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Reviews (Eats) - Category Archive

May 16
Monday

The Grand Bazaar: Come for the Shopping, Stay for the Food

Filed under Features, Reviews (Eats)


We like to think of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – open since 1461 – as the world’s oldest shopping mall. If that’s the case, shouldn’t the Grand Bazaar be home to the world’s oldest food court? That may be taking the analogy too far, but for us, the Grand Bazaar can be as much a food destination as a shopping one. As we see it, one of the hidden pleasures of going to the bazaar (once you get past the overzealous shopkeepers hawking souvenirs) is exploring some of its quieter back alleys and interior courtyards for new dining possibilities, especially some of the smaller restaurants that cater not to tourists but rather to the locals that work in the sprawling marketplace.

Click here for a list of some of our favorites.

 

Culinary Backstreets
In case you didn’t know, Istanbul Eats now lives over at Culinary Backstreets. Same great culinary walks, same great culinary writing. You’ll be redirected there in a few seconds!

All entries filed under Reviews (Eats)


Hatay Has Kral Sofrası: Kebab’s Krib
no responses - Posted 05.09.11
In our imaginary primetime lineup, a reality show called “Pimp My Kebab Salon” transforms a drab kebab shop into a grill palace suited to the tastes of the latter-day sultans. Surfaces are suddenly gilded in gold, fountains appear and everything is reupholstered under the watchful eye of the boisterous host ...continue
May Day Special: Eat Union!
4 responses - Posted 05.01.11
(Editor's Note: In honor of the May Day workers' holiday, we are rerunning last year's post that takes a look at the dining possibilities at two union halls, Istanbul-style. Happy May 1!) Gazeteciler Lokali-Beyoğlu: The Write Stuff Journalists in Turkey are notoriously overworked and underpaid (at least that’s what Turkish journalists will ...continue
Özkonak: The Real Pudding Shop
no responses - Posted 04.25.11
(Editor's Note: This review originally appeared on June 12, 2009.) Regulars at Özkonak, a well-loved fixture in Cihangir’s ever-changing restaurant scene, must cluck in disapproval at the sight of a new generation of customers who walk right past the pudding display at the front and head for the steam table and ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #1: Hanımeli
no responses - Posted 04.23.11
1028th street in the already far-flung district of Gaziosmanpaşa might sound like a long distance to travel for a plate of beans. There are plenty of perfectly good beans to be eaten in less remote locations. But we’ve tried all of the big-name beans in this city, from Çamlıca to ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #2: Hüsrev
no responses - Posted 04.22.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #3: Fasuli
no responses - Posted 04.20.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #4: Çömlek
no responses - Posted 04.19.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can ...continue
Istanbul’s Top 5 Beaneries – #5: Erzincanlı Ali Baba
no responses - Posted 04.18.11
(Editor's Note: This week we are celebrating the white bean, that humble legume that reaches levels of incredible complexity and flavor when in the hands of Turkish cooks. Until we visited some of Istanbul’s shrines to the baked bean, we generally regarded the dish as something eaten out of a can ...continue
Asmalı Canım Ciğerim, İlhan Usta: Liver and Gossip
no responses - Posted 04.04.11
These days, along with döner kebab, Turkey’s biggest export is the soap opera. From Athens to Abu Dhabi, people are hungry for these sultry and often scandalous one-hour dramas. We, too, enjoy some good intrigue, and following the backstory of the Istanbul restaurant scene often plays out like a season ...continue
Gilan Cafe: Sweet Home Iran
4 responses - Posted 03.28.11
(Editor’s Note: This guest post is by Jeffrey Gibbs, an American writer and teacher living in Kadikoy whose personal blog can be found here.) (Editor's Note II: Sadly, this spot is no longer open. According to their website, the owner has moved the operation to Montreal, Canada. If you're interested in ...continue

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