Tuesday

Hadramot Yemen: Beyond Falafel

Istanbul’s conservative Fatih district has perhaps the highest concentration of Syrian refugees in the city, and the tree-lined Akşemsettin Street boasts a staggering number of Syrian eateries, from spacious sit-down affairs with full menus to hole-in-the-wall, standing-room-only kiosks slinging shawarma, fried chicken, and falafel.

Having popped up rapidly amid the waves of Syrians fleeing the devastating civil war that has displaced more than half the country’s population, these establishments have made a firm imprint on the culinary scene. While the falafel at many of these places is a mediocre afterthought overshadowed by the more popular poultry-based items, we found one counter offering falafel and falafel only, serving up a generously crafted sandwich the size of a chubby child’s forearm for a measly TL 2.50 (US$0.75). The plump spheres of mashed chickpeas and spices were fried to order and laced with hummus and a hot red pepper sauce. We were astonished at how long we stayed full on mere pocket change.

Read the rest of the review at Culinary Backstreets.

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