Nov 30
Monday
Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #5 – The Galata Cucumber Man
(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 as we work our way up to #1 on Friday.)
We’ve never learned his name and at this time of the year he is probably preparing for his winter hibernation. But we eagerly await the reappearance in the spring of the vendor we know simply as the “cucumber man of Galata” (pictured above, smoking), a chubby fellow with Coke bottle glasses who sells what may be the city’s simplest, yet most satisfying street food: peeled and salted cukes, a fresh green rebuke to all those starchy and fried snacks out there. Continue…
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Quick Look
Recent Posts
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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….
2 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 -
Hamsi for Hipsters!
no responses - Posted 04.18.12
Turns out New Yorkers are only now discovering what Turks have known for eons: that the humble anchovy is absolutely delicious (particularly when lightly coated in flour or cornmeal and fried). As an article in today's New York Times explains, anchovies -- known as "hamsi" in Turkish -- are being served in a growing number of spots in NYC, from ... continue -
Goreme Muhallebicisi: The Milkman Stayeth
3 responses - Posted 04.13.12
In the world of chicken breast pudding (a traditional Turkish dessert made with thickened milk and thin strands of poached poultry), elasticity is the quality that the confection is judged upon above all else. Tucking into a real tavuk göğsü requires full concentration, a good bit of dexterity and the proper tool. A special spoon with a flat chopping nose ... continue
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Five Favorite Old-School Meyhanes
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All entries filed under this archive
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
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 büfe, 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 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
Akın Balık: (the other) Karaköy Fish House
10 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
10 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
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