Istanbul Gastro Guide

Chapter 7, of another bloody gastro guide, in Istanbul, Turkey!

Greetings all from Istanbul airport. Well, by the time you read this, I will be back in Berlin with a heavy heart full of baklava.  

This guide comes with a lot of thanks. Firstly, to my gorgeous friend Olivia, who provided a second stomach for this adventure and navigated us through the streets of Istanbul with her impeccable Google map skills, even without the internet. I also thank our hosts at the Galata Master Hotel, who made us feel like family during our stay and shared some of the most delicious local insights for this guide.

If you didn’t know, Istanbul is a bloody massive city with a lot of good food. So I want to make something very, very clear. As goes for all of my recommendations in another bloody gastro guide, these recommendations always aim to inspire you with ideas of what to EXPERIENCE in a place rather than recommendations of where to try the OBJECTIVE BEST something.

Think you know Turkish food, right? Döner kebab, Turkish Delight? (Turkish delight tasting suggestion linked). Well, hold on to your taste buds, my friends! There is so much more to Turkish cuisine, and I hope to pour out of my heart, head, and stomach for you right here right now, through what I ate in Istanbul.

So here goes, my guide to Turkish food that isn’t just döner kebab.

Teşekkürler türkiye! (Thank you, Turkey)!

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Have what he’s having at the Turkish cafe and discover Hünkar Beğendi (sultan’s delight)

As soon as I walked into Nizam’s, I knew I would eat well there. With seats full of people (mainly men) who were there to fill up on wholesome and hearty food. What do you do in this situation? Order the same as these men, of course. This behaviour led me to a plate of Hünkar Beğendi (or Sultan’s Delight), an Ottoman dish of spiced lamb stew, on a bed of a cheesy aubergine-based bechamel sauce known as beğendi. I then advanced to cover my face in a glass of homemade fresh Ayran and a pleased bunny I was.

These lunch spots, reminiscent of Turkish caff if you must, are common in Istanbul. In particular, Nato and Balkan Lokantası sirkeci stand out for their budget-friendly yet delicious offerings.

Cover your face with homemade Ayran

Even the name of this savoury cold yoghurt-based beverage sounds like something that you want to drink: Ayran, the drink for the real warriors. I covered my face daily with the stuff. As I already mentioned, this one was from Nizams.

Pick up a simit on the street to smell and keep as a snack for later

I wasn’t hungry when I picked up this simit bread (who could say no to that lovely simit man?), but it sure was great to hold and smell strolling down the road, which I did eventually snack on plain. From watching the Turks eat their simit bread, they are commonly sliced in half with chocolate spread, butter, or soft cheese, like a bagel coated in sesame seeds.

Find a fisherman to catch your tea on the Bosporus sea

People really do catch their tea on the Bosphorus Sea. Many people actually, and I rate all of these many people a many much, don’t you? 

Eat Pizza for breakfast

This wasn’t breakfast pizza; this was pide, a Turkish flatbread with toppings. The classic that I tried was spiced potato and cheese. Potato and Bread Lana? Shamelessly, yes, think about a Spanish tortilla de patata sandwich. Sucuk (a spicy Turkish sausage) is also common. Find spinach, egg, and onion; the possibilities are pretty vast. I tried mine at the glorious Yöremiz Pide Lahmacun.

Sample a lot of good kebab meat and never order a kebab

I had a lot of food to try in Istanbul, and eating endless fills of kebab was a no-no. But I did sample a lot along the way. Istanbul isn't the land of doner for no reason; there are a lot of good places to eat this. One thing to note, though, is that it is not a thing in Turkey to eat your kebab with endless sauces squirted on, as the idea is that the meat should be juicy enough without it. So don't judge the kebab spot on whether they have chilli sauce or squirty mayo. It would be best if you were looking for ones that don't. 

Here comes a list of good places to try kebabs based on taste testing, research, and advice from locals. 

Also, note that there is not one type of kebab. Here are the ones I know, with suggestions of where to taste them.

Adana kebab (skewered minced meat) @Adana Ocakbasi

Döner kebab @Karadeniz Döner Asim Usta and Nuruosmaniye Dürümcüsü

Cağ kebab (thicker cut lamb, horizontally spun over charcoal flames) @Şehzade Cağ Kebap

Liver kebab plus more at Şanlıurfa Zarif Ciğer ve Kebap Salonu

Breakfast feast like a sultan

This Turkish breakfast spread was for two people; it was a joke. But hey, why not feast like a sultan? A Turkish breakfast is a sweet, salty combo of jams and cheeses, honey and creams, olives and fresh bread. Turkish meneman eggs are at the centre stage (spiced eggs with tomato, sometimes sausage, and cheese). I rated Van Kahvalti Evi.

