The ultimate carnivorous street food, the one and only kokoreç, is an adventurous taste as well as the name! Watching usta prepping your order, chopping, placing it on the grill for the extra crispy sweetbread, then some chili flakes, some thyme… cumin for me… I am drooling here… where was I, oh, here is how you…
It was a very hot summer day in Istanbul… Me, Daniel and Mirra of The Perennial Plate strolled all day long… I took them to my favorite places, introduced them to my favorite people… We ate, we talked, had a good time and they shot their video… I was happy…
Good, clean and fair fish… As Fikir Sahibi Damaklar of Slow Food, we had started our well known campaign to save our Lüfer of Bosphorus for the next generations on 2010… It wasn’t just any campaign but it took guts; guts to challenge, question, defy against the fishmongers and authorities…
I love street food! Love it! Simit, chestnuts, çiğ köfte, döner, kokoreç… You name it, I love it! So I have my stops at various neighbourhoods for different bites depending the time of the day… They are dear to me with their food, with their Ustas and their personalities! Simit… You…
Have you travelled to East of Turkey? Do you know that particular blue that hangs above you? How crispy the mornings are… How bright the sun shines… How green the meadows and plateau that all surround you… Endless visibility…. I love every inch of my country! At Kars we were…
ATTENTION! CONTAINS REALITY! Lined up at the entrance of the big red circus tent, the curtains opened as the loud music started, James Hetfield’s voice, ‘can’t remember anything, can’t tell if this is true or dream…’ it was loud, it was dark, and I am following the crowd into the…
When we were kids… The Bayram morning was always an early rise! The earlier, the more money you start collecting, oops, I mean sweets! After getting dressed and with our best attire, and best behaviour, we started kissing the family member’s hands – el öpme– it is a ritual, respect…
And LA Times! Long time food critic and food writer S. Irene Virbila of LA Times visited Istanbul with her family. So I had the privilege to take her out on my famous Kadıköy Food Tour. Also we dined together some of their nights, having great food at my favorite places…
I want to start with a word: Honestly… I have visited Kars before, leaving with beautiful memories of people and of the city. This time it was with Şemsa, Kantin gang and Katie. İlhan abi and Şemsa had been talking about this Kars trip for over a year and it was…