Friday
Istanbul Eats Cooks: Klemuri’s Hamsili Pilav
The Laz, an ethnic minority in the northeast of Turkey, live in the verdant Kaçkar Mountains that seem to crash right down into the Black Sea. “Masmavi, yemyeşil,” is how that part of the country is often described – bluest blue, greenest green.
There is not much in the way of farmland, but the Black Sea is blessed with particularly tasty anchovies, or hamsi, that appear in a wide variety if dishes throughout the winter harvest.
What follows is one of our favorite forms of hamsi, hamsili pilav, a savory rice cake cloaked in thin hamsi filets. At Klemuri, a terrific Black Sea restaurant near Taksim, the hamsili pilav, with its currants and pine nuts, is a little dressed up compared with some of the village versions we’ve had, but it is the real deal. This recipe comes straight out of the Laz heartland, courtesy of Sevim Hanım, the mother of Klemuri’s owner. Continue…
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6 responses - Posted 02.21.11
(Editor's Note: This review originally appeared on May 18, 2009.) Mehmet Demir may not be one of Istanbul’s better-known restaurateurs, but he certainly is among its shrewdest. In fact, he has the best business plan in town: Demir runs a bustling business that has customers literally lining up in the street ...continue
1 response - Posted 02.18.11
Dear Istanbul Eats, Köfte, kebab. Köfte, kebab. Köfte, kebab. I understand the appeal of a good-value lunch or dinner, but do you guys ever go out for a splurge? Any advice for those of us who like to live high on the lamb? Big Spender in Brussels Dear Spender, Guilty as charged. We do ...continue
4 responses - Posted 02.16.11
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no responses - Posted 02.14.11
We agree wholeheartedly with the advice of EatingAsia: “If you're parking yourself here [in Istanbul] for more than a few days, find 'your' esnaf lokantası.” To this we would like to add, “But if you live in Istanbul, find ‘your’ esnaf lokantası in every neighborhood of the city.” Take the example ...continue
4 responses - Posted 02.11.11
(Editor's Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to start a guest column for us about the subject. In his first review for us, he takes a ...continue
4 responses - Posted 02.10.11
(Editor’s Note: We’ve recently been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Serdar Kombe, one of Turkey’s leading oenophiles. These are exciting times for Turkish wine and Serdar has generously agreed to start a guest column for us about the subject. Today we are running a brief primer by Serdar ...continue
6 responses - Posted 02.07.11
(Editor's Note: This guest post was written by "Meliz," an intrepid explorer of Sultanahmet's culinary backstreets who would like to keep her anonymity.) There is a quiet grace in doing one thing, but doing it very well. Or, maybe, two things. Like, say, börek and baklava. This is what distinguishes Rumeli, a tiny ...continue
2 responses - Posted 02.04.11
By collecting recipes from our favorite places around town and attempting them in our own kitchen, we’ve figured out one of the best-kept secrets of the Turkish kitchen – namely, that fresh, local produce and a lot of love go a long way. In the case of Zübeyir’s Gavurdağı Salatası ...continue
no responses - Posted 01.31.11
There was something jarring and disjointed about the sight of an old man sitting beside an eight-lane highway selling liver sandwiches from his perch on a concrete planter – as if a character from a traditional Ottoman shadow puppet show had wandered onto the set of the film Bladerunner. But ...continue
4 responses - Posted 01.28.11
(Editor’s Note: This post is part of our occasional “Since You Asked…” series of advice columns. We welcome our readers’ questions, so feel free to send any you might have to istanbuleats@gmail.com) Dear Istanbul Eats, The Asian side’s Körfez was always my very special night out when friends came to town, especially ...continue