Muhlama (that cheese thing that your dreams were made of)

Do not be deceived. That is not just cheese. If it were just cheese, it would be rude. It is cleverly laden with the perfect mix of butter and polenta to create this bloody ideal concoction. Don’t just take my word for it; spin it on a fork, as I did, with a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice to balance your conscience.

Tickle your throat with pickle juice

The Turks pickle a wide array of things, and with that comes a wide array of pickle juices. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to taste the remnants of all those pickle juices in one glass? (or is that just me?) In Istanbul, you can! Try Üsküdar Ünal Turşuları and Arıoğulları Petek Turşuları; your taste buds will thank you (wake up at least).

Stain your fingers with mulberry and cherry juice at the fish market

But don’t forget to get what you came to the fish market for, the fish Lana.

Now that is a lot of fish, isn’t it? Now we all know why the fish markets in Istanbul are so prized. It is a beautiful thing that the city is sliced apart by the beautiful Bosphorus Sea, which is home to this genuinely unique array of fresh fish, the freshest there is. Don’t just take my word for it; go and have a whiff yourselves.

Find out something fishy about Turkish street food

Magic stuffed mussels

Do not be fooled by the closed appearance of these mussels; they’re not evil or uncooked; they’re cooked and stuffed with treasures. Treasures of rice and spices- alongside a precious fresh mussel- are closed again to be kept safe before you can open them again and feast on their beauty.  

Fish Durum wrap

Fish durum wraps are bloody everywhere in Istanbul. I like them; what’s not to like? Mackeral (hopefully from the Bosphorus, seasoned with a fish Baharat (cumin, saffron, nigella seeds, coriander) made juicy with the edition of pomegranate molasses and lemon, ladened on extra salad and pomegranate seeds for crunch. I tried mine at Marmara Balık Dürüm, which was great, but I trust you to find your own. Just look for a busy stand where someone grills the fish fresh in front of you, and you’ll be onto a winner-winner fishy dinner. 

Tavuklu Pilav

That’s not fishy!!!!!

I know, but it was just too good not to include as a street food. Tavuklu Pilav is a Turkish chicken rice pilaf made simply with chickpeas and served with spicy pickles. Imagine the buttery rice and chickpeas against the spicy, sharp pickles, pure joy in texture and taste. 

Get lost at sea with Turkish coffee or tea

It would be best if you took a boat to cross from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian side. But do not fear; you’ll have a wonderful time refreshed with Turkish coffee or tea (çay) (pronounced chai) and watching the dolphins go by.

Say yezze to turkish mezze

You might not think about mezze as Turkish cuisine. But it is massively, massively Turkish. The aubergine salad (a very smokey aubergine puree) at Asmali Cavit was something worth writing home about. Those beans, too, cooked in carrot and purslane- (yes, please). And the dolma (stuffed vine leaves) gave the Greeks a run for their money. Galata Kitchen is also an excellent mezze spot. The carrot and yoghurt- the mung beans with pomegranate- and the walnut courgette paste. Do you get the picture? 

Be a baklava babe

I shouldn’t need to tell you what baklava is. You probably either love it or hate it. But haters who probably think it’s ‘too sweet’, I challenge you to try some in Turkey, in a place like Köşkeroğlu Baklava Tophane, where you will taste the nuttiest kind of baklava, which I would argue is just sweet enough.

Leave a sour taste in your mouth

You may know that I love fruit in season. And my friends, simply nothing satisfies me more than eating a NEW fruit in season. This time, I found the Turkish unripe plum, the sour, crispy greenage, and guess what? I love it. You'll find them polluting the streets of Istanbul in the spring (late April until early June).

Read your fortune in your coffee grinds

Turkish coffee is a style of coffee prepared in something called a cezve using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering them. This method leaves the coffee grinds in your cup. But the Turks found a use for these; all you need to do is turn the cup upside down onto the dish, and you’ll discover your future. This is tasseography. Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you; ask any Turk.

Get full in Istanbul

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I definitely know how to get full in Istanbul,

Thank you for eating it all with me; I need all of your stomachs at all times!!

So much love, and see you again in two weeks, when we will start the epic journey that is that bloody foody's guide to eating in Madrid! (Madrid is where I lived for three years and consider my second home).

Until then, I bid you farewell,

Love from that bloody foody that is Lana,

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