Dec 03
Thursday
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #2 – Çıtır Simit Bakery
Editor’s note: While name of this bakery has recently been changed to Galata Simitçisi, nothing else has changed: the same usta is still baking the same crispy, fresh simit.
Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone on to become the most ubiquitous snack in Istanbul, the undisputed heavyweight champ of the city’s street food scene. In fact, in recent years, the plucky simit has gone to even greater heights: once only sold from carts and by itinerant vendors carrying wooden trays on their heads, the snack is now the headlining act at several new, nationwide fast-food chains with names such as Simit Sarayı (Simit Palace) and Simit Dünyası (Simit World) (and has even made its way to New York).
But despite its crisp exterior and tough street cred, the simit is actually a softie. Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted 05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace. First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue -
Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted 04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings. In ... continue -
Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted 04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots. For many of those ... continue -
Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted 04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet. Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue -
Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted 03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue -
Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted 03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life. “I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue -
Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted 03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market. Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue
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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
All entries filed under this archive
Grifin: Seafood Oasis
4 responses - Posted 10.23.09
Editor's note: Due to a number of troubling reports, we can no longer recommend this restaurant. Though the view remains as fine as ever, it seems the kitchen is no longer holding up its end of the bargain. The good news is that Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı, located just downstairs from Grifin ...continue
4 responses - Posted 10.23.09
Editor's note: Due to a number of troubling reports, we can no longer recommend this restaurant. Though the view remains as fine as ever, it seems the kitchen is no longer holding up its end of the bargain. The good news is that Tarihi Karaköy Balıkçısı, located just downstairs from Grifin ...continue
Güngör Büfe: Sultan of Sandwich
1 response - Posted 09.25.09
The büfe is a prominent part of the Istanbul streetscape, playing a vital role in the daily life of the city. These are corner stores where you can get a can of beer, a single cigarette, a lotto ticket and, often, a panini-like grilled cheese sandwich. At most büfes, food ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.25.09
The büfe is a prominent part of the Istanbul streetscape, playing a vital role in the daily life of the city. These are corner stores where you can get a can of beer, a single cigarette, a lotto ticket and, often, a panini-like grilled cheese sandwich. At most büfes, food ...continue
Mutfak Dili: Tradesmen’s Paradise
1 response - Posted 09.18.09
Istanbul Eats lunch hunting tip #1: Wander into one of Istanbul’s numerous districts of small commerce and find yourself on a small street with a shoe cobbler, a knife sharpener and hardware shops. #2: Enter one of these shops, preferably one where two old men are sitting at the counter looking at the ...continue
1 response - Posted 09.18.09
Istanbul Eats lunch hunting tip #1: Wander into one of Istanbul’s numerous districts of small commerce and find yourself on a small street with a shoe cobbler, a knife sharpener and hardware shops. #2: Enter one of these shops, preferably one where two old men are sitting at the counter looking at the ...continue
Erzurum Cağ Kebapçısı: Turkish Gaucho Grub
2 responses - Posted 05.22.09
Editor's note: 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 kebabı at a place called Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabı, which is near Kasap Osman on Hocapaşa Sokak in Sirkeci. If ...continue
2 responses - Posted 05.22.09
Editor's note: 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 kebabı at a place called Şehzade Erzurum Cağ Kebabı, which is near Kasap Osman on Hocapaşa Sokak in Sirkeci. If ...continue
Akın Balık: (The Other) Karaköy Fish House
12 responses - Posted 05.15.09
Editor's note, Oct. 16, 2012: After getting too many notes about this place from disappointed diners who had been served substandard food or had their check inflated, we sadly need to move this fish spot onto our "no longer recommended" list. For those looking for a good fish shack on ...continue
12 responses - Posted 05.15.09
Editor's note, Oct. 16, 2012: After getting too many notes about this place from disappointed diners who had been served substandard food or had their check inflated, we sadly need to move this fish spot onto our "no longer recommended" list. For those looking for a good fish shack on ...continue
Karaköy Güllüoğlu: Still Flaky After All These Years
9 responses - Posted 05.11.09
Baklava, the flaky, phyllo-dough based pastry, has long ago stopped being a Middle Eastern regional specialty. In America, for example, it is now a staple of dessert menus at diners and falafel stands across the country. But these places miss the point: baklava is actually not a dessert, but rather ...continue
9 responses - Posted 05.11.09
Baklava, the flaky, phyllo-dough based pastry, has long ago stopped being a Middle Eastern regional specialty. In America, for example, it is now a staple of dessert menus at diners and falafel stands across the country. But these places miss the point: baklava is actually not a dessert, but rather ...continue
Karaköy Lokantası: A Dockside Winner
15 responses - Posted 04.17.09
Tucked into the street behind the yet-to-be gentrified docks at Karaköy, among shops advertising boat tickets to Odessa and cubby-sized import and export offices, is the neighborhood’s culinary port of call, Karaköy Lokantası. With great food, personable service and tasteful décor, this family-operated eatery defiantly proves that a good dining ...continue
15 responses - Posted 04.17.09
Tucked into the street behind the yet-to-be gentrified docks at Karaköy, among shops advertising boat tickets to Odessa and cubby-sized import and export offices, is the neighborhood’s culinary port of call, Karaköy Lokantası. With great food, personable service and tasteful décor, this family-operated eatery defiantly proves that a good dining ...continue
Kaymak: The Heavenly Cream
24 responses - Posted 04.01.09
In our imagination, kaymak - the delicious Turkish version of clotted cream - is the only food served in heaven, where angels in white robes dish out plate after plate of the cloudlike stuff to the dearly departed, who no longer have to worry about cholesterol counts and visits to ...continue
24 responses - Posted 04.01.09
In our imagination, kaymak - the delicious Turkish version of clotted cream - is the only food served in heaven, where angels in white robes dish out plate after plate of the cloudlike stuff to the dearly departed, who no longer have to worry about cholesterol counts and visits to ...continue
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