The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Big Day in Istanbul
So it is our first full day in the big city. Where to go? What to do? Turns out that was not even a question we had to
wrestle with today. Among my various subscribers is a gentleman named Uluc Bayramoglu, a long-time chef, restaurateur, food
critic and Istabul native. At 9:30 this morning, he met us at our hotel, took us under his wing and shared his city with
us. It was special.
As those who have followed my trip reports over the years know, we are generally not fans of tour groups ... but there is
nothing quite like a one-on-one with a guide who is passionate about their subject. Today I have LOTS of pictures to help
tell the tale.
The first surprising thing we discovered in our rather extensive walk was that the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the major attractions of the old city were only about a quarter mile away from our hotel. Talk about a convenient location! The next thing we discovered is that all the tour groups from the cruise ships were there ahead of us and the place was a zoo! Apparantly that is what weekends are like anyway, so we did a walk-by and will return on Monday or Tuesday when perhaps we won't have to buck so much foot traffic.
We continued to wander down the hill and in the general direction of the spice market. The old and new blended together in an interesting fashion. Dilapidated buildings create a uniqu problem because, by law, original structures in tis part of the city must be restored to their original appearance with original materials. Often that is simply not economical to do, so they sit as the new ruins. The idea behind the pictures I selected here is just to give a bit of a feel for life in the city.
Being a food guy, Uluc took is to Konyali a bakery/restaurant/cafeteria clearly not intended for the tourist crowd. The family has been "doing the work" since 1897, following the old recipes and forgoing any modern shortcuts. The results are foods of unusual quality and subtle flavors not to be found anywhere in the city. We took a short break here for tea and some exceptional cheese-filled pastries.
Then we were into the Spice Market. Originally opened in the mid 7th-century (the plaque over the entry says 1662), the Spice Market now offers far more than just spices. Truth is, with the exception of thyme, most of the spices sold here are not from Turkey. No matter. it is crammed, colorful and loud, but with the true ambience of an Oriental market. Outside the market itself are more vendors stalls selling cheese, fish, meats and other food products along with hawkers pushing fake watches and sunglasses. Quite a scene.
After a stop for Turkish coffee, we walked down by the ferry terminal -- we'll likely be here tomorrow for a cuise along the Golden Horn and up the Bosphorus -- and caught a cab to Uluc's big surprise lunch ... a multi-course tasting menu at the Asitane Restaurant, an operation he once reviewed as a food writer. Back in the days of the Ottoman Empire, the palace ate foods that were beyond the means -- or the knowledge -- of the local inhabitants. Uluc tells me this restaurant is the only one in Istanbul that still follows those centuries-old recipes.
Without trying to tell you the Turkish names for these items, here is the run-down on our rather
unexpected and extended lunch, following the photos from top left to bottom right: the meze was fresh rolls with olive oil
and a mixed olive tapenade. Then came two soups, the darker one with chestnuts, the lighter with almonds, pomegranate and
mace. This was followed by a trio of cold appetizers -- a hummus spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and pine nuts, a cheese
mixture and a pate of sorts with pickled red cabbage.
After that we moved to a pastry filled with olives and a meat and liver patty balanced perfectly by onion that Uluc tells
me takes two hours to prepare properly. Two hours for an onion! The main course was an open dolmas (rice, onion, meat and
spices) in a poached quince and a slightly sweet stew of lamb, almonds and fruit. Finally the dessert course of a sweet
almond paste and a melange of a cubed almond pudding, pomegranate and fruit in a light syrup. We enjoyed all this with a
pleasant Turkish white wine ... in a lovely garden ... with people I care for. Life is indeed good.
My undying thanks to Uluc for his passion, his time, his insights, his company ... and for insisting that we were not
allowed to pay for anything! Incredible! When he finally reads this, he can fill in the blanks on my descriptions of the
food. I figure that could easily add another page or two to today's report -- there is that much detail that I missed. He
surely took us places and showed us things we never would have discovered on our own.
© 2013 Restaurant Doctor
[