We had heard from an acquaintance that there was no good cheap food in Istanbul. That could not be less true! Much like Rome, there are a lot of tourist trap places with overpriced low-quality menus, aiming to make a buck on tired tourists by providing sub-par food. However, on the whole, we probably had better luck finding good, cheap food in Istanbul than Rome. One such example of the good options available is Melekler (113 Ipek Sok, off Küçük Parmakkapi Sok). Located in the bustling Taksim district of Istanbul, this place is blink-and-you’ll miss it small. However, the enticing menu of BBQed meats keeps it pretty packed.
M ordered a plate of Spicy Urfa kebabs, delicious grilled pita and roasted tomatoes. As you can see above, the portions were more than generous. L had a broiled chicken durum wrap that was even cheaper! Durum flatbread wraps are the specialty of the house here, and are definitely worth a try. Dinner was less than 12 Lira, and the tasty BBQ spread certainly fed the two of us. Melekler is open for lunch and dinner – cash only (though you won’t need to bring much). If you are looking for another quick place for a cheap eats even closer to the touristic center, we also recommend Sultanahmet Köftecisi (Divanyolu Caddesi 12A, Sultanahmet) for amazing, cheap quick kebabs right in the heart of town.
Tag Archives: Istanbul
Cheap Eats in Istanbul
A Quick Guide to Street Food in Istanbul
The street food in Istanbul is amazing, and there is a whole lot more than Döner on offer. Though of course the ubiquitous cone of meat is available, we found some options for street food that were completely unique. When we were in Istanbul, we ate as much street food as possible, and we really enjoyed the ubiquitous culture of street stalls and carts. Here are our favorite street eats: we wish we were enjoying these munchies by the Bosporus right now!
Mısır – One thing we never expected to see for sale in Istanbul was something distinctly “new world” – grilled corn on the cob! Much like Mexican elote, misir is served with salt and spices (though there is no butter). This was absolutely one of the most popular street foods, and is surprisingly tasty and filling.
Kestane – Delicious roast chestnuts often sold alongside corn, or alone after corn has gone out of season. Chestnuts are a popular fall food throughout Europe, as we saw in Lisbon, and are a great warm-up in chilly weather.
Simit – One of the many ring-shaped carb-y options available as street food in Istanbul, simit is a savory bagel-esque bread ring covered in sesame seeds. For breakfast simit, is often accompanied with yogurt and jam.
Açma – This similar to Simit, but is sweet and fried. Think of a Turkish doughnut.
Halka Tatlisi – If Açma is not sweet enough for you, you graduate to the Turkish churro: Halka Tatlisi. This street food staple consists of fried dough with a glossy sugar glaze. For the sweet tooth only.
Dondurma – Turkish ice cream – which has a much denser, pliable consistency. Half the fun is watching the ice cream cone being prepared.
Pide and Lahmacun – Thin flatbreads topped with cheese and/or meat, perfect if you are feeling like more of a meal. There are also full restaurants dedicated to these foods, though you can get them on the street.
Mussels – Down by the docks we also saw buckets of Mussels for sale (and ready consumption). This particular street food we did not partake in, but we were just about the only ones. We imagine the high turnover keeps everything pretty fresh.
Filed under World Eats
Asitane: Eating your way through Turkish history
Asitane
Kariye Camii Sokak No: 6
34240 Edirnekapi
Istanbul – Turkey
Every once in a while a restaurant comes along that has a concept so intriguing, you have to try it. Asitane has come up with such a concept: using authentic, historical Turkish dishes spanning nearly 1000 years. Each dish has either been re-created from original Ottoman menus, or re-created from descriptions of dishes served at the time. Each dish on the extensive menu is given a date, which may seem gimmicky at first, but really works. The setting of Asitane is quaint and beautiful, and is located on the ground floor of a renovated old building. We were lucky enough to arrive on a pleasant day, so we decided to eat outdoors, though there is also extensive indoor seating.
To start with, we got a sampler plate, which like all of the other items on the menu, was very reasonably priced. We were surprised that it was such a good deal for such a fine dining experience. The sampler plate included four dips (20 Turkish Lira, about $10): Ottoman Hums (1469/1471), Lor Cheese Blend (1898), Fava (no date on this), and a pounded cucumber salad (1844). The Hums was what we might consider hummus, with currants and pine nuts, the Lor was a spreadable mild cheese (much like ricotta) mixed with rosemary, peppers and tomatoes, and the fava bean dip was seasoned with dill. We also received a basket of bread to sop everything up.
We then tried what was perhaps our favorite dish of the day: ‘Toyga Aşı’ Summer Soup with Yogurt (14th century). The soup was served cool, with mint and olive oil drizzled on top. It was phenomenal! For an entree we chose “Mahmudiyye” with Dane-i Sarı (1539), stewed chicken with cinnamon, cloves and apricots garnished with Rezaki raisins and almonds. The dish was extremely flavorful, with a pleasing sweet taste that went with the saffron pilaf accompaniment.
We highly enjoyed our meal at Asitane, adding even more to our opinion that Turkey has amazing food. To top it off, the setting was lovely, the service was pleasant and the price was extremely reasonable. We also forgot to mention that in addition to your server you will be attended to by the restaurant cat (see below) who likes to visit. To top it off, Asitane is right next to one of the major sights in Istanbul, the Chora Church (Kariye Kilisesi), even though it is a little bit outside of the historical center. If you visit Asitane you are sure to have an extremely unique dining experience you can not get anywhere else (unless you are a time traveler, of course).
Filed under Reviews
Eating The World 