Archives for “Istanbul” tag

Hidden in the Japanese Culture and Language Center, Café Bunka place is rather small but because it is not widely known by the locals it is almost always tranquil. Another explanation can be that this Japanese taste comes a bit too strong for the Turkish taste, as many other popular sushi places in İstanbul make minor adjustments.

In the traditional tatami room, where the food is served on the low tables, the clients need to take their shoes out. In the Doma Japanese Garden part there are usual tables and seating for up to 15 people. They play Japanese traditional or, towards the evening, Japanese pop music. Both the taste and the atmosphere are worth a try. I have personally seen some internationally renowned chefs eating here while working in or just visiting İstanbul.

The menu offers a limited but nice presentation of traditional Japanese meals along with sushi. Cafe Bunka is one of the rare places in İstanbul where you can have proper Onigiri (Rice balls), and they come for 5 TL a pair. If you don’t feel like sushi, you can also opt for some fried dish like fried chicken in soy sauce, fried soybean curd, or a Japanese style hamburger steak set. They serve various Japanese teas, and sake, but beer imported from Japan also provides a good balance with the sour taste of wasabi.

Of course you have heard of Turkish delight, ‘lokum‘: famous Turkish confectionery made with starch and refined sugar. This store, opened in 1777, is the very first store of the oldest and most prominent family in this business. Haci Bekir, or as widely known Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir, is one of the world’s oldest 100 trademarks. Their products are even available on Amazon.com now.

But nothing can beat the experience of visiting this superbly renovated historic shop, and having as many free samples as you like. They have some other historic shops, like the one on Istiklal Street or the one in Kadikoy. But this original store which has marble floors and columns, and a wooden roof with tiles, in the Spice Bazaar neighborhood, operated by the fifth generation of the Haci Bekir family, is one of a kind.

Akide, the boiled sweets much loved by Turks, and their almond paste is famous too. Most Turkish delights are the ones with pistachio and rose flavor. My favorites are mastic and fruit flavoured ones. They recently have added blueberry flavored ones to their usual sour cherry, strawberry, orange, apricot, lemon lines. Don’t forget to ask free samples, if at all they forget to offer you some. They have pre-packed portions between 200 gr – 5.0 kg. You can have any amount by the kilo.

Nisantasi neighbourhood, the heart of luxurious shopping in Istanbul with many renowned international labels, along with successful creative Turkish designers’ shops represents one of the many faces of the colorful collage of Istanbul.

In the area there are many nice eateries, cafes and restaurants mostly serving international cuisine. Hunkar, with more than 50 years of history in the business and with its very Turkish-Ottoman cuisine, offers a nice break from the ‘oh, so international; this could be anywhere in the world’ feeling.

The name ‘Hünkar’ means ‘Sultan’ in Ottoman Turkish. Roasted lamb served on roasted eggplant is one of the famous Turkish-Ottoman dishes and served at its best here. This restaurant presents a good choice for friendly business lunches and dinners, is also good for the modern life victims who miss the kind of food they used to have at their mothers’ or grandma’s; hence the local crowds.

You can choose from more than 30 home-cooked style dishes prepared daily and displayed behind a glass window, very typical of Turkish traditional eateries.

Turkish style cooked rice (called ‘pilav’) with ‘karniyarik’, another lovely Turkish dish prepared with minced beef and aubergine is always a good duet making a superb trio together with cacik (diluted and seasoned yogurt with cucumber).

They also serve fish and grilled meat, and have tasting menu alternatives. Though the service crew is not very knowledgeable about wine, they have not bad of a selection of Turkish wines, and Raki (the anis-flavored alcoholic drink, you surely heard of! .

Recently renovated and modern salon.

In Husrev, you’d be surprised to see international clientele looking like they’re dressed up for the occasion. The occasion: Peh, a a very simple plate of beans accompanied by rice and famous seasoned diluted yoghurt, cacik. Why the hussle for such humble traditional, cheap-ish food? Well, that’s because this place is famous for being the best of its kind, and Turkish business people love to share this familiar lunch with friends. When I was working in the finance sector, I remember taking almost every visitor from abroad to this place, only to realize that it’s not their first time at Husrev.

One important secret of Husrev is that they de-gas the beans by a special method before cooking. Another secret is that they ‘slow cook‘ the beans starting from 8:00 a.m. in the morning till 12:00 at noon. The tomato paste and butter is melted before coming together with beans and being placed in the oven for another hour so. No, don’t try this at home, because it is not as simple as it sounds: It’s more than 60 years’ of experience plus a few hours! Besides the ingredients originated from the right places is a must for getting this taste right. Though cooked in Karadeniz Cayeli region style, the beans come from another region, Ispir – Erzurum.

They serve some other traditional dishes of Karadeniz Region, where the owner family is from, like stuffed leaves of Kale, and delicious melted cheese called ‘mıhlama’.

Located beside the Dedeman Hotel in Gayrettepe.

I do like making and having a good coffee, and transformed many indifferent friends of mine to coffee addicts, hence my nickname ‘coffee bender’. This recently opened small coffee shop called Kronotrop has immediately become my favorite in Istanbul: a true micro-roastery.

It is tiny, with seating available only for a couple of people, but the coffee is really good. The owner/barista uses high quality single origin beans roasted on site. One of the signs on the chalkboards says ‘Coffee snobs are welcome’, probably because the eccentric owner of the shop, Cagatay, is well equipped to deal with them. Afterall this place does not have much of a competitor around, as all the other places are serving mediocre, standard international mass fare.

Located on a side street just 2-3 minutes off the main pedestrian Istiklal Street, this place requires a bit of attention to find, and is well worth the detour for a proper fix of espresso or flat-white, or latte, and what not.

They also sell beans and grounded coffee, very kind to those who don’t have the opportunity to come over here everyday in this mega city. They sell some international newspapers as well.