On my short trip to Turkey, this was my priority restaurant and was super pumped that I got a reservation here. It’s currently sitting at the 63rd best restaurant in the world by the Worlds 50 Best committee and La Liste has it in the top 500 with it a 92.50 rating.
The restaurant was beautiful and it was on the second floor of a museum which was quite nice. I was treated very respectfully and the staff were great. Views of Istanbul were amazing as well.
I was unable to find an Uber for the longest time and I called the restaurant ahead of time to let them know I would be 15-20 minutes late and they didn’t give me any attitude and were very respectful, letting me know that it was perfectly fine.
I don’t drink, so they gave me a mocktail menu and they were amazing I had 2 lol.
Let’s get into the food
Sourdough
Parsley marbled butter, cep mushroom powder
The breads crust was fabulous but unfortunately it wasn’t served warm so it was kinda eh. I couldn’t taste the added herbs or the mushroom powder with the butter.
Amuse Bouches
These were nice and I love sardines and anchovies. A little fishy but they tasted very good and was excited for the mains. Best bite was that tomato curry samosa in the middle. That was amazing.
Celeriac and Pumpkin Roll
Spiced pumpkin cream, pumpkin glaze, celery oil, vegetable foam
This dish was AMAZING. Dish of the night. I loved the flavors and it wasn’t pumpkin over kill. I have never tasted pumpkin like this and it was amazing.
Red Shrimps and Scallops
Malkara lentils, chard stems, baby shrimp, bisque foam, chard leather
I wanted to love this dish but it was just ok. The bay shrimps were served raw and they were super tiny. I expected it to melt in my mouth for some reason but it didn’t. Still tasted good and was very soft. Scallops were good. Chard leather was interesting, didn’t know how to feel about it. I think I could’ve done without it. Lentils mixed with oil were good and I kind of liked the ingredients in this dish just wish there was more flavor like the last dish. There was a bigger red shrimp under the leather that seemed overcooked as well.
Morel Dumpling
Mushroom sauce and emulsion, sautéed morel, isot oil
They actually make you watch a short 5 minute video about what goes into this dish. Basically highlighting the mushroom. Morel mushrooms are a treat and are pretty pricey so I was excited to try it. This was a play on the Turkish dish called “manti” which I love. The mushroom emulsion was earthy and nice, the dumpling itself was delishes, the morel mushrooms were VERY EARTHY and I was a little overwhelmed but I loved it. Very depth flavor. I didn’t like the leather on top however and wish they stopped serving it.
Black Bass
Olive-oil braised spotless black eyed peas, fish and olive oil emulsion
This dish was a solid fish dish. Peas were amazing with the sauce and they added bottarga on top which added that nice saltiness. Way better than Miklas fish dish.
Sorrel Sorbet
I had no idea what a sorrel is but this was the best bite of the night. The pumpkin was the best dish but this was the best first bite. I had no expectation and thought it would be like spinach, but this was AMAZING. It was so tart and refreshing. Omg it was so good I don’t know why I loved it so much. It was super refreshing and I have never tried anything like it before. It was icey, tart, cool, and smooth.
Slow Cooked Lamb
Meatball and “kokorec”, sweet bean “piyaz”
Amazing lamb dish, super tender and melty lamb. Way better than miklas lamb. Meatball was amazing as well and the beans were delightful. With this they served a small tart of dried lamb which wasn’t that good tbh. Extremely dry and tasted burnt.
Revani With Rose
Rose Milk Ice Cream, rose delight, coconut meringue
Amazing dessert, the cake was amazing and the ice cream was so refreshing. Better than Miklas dessert by a landslide.
They gave me a take home box of sweets after and I finished with Turkish tea. Definitely come here in Istanbul, it’s a great experience in a great area. Food was amazing, HOWEVER, I don’t think it’s 63rd in the world good so don’t go in with that expectation. Still an amazing meal and I am so thankful and grateful I was able to eat here.
by Vast_Tip8225