DINNER OUT IN ISTANBUL: A Colorful Gastronomic Destination
Majestic and mysterious, noisy and colourful Istanbul gathers millions of tourists from all over the world on its ancient streets. Rich history, breathtaking views of the Bosphorus, cats everywhere in the streets, and of course, a bright and multifaceted gastronomy, without discovering which you can not leave the city.
But where to go and what to choose? The question is not the easiest, especially when you have only a week or just a few days. This time our choice fell on three unique in its kind projects, as well as an amazing Turkish delicacy — baklava.
SANKAI By Nagaya
Michelin-starred SANKAI By Nagaya, located in the cozy Bebek Boutique Hotel with stunning views of the Bosphorus, is the gateway to a world of delicacies of Japanese cuisine with an exquisite atmosphere of “omotenashi” hospitality, where Japanese authenticity is subtly blended with European influences.
This 24-seat omakase restaurant is designed by Geo-ID, a company partly owned by world-renowned architect Mahmut Anlar in collaboration with Chef Yoshizumi Nagaya who has 3 Michelin Starred restaurants.
SANKAI By Nagaya was awarded 3 Gault & Millau Toques in the first year of the guide’s launch in Turkey.
SANKAI is Yoshizumi Nagaya’s first restaurant in Turkey, reflecting his 30 years of wisdom in Japanese cuisine with local seafood to create a dinner that tells the story of Japan. Assisting him in this endeavor is Hiroko Shibata — an edomae sushi shokunin, a professional who combines traditional edo mae style sushi and Kaiseki cuisine.
Edomae sushi refers to nigiri sushi made from fish caught in the Tokyo Bay, formerly known as the Edo Bay. In those days, there were no refrigerators and transportation was poor. So, the idea was to use fish that was available in the local waters.
And Kaiseki is a form of art that exemplifies the finest Japanese values: harmony, balance, and craftsmanship by serving traditional Japanese multi-course haute cuisine prepared with seasonal fresh ingredients.
We were looking forward to this evening with anticipation, when we could embark on an exciting Japanese adventure.
And for the grand entrance to SANKAI By Nagaya, an electric BMW i7 with a private driver (a nice bonus for all restaurant visitors) was sent to pick us up and take us quickly and comfortably to the venue.
The restaurant offers 2 Omakase tasting menus made from daily delicacies of the land and sea. Sankai Sushi, focused on sushi and Nagaya Signature, featuring kaiseki cuisine.
It was very difficult to decide on the menu, but at that moment the first one won. And we were not the least bit wrong.
As an aperetif to the meal, there is selection of 3 different cocktails — Ichi, Ni and San. Each of them is very unique in flavor combination and gives a great kickstart for dinner.
Sakizuke is a small appetizer that starts the set menu:
Chawanmushi
Egg, King Crab, Ikura
Squid Chips
Aonori
Nori Waffle
Smoked salmon, cream cheese
Shrimp-Caviar
Yuzu miso sauce, avocado and oscietra caviar (+2000 TL, this appetizer is optional for an additional price)
Next up is Sashimi and Makizushi:
Fish of The Day
5 kinds of sashimi
Fish of The Day
Hosomaki, Uramaki, Temaki
Soup time: Owan — a traditional Japanese clear soup with additives
Clear Soup
Shiitake mushroom, spinach, edamame, shrimp-scallop shinjo
Sushi
Fish of The Day
6 kinds of nigiri
The specialty of serving sushi is that Hiroko Shibata serves it completely warm, quite sticky and with a dash of soy sauce and wasabi to give this delicacy a final touch.
Main course:
Beef Fillet
Potato tartlet, miso sukiyaki sauce, carrots
Or
Wagyu
Miso sukiyaki sauce (+4000TL — optional for a fee)
Finally the long awaited desserts and compliments from the chef:
Dessert:
Yuzu & Matcha
Petit Fours
As an accompaniment to the menu you can choose one of the two wine pairings, we decided to take a Premium one which contained beautiful hand-picked wines from all over the world — France, Germany, Austria, Spain and of course Turkey.
