Insider Trading: Wolf Junior – Brooklyn in the ‘Bul

Hipsters, rejoice! Dust off your ironic eyewear, fluff your beard, and shine up your tattoos because we now have a bona fide Brooklyn joint right here in the ‘Bul. Ok, hipsters shouldn’t get all the joy. Everyone, rejoice! Why? Filling a waffle-and-macaroni-and-cheese-shaped hole in Istanbul’s culinary universe, Wolf Junior is satisfying some urgent foodie needs we never even knew we had. The progeny of Waffle and Wolf in New York, our junior successor also promises “refined American cuisine.” Cheesy! Waffley! Bring it on.

In a renovated building in Şişhane, this space is just begging for the lomo-fi Instagram treatment. Expect magical selfies. The first thing you notice is the wire caging that wraps around exposed concrete pillars, tree-like, and extends upward and across the entire ceiling. It’s like sitting under the silver canopy of a metallic forest. Glass-globed lights hang down haphazardly over homey wooden tables. The effect is post-industrial wasteland meets Grandma’s kitchen. I like. But all of this is a mere distraction from what I came here for: cheese.

The mere mention of mac ‘n cheese can result in heart palpitations for a deprived North American expat. Indeed, if you feed said expat some of that gooey goodness, you may need a defibrillator following such massive quantities of queso. But seriously… a cheese attack? I think that’s how I want to die, surrounded by loved ones and heaps of cheese. At Wolf Junior, expect killer American-sized portions of creamy, crusty, crispy, oozy macaroni and cheese nirvana. Commence drooling. Both my husband and I ordered ours with minced beef, and it sent us straight back to childhood. In other words, this is some down-home comfort food. While this mac ‘n cheese isn’t quite as good as my husband’s homemade recipe (he paid me to say that), it is only a slightly lower level of heaven.

And the obvious accompaniment to this macaroni and cheese extravaganza is… waffles? Initially, I found this an incredibly peculiar partnering. I still do, but if you order carefully, you may be able to squeeze both into one meal. For me, that meant no possibility of a bacon burger waffle this time around (but I am so intrigued!). So instead, I ordered the much lighter waffle bruschetta. While I am normally accustomed to American breakfast waffles topped with maple syrup and butter or the sticky gorge-fest that is a street waffle in Istanbul, these savory oddities actually work. The bruschetta is topped with very fresh tomatoes and real mozzarella, and the waffle is light, golden, and perfectly absorbs little lashings of zingy pesto. Spot on.

One word of warning: abandon all hope for a tipple to accompany your meal. They have no alcohol license. But there are some delightful fresh juice options on the menu. I had a refreshing mint, apple, melon, and lemon concoction, the perfect soothing complement to the cheese massacre on my plate.

So if it’s an extra-large portion of American comfort food with a sprinkle of hipster love you require, look no further than Wolf Junior. The service is also super friendly and welcoming, so even if you don’t rock up on a retro bike, name-drop obscure bands, or start knitting your own dinner napkins, you’ll feel right at home in this Brooklyn in the ‘Bul. Come as you are, but come hungry.

Wolf Junior
Meşrutiyet Caddesi No. 64
(0212) 244 88 35

Hours :
Monday-Friday 8:00am-11:00pm
Saturday 9:00am-11:00pm
Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm

Insider Trading is our new column sharing expats’ secret finds in Istanbul. These recommendations are unsolicited and uncompensated. Have a place you want to share? Send email to emma@yabangee.com.

Laurel Green is a contributor to Yabangee

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