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Posts Tagged ‘ Black Sea cuisine ’

Feb 28
Monday

Mohti: All That Laz

Filed under Reviews (Eats)


(Editor’s note, 2015: We’re sorry to report that Mohti has permanently closed.)

“My heart starts pounding when a pregnant lady enters the room,” said Hüseyin, the artist turned owner/operator of Mohti, a new “Laz Meyhane” in the back of the backstreets of the Asmalımescit area. While this might sound to some like the unsavory confession of a man with an exotic fetish, to us it was a breath of fresh air, redolent with the old-style charm of a classic meyhane patron, something that’s increasingly harder to come across these days.

There was a time when every meyhane around here had a true character at the helm, someone who knew how to work the crowd, comp a drink and indulge in the art of hospitality every night. Now, sadly, as Asmalımescit and other traditional dining zones go upmarket, the only trace of that old-school proprietorship is found in yellowed photos on wall.  In this context, Hüseyin – a boisterous host in an exceedingly sterile market – is almost as odd a fit as Mohti’s concept: thoroughly home-style Black Sea cooking in a meyhane setting. Continue…

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All entries filed under this archive


Istanbul Eats Cooks: Klemuri’s Hamsili Pilav
2 responses - Posted 02.25.11
The Laz, an ethnic minority in the northeast of Turkey, live in the verdant Kaçkar Mountains that seem to crash right down into the Black Sea. “Masmavi, yemyeşil,” is how that part of the country is often described – bluest blue, greenest green. There is not much in the way of ...continue
The Hamsi Chase
no responses - Posted 01.12.11
The intrepid folks behind the fantastic "Eating Asia" blog were recently in Turkey in search of hamsi in all its various guises. While they tried the little anchovy in some worthy Istanbul spots (including at some Istanbul Eats favorites), they decided to go to the Black Sea coast and try ...continue
Hayvore: Lost and Found
8 responses - Posted 01.10.11
In the Laz language, “si sore” means, “where are you?” At least twice a week for past few years, our answer to that question at lunchtime would be, “We are at Pera Sisore.” This little restaurant in the Asmalımescit area became one of our go-to lunch spots by serving some ...continue
Best Bites of 2010: Our Take
1 response - Posted 01.03.11
(Editor's Note: Although the new year is already upon us, we had so many memorable Istanbul dining experiences in 2010 that we wanted to take one last look at the past year's culinary highlights. So, before we get to the work of further exploring Istanbul in 2011, here's our top ...continue
Best Bites of 2010: Hamsi by the Haliç
no responses - Posted 12.31.10
(Editor’s Note: As 2010 heads to an end, we are looking back at our “Best Bites” of the year and are asking our readers to do the same and share their best Istanbul eating moments with us. This submission comes from Istanbul denizen Jennifer Hattam.) In my mind, it's always chilly ...continue
Best Bites of 2010: Pidecis Gone Wild at Pera Sisore
1 response - Posted 12.08.10
(Editor's Note: As 2010 heads to an end, we are looking back at our "Best Bites" of the year and are asking our readers to do the same and share their best Istanbul eating moments with us. This submission comes from a Mike and Ilene, a couple from New York ...continue
Fatih Karadeniz Pidecisi: Crunch Time
2 responses - Posted 11.19.10
Inside Fatih Karadeniz Pidecisi nothing could be heard over the crunch and crackle of fresh pide being torn open and chomped down upon.  Still, the man across the table from us spoke in a low, conspiratorial whisper, “There are some very well-known businessmen sitting at that table by the window. ...continue
Klemuri: Lazmatazz
4 responses - Posted 10.19.10
Like Clark Kent hiding his Superman tights beneath a brown suit and glasses, Klemuri maintains the appearance of a predictable, Beyoğlu café -- wooden tables, shelves loaded with knicknacks, Buena Vista Social Club on the stereo, spinach crepes and a crispy chicken salad on the menu. But down in the ...continue
Hamsi: The Little Fish that Could
4 responses - Posted 10.04.10
The chill of fall is in the air in Istanbul, which also means that good stuff is happening in the waters near the city. More specifically, it means that hamsi season is about to kick off in the chilly Black Sea. Hamsi, of course, are the minuscule fish (Black Sea ...continue
A Culinary Tour of Turkey – in Istanbul
no responses - Posted 03.14.10
The English-language daily Today's Zaman has an article up that takes a look at some of the restaurants in Istanbul serving food from other regions in Turkey. The article (addresses included, for a change), offers some good tips on where to find food from the Black Sea and southeast regions ...continue

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