Sankai Sushi — 4.700 TL
Premium Wine Pairing — 4.200 TL*12% Service Charge
Address: Bebek, Cevdet Paşa Cd. No:34,
34342 Beşiktaş İstanbul
Instagram: @sankaibynagaya
Neolokal
NEOLOKAL is a bridge between the old and the new, with respect for Turkish culinary traditions at the helm. Inspired by Mother Earth, Chef Maksut Aşkar and his young team preserve culinary heritage and lead it into the future with their exciting cuisine, putting a stamp on authentic recipes with a quirky finesse.
NEOLOKAL was awarded its first Michelin star in 2023 for its high-quality cuisine.
The restaurant is part of the city’s SALT Galata cultural complex and its panoramic windows and fabulous terrace offer superb views of Istanbul’s rooftops and magnificent mosques, making a visit to the restaurant even more impressive and memorable.
The flavours of the past are at the core here and undergo a metamorphosis through the use of modern ideas and techniques. Special attention is paid to sustainability, vegetarian menus, the use of carefully selected local products, including fine Turkish wines, and co-operation with local suppliers.
According to Maksut Aşkar with whom we took an informative journey through his kitchen, he scrutinises traditional recipes down to the smallest detail, adding endangered products to show guests the flavours that the earth has always offered and preserve them for the next generation. Combining modern technology with innovative views, he gets a new and refined approach to local cuisine and presents authentic food, getting each ingredient first hand.
We started our tasting with the traditional menu, but since vegetarian menu is highly demanded here, we went for both to get a full idea of NEOLOKAL cuisine.
Traditional tasting menu
Starts with a bread serving:
-SOURDOUGH bread, parsley marbled butter, cep mushroom powder
AMUSE BOUCHE — a nice compliment from the chef, after which we dive into the most interesting part of the menu:
-CELERIAC & PUMPKIN ROLL, spiced pumpkin cream, pumpkin glaze, celery oil and vegetable foam
-RED SHRIMP & SCALLOPS, Malkara lentils, chard stems, baby shrimp, bisque foam, chard leather
-MOREL DUMPLING, mushroom sauce and emulsion, sauteed morel, isot oil
-BLACK BASS, olive oil-braised spotless black-eyed peas, fish & olive oil emulsion
-SORREL SORBET
-SLOW COOKED LAMB, meatball and ‘kokoreç’, sweet bean ‘piyaz’
At the end, the dessert and pleasant sweet surprises from the restaurant team:
-REVANI WITH ROSE, rose milk ice cream, rose delight, coconut meringue
-SURPRISE DESSERTS FROM THE NEOLOKAL TEAM
Also — Flavoured Turkish coffee or tea
For a wine accompaniment for the dishes we chose a Premium wine pairing with very interesting and rare local wines.
Vegetarian Tasting Menu
Also served with a bread serving and compliments of the chef.
The main part consists of several servings:
-CELERIAC & PUMPKIN ROLL, spiced pumpkin cream, pumpkin glaze, celery oil and vegetable foam
-OLIVE OIL-BRAISED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, cauliflower cream with chestnut, Jerusalem artichoke & olive oil ice cream
-MOREL DUMPLING, mushroom sauce and emulsion, sauteed morel, isot oil
-SPINACH & EGGS, sautéed spinach, spinach foam with cheese, egg yolk
-SORREL SORBET
-BORLOTTI BEANS PILAKI’, grilled carrots, ‘pilaki’ cream
To finish, a lovely dessert and surprise from the chef and team, and coffee or tea.
-ASURE, wheat, legumes, nuts and dried fruits, Antep pistachio cream
It is noteworthy that NEOLOKAL’s cocktail list plays not a secondary role and can compete for the title of one of the best bar concepts in the city.
Tasting/ Vegetarian Menu 4.900 TL + 12% service fee
Wine Pairing | 3.400 TL + 12% service fee
Premium Wine Pairing | 4.400 TL + 12% service fee
Address: SALT Galata, Bankalar Avenue, Karaköy 34420 İstanbul Türkiye
Instagram: @neolokal
SAKHALIN
Time to immerse yourself in the soothing sound of the seas and oceans by visiting SAKHALIN restaurant, where you can truly experience the true craftsmanship of creating culinary masterpieces and taste the exquisite delicacies prepared with great attention to detail and a genuine passion for the culinary art.
The restaurant is located on the first floor of the Raffles Zorlu Center hotel, adding to the list of Sakhalin restaurants in Moscow, Sochi and Bodrum.
