There are lots of specialties that might come to your mind when someone mentions Turkey. One thing is for sure: Food! Turkish cuisine can be regarded as the Ottoman’s cultural inheritance and its influence is known worldwide. Foods that belong to Turkey are made by using especially appetizing and rich flavors and seasonings – with varying levels of spiciness depending on your pleasure. In other words, Turkish food has many faces! As a self-designated expert in Turkish cuisine, I would like to share the list of best locations and places to try many of them in Istanbul. While looking at the beautiful view, you can sip your Turkish tea or eat your lahmacun with parsley.
Let’s take a glance at the list as you are enjoying interesting drawings of visual artist & musician Yann McDowell.
1 – Lahmacun
There is no doubt that lahmacun, often (controversially) referred to as Turkish pizza, is one of the most irreplaceable dishes in Turkish cuisine. It includes mouthwatering toppings such as minced meat, parsley, onion, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, etc.
Here is a tip for you: It tastes even better when they bake it in a stone oven. Borsam Taşfırın in Kadıköy is the right place for you if you want to eat traditional crunchy lahmacun with different seasonings. They spice up their lahmacun with isot, specially brought from Urfa, which is pretty rare. You can find Borsam Taşfırın nearly everywhere in Kadıköy since it has different branches, but the most known is in Bahariye. Even though lahmacun is recognized as a common street food in Turkey, you should give it a try and eat it in a local place.
2 – Künefe
Did you know it is possible to get one of the most delicious desserts in Turkey with cheese? künefe is made with crispy kadayıf and is filled with cheese. You can also have künefe with ice cream and extra pistachio.
Don’t forget to look around while passing Çiçek Pasajı in Beyoğlu, because you might come across Künefe Katmer Keyfeder. The place is regarded as the gem of a place by some tourists, and their künefe is extremely delicious. They have some special künefes such as straw künefe and extreme buttery künefe. Künefe Katmer Keyfeder’s other blue plate special is the multilayered flaky pastry with ice cream. It’s definitely worth trying if you haven’t before.
3 – Çay
Beyond any doubt, having Turkish tea in a tulip-shaped glass is a must if you are planning on visiting Istanbul. You can find it everywhere you go in Turkey, however, sipping it while looking at a beautiful view is another level.
Did you know Dolmabahçe Palace has a café with a marvelous view? After touring around the palace, you can drink your tea at ease to the accompaniment of the unique architecture of Dolmabahçe and an amazing sea view. The café takes place on the most beautiful coast of Beşiktaş and you can look at the other side of Istanbul.
4 – Pide
Another street food that is considered Turkish Pizza is pide. Even though lahmacun is regarded as a type of pide, there are important differences between them. The most common difference is their shape. While lahmacun is flawlessly round, pide’s shape looks just like a boat. Pide is a flatbread in various types and with ingredients including minced meat, sausage, cheese, and egg.
Pideban, located in Sarıyer, has been serving its customers one of the most mouth-pleasing pide in Istanbul since 1977. There are three different branches in Sarıyer, in Maden, Sarıyer Merkez, and Çayırbaşı. All of them are designed in particular to the Turkish culture and when you take a step into the restaurant, you find traces of local Turkish traditions and sense the vibe.
(drawing by Yann McDowell)
5 – Baklava
Baklava could be the first dessert that comes to mind when someone thinks about Turkish cuisine. It’s most distinguishable specialty is paper-like dough layers called yufka. The origin of Baklava is still a debatable issue and we do not know how it became so popular. However, one thing is for sure, it is the most well-known and delicious nectared dessert you might ever taste.
My suggestion for the best place to have baklava is Karaköy Güllüoğlu, it is one of the oldest and most rooted dessert places in Istanbul. They currently started to reproduce their most demanding baklava, “Winter Baklava”, these days. If you are planning on going there anytime soon, it is definitely worth trying. Since the place is at the beginning of the Karaköy district, it is easy to find and spot. However, keep in mind that it is usually crowded, so you should visit at a reasonable hour.
Where you eat is of course important, but the delicious taste of Turkish food does not change much. Keep your eyes open! You might see the many faces of Turkish foods if you look at them carefully.
All images courtesy of Yann McDowell.
