Mar 10
Wednesday
Hey EU, Hands off my doner!
Turkey’s EU accession talks have raised a lot of important questions on reform, accompanied by predictable growing pains. But the latest news from Ankara, which can be read in Turkish in this article in the daily Radikal newspaper, makes us more than a bit uncomfortable.
According to the article, Turkey’s food sector has much catching up to do with European “hygiene standards.” Turkey’s beloved doner kebab, kokorec, boza, salca and salgam were named as the prime suspects in the coming sweep.
Though a 21 million EURO budget has been allocated under the “Truefood” project to bring traditional food up to code, we’ll have to wait and see how this affects the vibrant street food culture that Istanbul thrives on.
(photo by Ansel Mullins)
All entries filed under this archive
Kelle Söğüş vs. Kelle Tandir: Face/Off
no responses - Posted 03.01.10
Don’t people just love to fight about food? Punch ups over which city makes the best pizza, brawls about what’s the right way to barbecue. Louis and Ella nearly called the whole thing off over the pronunciation of the word “tomato.” In this pugilistic spirit, we took our place at a ...continue
no responses - Posted 03.01.10
Don’t people just love to fight about food? Punch ups over which city makes the best pizza, brawls about what’s the right way to barbecue. Louis and Ella nearly called the whole thing off over the pronunciation of the word “tomato.” In this pugilistic spirit, we took our place at a ...continue
Fistik Kebap: Much Love for Lahmacun
3 responses - Posted 02.12.10
Let’s face it: lahmacun is easy to get excited about. It checks all of the boxes of a perfect savory snack – crispy-oven fired crust, light and spicy meat spread, with a fresh green topping and a tangy spray from a lemon. It’s like an artisanal pizza with a Middle ...continue
3 responses - Posted 02.12.10
Let’s face it: lahmacun is easy to get excited about. It checks all of the boxes of a perfect savory snack – crispy-oven fired crust, light and spicy meat spread, with a fresh green topping and a tangy spray from a lemon. It’s like an artisanal pizza with a Middle ...continue
Istanbul Eats Drinks: Asma Altı Café Bar
no responses - Posted 02.05.10
Models don’t hang out at Asma Alti Café Bar and Mustafa, the bartender, isn’t experimenting with lost Ottoman-era concoctions or any dry ice hocus-pocus. In fact, order anything but an Efes draft – an Efes Light, for instance – and watch the waiter scramble off to the corner store to ...continue
no responses - Posted 02.05.10
Models don’t hang out at Asma Alti Café Bar and Mustafa, the bartender, isn’t experimenting with lost Ottoman-era concoctions or any dry ice hocus-pocus. In fact, order anything but an Efes draft – an Efes Light, for instance – and watch the waiter scramble off to the corner store to ...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: #1 – Sabirtasi’s Icli Kofte
1 response - Posted 12.04.09
(Editors's Note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods.) For years on Istiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
1 response - Posted 12.04.09
(Editors's Note: This is the final installment in our (highly subjective) look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods.) For years on Istiklal Caddesi, just beyond Galatasaray High School, in one calm spot stood the beatific Ali Bey, an angel in a white doctor’s coat offering salvation in the form of golden ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #2 – Çitir Simit Bakery
no responses - Posted 12.03.09
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 ...continue
no responses - Posted 12.03.09
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 ...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
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #4 – Maya Kumpir
3 responses - Posted 12.01.09
(Editor's Note: this is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.) Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
3 responses - Posted 12.01.09
(Editor's Note: this is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top 5 street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.) Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #5 – The Galata Cucumber Man
2 responses - Posted 11.30.09
(Editor’s Note: This week Istanbul Eats is celebrating Istanbul’s vibrant (and sometimes plain wacky) street food scene with a highly subjective look at five of our favorite street foods and some of the best places to get them. We’ll be writing about a different food every day, so join us ...continue
2 responses - Posted 11.30.09
(Editor’s Note: This week Istanbul Eats is celebrating Istanbul’s vibrant (and sometimes plain wacky) street food scene with a highly subjective look at five of our favorite street foods and some of the best places to get them. We’ll be writing about a different food every day, so join us ...continue
Street (food) Photography
no responses - Posted 11.04.09
An Istanbul corn vendor gets creative. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. (Note: Click here to get more information about Istanbul Eats' first photo competition. The deadline is Nov. 15.) continue
no responses - Posted 11.04.09
An Istanbul corn vendor gets creative. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. (Note: Click here to get more information about Istanbul Eats' first photo competition. The deadline is Nov. 15.) continue
The Simit Has Landed
5 responses - Posted 10.29.09
New York Magazine reports two potentially earthshaking pieces of news. First: Istanbul baklava maker Gulluoglu has opened up a branch on the east side of Manhattan. Two: they are serving freshly-baked simits ("looking a little like the secret love child of the bagel and the street pretzel," as the magazine ...continue
5 responses - Posted 10.29.09
New York Magazine reports two potentially earthshaking pieces of news. First: Istanbul baklava maker Gulluoglu has opened up a branch on the east side of Manhattan. Two: they are serving freshly-baked simits ("looking a little like the secret love child of the bagel and the street pretzel," as the magazine ...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
Güngör Büfe: Sultan of Sandwich
no responses - 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 büfe, food ...continue
no responses - 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 büfe, food ...continue
Istanbul Street (food) Photography
no responses - Posted 09.16.09
A group of women in Istanbul's Tarlabasi neighborhood getting ready to shuck a pile of corn for sale in a street cart -- photo by Nicki Sobecki continue
no responses - Posted 09.16.09
A group of women in Istanbul's Tarlabasi neighborhood getting ready to shuck a pile of corn for sale in a street cart -- photo by Nicki Sobecki continue
Meşhur Unkapani IMÇ Pilavcisi: The (rice) Freaks Come Out at Night
2 responses - Posted 08.24.09
One recent late night, zipping down a busy Istanbul thoroughfare in a taxi on our way home from the airport, we passed by an intriguing scene. Huddled around a brightly lit food cart was a large group of men stuffing their faces in a kind of zombie-like frenzy. It almost ...continue
2 responses - Posted 08.24.09
One recent late night, zipping down a busy Istanbul thoroughfare in a taxi on our way home from the airport, we passed by an intriguing scene. Huddled around a brightly lit food cart was a large group of men stuffing their faces in a kind of zombie-like frenzy. It almost ...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
Istanbul Street (food) Photography
3 responses - Posted 07.22.09
A street vendor in Istanbul's Galata neighborhood selling freshly peeled cucumbers and carrots. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. continue
3 responses - Posted 07.22.09
A street vendor in Istanbul's Galata neighborhood selling freshly peeled cucumbers and carrots. Photo by Jonathan Lewis. 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
Mehmet Demir’s Breakfast Cart: The Wheel Deal
3 responses - Posted 05.18.09
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 to taste his grub, doing so with minimal overhead, ...continue
3 responses - Posted 05.18.09
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 to taste his grub, doing so with minimal overhead, ...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
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
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