It is a joint project of restaurateur Boris Zarkov, White Rabbit Family brand chef Vladimir Mukhin and chef Alexei Kogay of the Moscow restaurant Sakhalin.
The restaurant met with impressive scale, but without losing the feeling of luxury and elegance — the interior interprets Sakhalin’s signature style for Istanbul.
The restaurant was designed by architect Irina Glik, founder of Geometry design studio, creating a modern space imbued with artistic taste.
The restaurant’s menu was developed by Michelin-starred brand-chef Vladimir Mukhin and chef Dogukan Kaya, based on Mediterranean-Asian cuisine, combining their flavors and incorporating locally sourced ingredients.
The heart of the project, as in other restaurants of the same name, is Raw Bar with an ice display and an aquarium, where guests can observe seafood and choose fresh catch of the day for their dishes.
A stylish bar at the entrance and a transparent wine cabinet attract attention, which gives the restaurant its own special chic.
This time we decided to focus on RAW items and to our glee, everything we ordered was flawless in both presentation and flavor.
-Lightly salted salmon with sorrel and sour cream
-Scallop with ponzu and truffle oil
-Tartar “Three Tuna” (Akami, Toro, Chu-Toro)
Followed by Japanese section:
-Rolls “Sakhalin”: crab, salmon, caviar, chili sweets
-Rolls “Goldfish”: Akami, Toro, black caviar, yuzu teriyaki, gold leaf
-Sushi Assortment (2 pieces each): Sushi Salmon/Unagi; Spicy Sushi Seabass/Tuna Belly
Having had a sincere pleasure and a decent dose of protein, there was no room left for desserts, but it was impossible to refuse from bright sorbets and, of course, Black Pearl.
A thin sphere of caramel, inside of which strawberries, delicate and light cream, caramelized pecans are hidden — a combination that sent us to the best memories of childhood.
From drinks we ordered cocktails in specialty fish glasses — good, but a bit sweet.
However Pure Love cocktail based on pear vodka with ayran foam was very unusual and tasty.
Address: Levazim mahallesi, Koru sok. No:2. Zorlu center 34340
Instagram: @sakhalin.istanbul
KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOGLU
KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOGLU is one of the most famous baklava brands in Turkey, founded in 1843 by the Güllü family, which is still famous for its consistent flavour, rich assortment and is a kind of sweet must-visit spot of Istanbul. Indeed we took an advantage to include it on our trip.
Briefly back in history, the first in the family to start making baklava was Haci Mehmed Güllü, who was trained as a pastry chef and learnt the ins and outs of baklava making. He passed on his skills to his sons, who in turn passed them on to their children — this is how baklava became a tradition in the Güllü family, which has grown into a family business that has survived for five generations.
Baklava production brought fame to the family and from a small Turkish province, baklava was brought to Istanbul, where the first shop was opened in the Karaköy district, a famous centre of commerce and banking, which also became the centre of baklava.
But any successful business is made up of overcoming difficulties. At the time, Istanbul did not know good baklava, so it took time to instil a taste for the real product. Now KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOGLU owns the world’s first baklava factory, where about 2.5 tonnes are produced daily. The factory was opened by Nadir Güllü, who is the chairman of the board of directors, and his brother Ömer.
Once you taste authentic baklava, you are captured by its magical world, enchanted by its flavour and melting texture. Gourmets and baklava connoisseurs come from all over Istanbul and its surroundings to Karaköy to savour these superb sweets.
We were no exception and went for a tasting at KARAKÖY GÜLLÜOGLU‘s flagship shop.
We were met by one of Nadir Güllü’s sons, Murat Güllü, who enthusiastically and happily told us about the family brainchild and introduced us to the best flavours. Though to be honest, choosing the best of the best is not an easy task. The assortment is breathtaking and eye-opening, and there are many types of baklava: with pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts, chocolate, ice cream, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and more.
Another discovery was enjoying Baklava with Kaymak — it totally uplifts this wonderful delicacy to heaven.
Here you can buy any kind of baklava on weight and, of course, take away with you a nice sweet greeting from Istanbul — amazing gift sets.
Address: Kemankes Karamustafa Paga, Kemankes Cd. No:67 Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey
Instagram: @karakoygulluoglu
Text: Marina Timo
Photo courtesy: EATWEEKGUIDE
