Nicole Restaurant: Raising the Haute Cuisine Bar

My wife and I have something called “The List.” It started in Washington, D.C., when my then-fiancée and I had recently finished graduate business school. It’s a list of interesting restaurants to try. It is authored and managed exclusively by my wife — and it is legendary. It has traveled with us to many destinations, including San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Rome, Prague, Tuscany, Rioja, San Sebastian, etc.

Earlier this month, when I first read about Aylin Yazıcıoğlu and Kaan Sakarya, two chefs at the helm of Nicole Restaurant, the kitchen at Tomtom Suites, I immediately sent a link to my wife via email. I received a response in just a couple of minutes, short and sweet. “It’s on The List!” Legendary, I tell you. And when it is on The List, off we go!

For two weeks we looked forward to experiencing what Nicole had to offer. When the day came, we entered Tomtom Suites and found lots of modern artwork and marble, and a glass elevator to symbolically bring us up to the top. We were greeted by Aylin, whom we didn’t know was Aylin until later. “What a lovely, genuine smile,” I remembered thinking. As we entered the dining room, I immediately noticed the wonderful view, which showcases both the city and the Bosphorus. Since we were a party with two couples, I decided to take the seat across from my wife in lieu of the one next to her so as to allow the ladies to enjoy the sight.

Nicole presents haute cuisine in an unparalleled way for Istanbul. The chefs believe in sourcing only local ingredients, which is actually the staple of California cuisine philosophy that I most venerate. It’s clear that these chefs have worked in Michelin Star restaurants in just the way they express their craft on the plate.

The menu changes every six weeks, so I’ll speak of the dishes sparingly. However, I’d be remiss if I omitted just these quick appraisals. Beetroot salad served three ways with beetroot dust, tulum, citrus olive oil and  rice crisps all utterly balanced in creaminess, texture, savory and sweet. Oxtail wrapped in kadayif was an unexpected surprise, and a triumph. Our group fought passionately over which dessert items were the most successful as well; all of them were imaginatively formed with precision. They were merely outstanding and definitely as Nicole advertises, a “sweet ending.”

I can go on in detail about the impressive wine list and the food, which was ostensibly prepared with forethought and reverence, but I’d rather spend my last few noodles lauding the spirit under which it was all created. Aylin and Kaan are artisanal embodiments of the New Istanbul culinary scene. The results on the plates are a function of passion, love, respect and vision. When I heard just about every table speaking in English, I thought, “This is what needs to be applauded and supported more in Istanbul than it currently is.” Nicole is a restaurant that is raising the bar for the entire city, and I can’t help but wonder how many people living in Istanbul know this. How many people have Nicole Restaurant on their list? Make sure it is on yours.

Tomtom Suites
Tomtom Kaptan Sokak No.18, Beyoğlu (off Boğazkesen Caddesi)
P: (0212) 292 44 67
www.nicole.com.tr

Deniz Tunca is a contributor to Yabangee and blogs at Mekanist. He also runs his own restaurant in Göktürk, West Side Cafe and Bistro.  

[geo_mashup_map]