Are you aware of the concept of kumpir? Our Turkish friends will know it well, since you can find it pretty much everywhere in Istanbul (and the word itself is Turkish). In Britain it is known as jacket potato.

In Kafti Patata (“hot potato”) what you get is rather straightforward: a large baked potato, or kumpir, lined with butter and cheese and overflowing with goodies! There’s a wide variety of spreads and ingredients to choose from, ranging from mince meat, sausage, yogurt sauce and doritos all the way to more oriental flavors I’m not familiar with, like ezme and kisir.

To be honest, I find the variety of spreads to be pretty overwhelming, so I always opt for one of the “kumpir combos”, the “Healthy” one (pictured) to be more exact, which in particular comes with lettuce, corn, pickles, green bell peppers, fresh yogurt sauce, sliced green olives and red beans – all for the grand price of 4€.

Even if you’re vegan and would rather have your kumpir dairy- and meat-free, fret not! Kafti Patata and their vegan kumpir, with olive oil and plenty of other things that are good for you, won’t let you down.

This little street food bar is my suggestion for when you’ve been shopping or just wandering around Ermou with a friend and want to have something quick and filling to power up and be gone in 10 minutes.

Don’t toss this hot potato away: keep hold and eat it out like there’s no tomorrow!