Tag: grilled lamb
Istanbul Day 4- Goodbye to Sultanahmet & Hello to Cappadocia
Day four was our last day in Sultanahmet which is the old part of Istanbul. We were to leave for Cappadocia later in the afternoon- so we had a few hours to roam around and do some shopping/eating. As we were researching for the restaurant from last night, we came upon a doner kebab place which was reviewed as the ‘best doner kebab in Sutanahmet’- well, we were sold. We decided to eat a relatively light breakfast and headed to the Grand Bazaar. We did some jewelry and shawl shopping- after which we looked for the place that didn’t have an address- just some directions posted online. We found it quite easily and noticed it was in one of the windy, cobblestoned streets- very quaint! It was one of the oldest restaurants there- well, actually it was not even a restaurant (Donerci Sahin Usta)
Doner Kebab Restaurant- Donerci Sahin Usta
– it was just a store front where people were lined up. We ordered two doner kebabs rolled in lavash. I noticed a jar of green, pickled peppers and asked them to add the delicious chilies to one of them. The kebab roll was delicious- the meat was tender and flavorful and the condiments including the chilies were lovely. We were quite satisfied and walked away and turned a corner. Right in front of us was another restaurant- this one was much bigger with people sitting outside under an awning. They had condiments sitting in front of them including some spices and the same chilies. The kebabs here were made with beef instead of lamb.
We decided to try these as well… these were yum as well!! We were quite satisfied with our finds and headed back to the hotel- but not before another glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice!
An hour on the plane brought us to Kayseri where we rented a car for our next destination- Cappadocia! We looked forward to the hot air balloon there and any regional cuisine we can sample!
We arrived in Cappadocia and checked into our beautiful cave hotel. We quickly unpacked and walked to a restaurant called Dimrit. On our way there, we passed a winery- we will definitely be visiting it tomorrow!! At the restaurant we ordered kebabs cooked in a clay pot- they were delicious.
Lavash
Lamb Cooked in a Clay Pot
All in all the meal was delicious- I had a yummy glass of wine as well. I am really looking forward all the food here!!
Istanbul Day 3- A Palace, Crispy Potato And Grilled Lamb
Day three started with some wind, rain and a delicious Turkish breakfast. We bundled up and headed to the Topkapi Palace, which was walking distance to our hotel. We spent a few hours viewing the Blue Mosque and the Palace. Somehow walking around in museums, etc makes me hungry. We came out and immediately started looking for somewhere to warm and eat. On the way, we found a vendor selling crispy potatoes. He had a machine to cut the potato open onto a stick. He then fried the whole thing and sprinkled it with spices and salt- it was delicious! We stood there for several minutes devouring many sticks of potatoes. 
We also had some of the Turkish pretzel again- this one was not as crispy and fresh as the other one. We finally found a restaurant/cafe and ate some kebabs and lavash and drank some buttermilk.
We then headed to do some shopping. They have beautiful ceramics, rugs and stoles all over Istanbul. The trick is to bring the prices way down by haggling with the vendors- which is a skill I don’t possess but I think I held my own as I shopped.
After a few hours of rest, lots of research, we headed to a restaurant near our hotel called Tria. As we were 9 of us, we decided to order family style and instead of an entree each, we ordered lots of appetizers. They started us off with baskets of lavash, black olives and olive tapenade- delicious!
Olive Tapenade
Meze Platter
We ordered their house red wine which was also delicious. The wine I have had so far has been quite yummy- the problem is that alcohol is not served in the very down to earth eating joints- which is where I like to eat when we travel.
The appetizers kept coming- a plate of meze, which is like eating Turkish tapas. It consisted of lots of interesting things like grated eggplant in a white sauce, lentil kebab, tomato sauce with a kick, a fresh cheese spread, some kind of grilled fish, etc. The grilled squid was yummy as well! We were quite full and satisfied when the grilled lamb over mashed eggplant arrived. I was a bit skeptical about the mashed eggplant- but it was by far the most delicious thing on the table. It was soft, velvety and delicious! Believe it or not we were too full for dessert!
Grilled Lamb
We decided to walk some family members to the tram station which was near our favorite dessert place.. somehow the walk made the idea of dessert more palatable… so we strolled over and sat down for a few sweet things..
Tomorrow, we are off to Cappadocia!!