekan harkens back to the neighborhood’s cosmopolitan past, when it was home to a large non-Muslim population. The food is sometimes Sephardic and Armenian, sometimes Turkish. But the important point here is the place’s authenticity. Mekan is not trying to be anything ...continue
4 responses - Posted 07.24.09
Sometimes billed as “that Armenian-Jewish restaurant in Beyoglu,” Mekan harkens back to the neighborhood’s cosmopolitan past, when it was home to a large non-Muslim population. The food is sometimes Sephardic and Armenian, sometimes Turkish. But the important point here is the place’s authenticity. Mekan is not trying to be anything ...continue
The Grand Bazaar: Come for the Shopping, Stay for the Food
2 responses - Posted 07.15.09
We like to think of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – open since 1461 – as the world’s oldest shopping mall. If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Grand Bazaar be home to the world’s oldest food court? That may be taking the analogy too far, but for us, the Grand Bazaar can ...continue
2 responses - Posted 07.15.09
We like to think of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – open since 1461 – as the world’s oldest shopping mall. If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Grand Bazaar be home to the world’s oldest food court? That may be taking the analogy too far, but for us, the Grand Bazaar can ...continue
Köfteci Arnavut: On the Good Ship Meatball Shop
no responses - Posted 06.29.09
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
no responses - Posted 06.29.09
Perhaps it’s the proximity of the waters of the Golden Horn or the weathered wood interior, but we get a distinctly maritime feeling at Köfteci Arnavut, a tiny köfte joint in the historic Balat neighborhood. The members of the Iştay family, who opened the place in 1947, seem to think the ...continue
Kasap Osman: A Cure for Döner Fatigue
4 responses - Posted 06.19.09
Though Iskender kebab is a registered trademark of the famous Kebapci Iskender restaurant in Bursa, imitations are ubiquitous. In Istanbul, Iskender kebab – a dish based on döner, strips of roasted lamb shaved off from a vertical spit – is almost as common as designer knock-offs in the Grand Bazaar. ...continue
4 responses - Posted 06.19.09
Though Iskender kebab is a registered trademark of the famous Kebapci Iskender restaurant in Bursa, imitations are ubiquitous. In Istanbul, Iskender kebab – a dish based on döner, strips of roasted lamb shaved off from a vertical spit – is almost as common as designer knock-offs in the Grand Bazaar. ...continue
Cukurcuma Köftecisi: A Mom and Pop Meatball Shop
2 responses - Posted 05.29.09
Sitting down for lunch at Cukurcuma Köftecisi is something like being a part of the live studio audience of a TV sitcom – with meatballs. Plotline: Three generations of an unusually tall family run a busy local restaurant with what seems like very little service industry experience but great intentions and ...continue
2 responses - Posted 05.29.09
Sitting down for lunch at Cukurcuma Köftecisi is something like being a part of the live studio audience of a TV sitcom – with meatballs. Plotline: Three generations of an unusually tall family run a busy local restaurant with what seems like very little service industry experience but great intentions and ...continue
Erzurum Cağ Kebapcisi: Turkish Gaucho Grub
2 responses - Posted 05.22.09
(UPDATE -- Unfortunately, we recently discovered that this place has closed down, the kebab maker having returned to his former job as an electrician. In the meantime, you can try cağ kebab at a place called Sehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebab, which is near Kasap Osman on Hocapasa Sokak in Sirkeci.) If ...continue
2 responses - Posted 05.22.09
(UPDATE -- Unfortunately, we recently discovered that this place has closed down, the kebab maker having returned to his former job as an electrician. In the meantime, you can try cağ kebab at a place called Sehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebab, which is near Kasap Osman on Hocapasa Sokak in Sirkeci.) If ...continue
Akın Balık: (the other) Karaköy Fish House
4 responses - Posted 05.15.09
For good reason, there is a well-beaten path to Karaköy Balıkcısı, an excellent fish restaurant in Perşembe Pazarı, a district near the Golden Horn filled with small shops selling power tools and bathroom fixtures. The fish there is superb; as it should be for a lunch that can cost $40 ...continue
4 responses - Posted 05.15.09
For good reason, there is a well-beaten path to Karaköy Balıkcısı, an excellent fish restaurant in Perşembe Pazarı, a district near the Golden Horn filled with small shops selling power tools and bathroom fixtures. The fish there is superb; as it should be for a lunch that can cost $40 ...continue
Çiya: Loquat Kebabs and Mesopotamian Truffles at Istanbul’s Culinary Shrine
6 responses - Posted 05.06.09
For us, one of the highlights of spring in Istanbul is a visit to Çiya Sofrası, the Asian-side eatery that is very likely the best restaurant in Istanbul. It’s certainly not the fanciest or most cutting-edge place in town, but we rarely leave Çiya without having a profoundly new and ...continue
6 responses - Posted 05.06.09
For us, one of the highlights of spring in Istanbul is a visit to Çiya Sofrası, the Asian-side eatery that is very likely the best restaurant in Istanbul. It’s certainly not the fanciest or most cutting-edge place in town, but we rarely leave Çiya without having a profoundly new and ...continue
Besaltı Kirvem Tantuni: Turkish for “Taqueria”?
