Turkish Regional Casserole
Bold, savory, refreshing, mouth-watering, amusingly foreign. Turkey has some of the most interesting dishes that I have ever tried by far. During my stay in the Turkish largest city I had the chance to tickle my palate by tasting local dishes made from fresh and exotic spices from all over the world, thanks to its historic significance as a main entrepôt.
However if I got the chance to go back to Istanbul but only had one day I would not want to miss the following delicacies:
Shish Kebab, Derman, the Grand Bazaar
Their lamb and chicken shish kebabs are arguably the best in town. We found this modest food stall after asking one of the shop owners inside the Grand Bazaar. “I always go there because it’s finger-licking good!” claimed the mid-aged antique shop owner.
He did not lie.
As this is a small restaurant, it would be better to go here about fifteen minutes before lunchtime to secure a seat. They will first serve chopped pickled red cabbages before the main course. Eat like a local: sprinkle some more salt if you like, although I chose to add no more salt since it was already quite salty and sour. Then roll the shish kebab inside your bread and let the tenderness melt in your mouth. See if you crave for more.
Döner Kebab, a small restaurant across Tarihi Asmalı Simit Fırını, Salma Tomruk Caddesi, Edinerkapı
Döner kebab is in abundance in Istanbul, but many of them taste rather bland. Learning from our experience with Derman we knew we had to find a place off the touristy areas. It was a fortuitous moment when we found this small kebab house near the Chora Church on a chill day in the city. Initially we only wanted to seek refuge from the cold weather and had lunch. It turned out we had probably the best and most mouth-watering döner kebab that we had ever tasted in Istanbul.
The owner knows no English, so a little knowledge in saying numbers in Turkish would definitely help.
Sütaş Ayran, everywhere
Ayran is the preferred drink for Istanbulites after having their meals. Its sour and salty taste helps tone down the rich and heavy flavors of kebabs, pide, lahmacun, and other delectable Turkish cuisines. Each ayran tastes slightly different from the others, but my favorite was the one made by Sütaş. Its perfect consistency and the considerate amount of added salt added is refreshing and not overpowering, even for those who are not keen on this beverage.
Despite having tried a multitude of Turkish dishes during my 8-day stay in Istanbul, there are still lots of succulent dishes that need to wait for my next visit to the city, one day.
Pide
Roast Chicken
Turkish Fried Rice
İmam bayıldı, literally the Imam (Muslim Priest) Fainted
Sautéed Mushrooms
Red Bean Soup
Tavuklu Pilav, Rice with Shredded Chicken and Beans
Lahmacun
The Best Mutton Shish Kebab in Town at Derman, the Grand Bazaar
Turkish Coffee
Turkish Tea
Ayran, A Thinner Version of Yogurt with Added Salt
What an Amazing World! 
Im not really adventurous when it comes to food but… I wanna have extra serving(s) please! 🙂
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Oh really? Being a Filipino have you ever had balut? I have and honestly that’s one of the most bizarre ‘delicacies’ I’ve ever tried, so far. 🙂
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I havent. haha. Not adventurous enough for balut. Did you eat the whole thing (including the lil duck)?
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Oh I only tried one and I think that was chicken. When I looked at other people enjoying the food I thought to myself “Come on Bama, everyone eats it”. 🙂
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All of this food looks very inviting to try! The food of some cultures is quite unappetizing (even inedible) for me, but these dishes all look tasty and loaded with beans, rice, and other vegetables. Mmmmm!
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I totally agree with you, Marilyn! I myself always try local food every time I travel. But sometimes I found some food too strange for my palate. But I think you’ll like Turkish food, or at least you won’t hate it. 🙂
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I am wondering if you eat them all or you just photograph them 🙂 I would love to try out the casserole, pide, kebab, coffee and tea.
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Actually I did eat all of them, despite the fact that some of them were not the ones that I ordered. 🙂
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One thing I found, you can’t go wrong with food in Turkey. Whether you eat in a small place in a little village or in a fine dining in a big city, food is always prepared traditionally and with passion using the best ingredients. You food photos area all delectable. I agree with you. It’s worth going back to Istanbul to eat at your favorite spots.
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Hi Marisol! You’re right about Turkish food. However I do suggest to avoid touristy places, not only because they’re usually overpriced but also less ‘authentic’ than the ones you find in restaurants or food stalls where locals dine. By the way I’m in Taiwan now and thinking of writing a post on Taiwanese dishes. 🙂
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CAn almost taste them Bama! Lahmacun and the Fistikli (pistachio stuffed) Kebabs were my favourites. And the Khadaifi and Baklava!! You obviously don’t have a sweet tooth….lucky you 🙂
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Oh I actually tried Baklava and I loved it!!! 🙂 I guess the reason why I forgot to take any picture of Baklava was simply because I enjoyed it so much! Such a guilty pleasure indeed. 🙂
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I looovveee Turkish food. Legitimately, came back with bags of spices from there last time just so I could attempt to recreate some of the amazing dishes I had. Very underestimated cuisine if you ask me…
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True! Most people only know about Kebab whereas there are so many other dishes too good to miss. I won’t be surprised if one day I see Turkish restaurant chains in many places around the world. Btw I believe you created some amazing dishes with those spices you bought. You can’t go wrong with them. 🙂
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This looks delicious! I remember eating so much fresh fish last time I was there a while ago, it was great. I want to go back!
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There are still a lot of Turkish food that I have yet to try. But yes you’re right, it has some of the best cuisines ever.
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once again, great photos. Love Turkish food. In Istanbul eating is the most awesome experience.
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Thanks Anika!
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This beautifully captures some of the best highlights of Turkish cuisine!
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Thanks Julia! There were times when my mind wandered to the moment I tried that delicious shish kebab. 🙂
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Amazing pictures! Love the one of the Turkish coffee.
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Thank you! I really want to go back to Istanbul one day. It’s such an amazing city!
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whoa, you got great pictures! As a Turkish, really happy to see that you loved Istanbul. Hope, you can come back again 🙂 thanks for sharing!
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As a city filled with history spanning for millennia, I can’t see why I wouldn’t fall in love with Istanbul. 🙂 Thank you and I do hope to come back in the future.
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The food looks amazing! I am hungry! You have presented this post beautifully…. I could get the taste of Turkish food in my mouth. 🙂
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Thanks Renuka, and sorry for making you hungry! 🙂 I tasted the best kebabs in Istanbul and I would love to go back in a heartbeat.
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Istanbul is amongst a few cities in the world that can keep a vegetarian happy!
http://tickingthebucketlist.blogspot.in/2014/06/istanbul-my-favourite-city-in-world.html
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It never came across my mind that Istanbul could be quite a friendly city to vegetarians. That’s good to know.
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