I have now been in Istanbul for nearly a week, and have been amazed at how warm and friendly the people are here. They are generous with their time, and proud to share their local cuisine and culture. When I travel for work I occasionally get out to see some of the city I am working in, but usually it’s after dark and I rarely get to do any of the touristy things like visit landmarks or museums. I do, however get out to a fair amount of restaurants and bars as the evenings are the only times I get a chance to leave the hotel.
One night our video & lighting techs took us to a local restaurant a few blocks from the hotel. This restaurant appeared to be small without any room for us, but we followed our hosts into the back of the restaurant and up a flight of stairs to another floor of dining, which was full. We continued up another flight and another to find a table. I have since learned that this is common among many dining establishments here, where they expand upward. Entering them sometimes feels like using a parking garage.
Turkish appetizers
Once we found a seat our hosts ordered traditional turkish appetizers which we all shared.
Chee Kufta
One of my hosts preparing some Chee Kufka for me
My favorite dish was Chee Kufta, which is spiced raw meat that is rolled into a lettuce leaf with a little fresh lemon. Very tasty and a bit spicy. The Chee Kufta at this restaurant was better then a dish I had later, so the taste does seem to vary.
Adana Kebab
My main dish was an Adana Kebab. I had one of these at my hotel my first night there, and I didn’t care for it much. I decided to try it again as I was truly in a locals place, and again found it not to my liking. I am not really sure what they spice this kebab with, but whenever I come across this flavor is a dish I find it more and more distasteful, rather than something I get more accustom to.
Ayran
To drink we had Ayran, which is water mixed with yogurt and a little salt added. It’s probably an acquired taste. It was ok, but too sour for my tastes, but I am glad I tried it. The copper cup, I think, added a flavor to the taste. I couldn’t say if that made it better or worse had I tried it in a glass.
After dinner we went down another block to a beer house where we met up with our video tech’s wife and a couple of her friends from her company. We spent a few hours drinking the local beer, Efes, and sharing stories. Afterwards we stopped at an outdoor cafe for some Turkish tea. It is very common to finish off an evening with a small glass of tea. Apparently you ca’t get this in a decaffeinated form, so I have not tried this. Despite being relatively cool and after 11pm, the cafe was quite crowded with people enjoying their tea. This may have been in part because there is no smoking allowed in most establishments, including the beer house where we were at, so many people where enjoying cigarettes with their tea.
Raki
A very popular local drink is Raki, a liquor with a strong licorice or anise flavor. I have found that I really enjoy this drink and intend to bring several bottles home from this trip.
A night out with the locals
Another evening we were invited to join some of the crew to go to a bar where one of their friends was celebrating a birthday. More of their friends gathered as the evening went on, and nearly all of them spoke english well, with many of them having lived for a year or more in the US at some point. All of them were friendly, always trying to include us in the conversation.
Overall I am really enjoying my time here in Istanbul. If all of Turkey is as open and friendly as they are here in Istanbul then America truly has a poor understanding of this country and the muslim people. I will not be heading for home for another five days, but I’m already looking forward to when I can return.
✧ ✧ MidWestMyers ✧ ✧ 