no responses - Posted 05.04.09
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 ...continue
no responses - Posted 05.04.09
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 ...continue
Ismael Kebapcısı: Lahmacun Tycoon
4 responses - Posted 05.01.09
Where Beyoglu slopes down towards the Bosphorus in Tophane, a rough-around-the-edges district named after a nearby Ottoman-era cannon factory, there’s not much in the way of swanky eating. Judging by the great piles of husks on the sidewalk, sunflower seeds are the dietary staple of the neighborhood. Well, that and ...continue
4 responses - Posted 05.01.09
Where Beyoglu slopes down towards the Bosphorus in Tophane, a rough-around-the-edges district named after a nearby Ottoman-era cannon factory, there’s not much in the way of swanky eating. Judging by the great piles of husks on the sidewalk, sunflower seeds are the dietary staple of the neighborhood. Well, that and ...continue
Canım Ciğerim: Liver, My Dear?
3 responses - Posted 04.27.09
Canım Ciğerim, a very fun and tasty kebab spot in Beyoğlu’s Asmalımescit area, makes things easy. The menu only has two items which to choose from: liver, or what is simply referred to as “meat.” Before we lose any more readers, let’s talk about the first option. Turkey exists in a ...continue
3 responses - Posted 04.27.09
Canım Ciğerim, a very fun and tasty kebab spot in Beyoğlu’s Asmalımescit area, makes things easy. The menu only has two items which to choose from: liver, or what is simply referred to as “meat.” Before we lose any more readers, let’s talk about the first option. Turkey exists in a ...continue
Köfteci Hüseyin: The Cadillac of Meatballs
8 responses - Posted 04.24.09
In New York, consider the pizza. You’ve got Famous Ray’s Pizza, Ray’s Original Pizza, World Famous Original Ray’s Pizza and so on. Ray and his imitators just wouldn’t bother if New Yorkers believed pizza was “just a slice.” It’s the same story in Istanbul with köfte, a dish that to non-locals ...continue
8 responses - Posted 04.24.09
In New York, consider the pizza. You’ve got Famous Ray’s Pizza, Ray’s Original Pizza, World Famous Original Ray’s Pizza and so on. Ray and his imitators just wouldn’t bother if New Yorkers believed pizza was “just a slice.” It’s the same story in Istanbul with köfte, a dish that to non-locals ...continue
Durumzade: Wrap Artists
2 responses - Posted 04.10.09
Istanbul’s after midnight dining options tend to be of the offal variety – tripe soup, chopped lamb’s intestines – thought to be curatives after a night of hard drinking. Luckily, not all late night eats in the city involve innards. At Durumzade – a grill joint positioned right on the ...continue
2 responses - Posted 04.10.09
Istanbul’s after midnight dining options tend to be of the offal variety – tripe soup, chopped lamb’s intestines – thought to be curatives after a night of hard drinking. Luckily, not all late night eats in the city involve innards. At Durumzade – a grill joint positioned right on the ...continue
Zubeyir: The Meat is On
6 responses - Posted 04.03.09
Finding a kebab restaurant in Istanbul is not hard. There must be thousands of them. But finding the right kind of place, especially if you want to make it a bit more of a meal, can be surprisingly difficult. Most kebab joints tend to be no-frills, in-and-out places. Some are very ...continue
6 responses - Posted 04.03.09
Finding a kebab restaurant in Istanbul is not hard. There must be thousands of them. But finding the right kind of place, especially if you want to make it a bit more of a meal, can be surprisingly difficult. Most kebab joints tend to be no-frills, in-and-out places. Some are very ...continue
Istanbul Eats: A Serious Eater's Guide to the City |
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