PiPa Restaurant and Nişantaşı by Night: Pre New Year's Eve

Dear readers,

As I mentioned in my previous blog article, December was a very busy month for me with work and my little Luka getting sick, but I still did find the time to go out - albeit not as much as I would have liked too! I hope to make up for this in the New Year and have already started on my quest!!

Besides Ca'd'oro, another new restaurant I visited in December was PiPa in Nişantaşı. This fairly newcomer burst on the scene about a month or so ago and in a very short time, the "buzz" was that it's a wonderful new Italian restaurant!

So, since I was meeting my very good friend Nur for a night out before New Year's Eve, we decided to first to go to Nişantaşı to see the decorations and then have an early dinner (7:30pm) at PiPa on December 28th.

We met at Nişantaşı Brasserie (I will be writing about this place in my next article) for a quick drink and then started walking around Abdi Ipekçi Street which looked absolutely gorgeous with all the decorations! In fact, there was a red carpet on the street too, so of course, like the rest of the crowd, we took lots of pictures and below are some examples...We also walked along Atiye Street which is a side street off of Abdi Ipekçi and closed to traffic which was also very nicely decorated.

Me (left), Nur (right) - Abdi Ipekçi Street

On the "red carpet" on Abdi Ipekçi Street

Abdi Ipekçi Street square

Atiye Street

A big kudos goes to Mustafa Sarıgül, the Mayor of the Municipality of Şişli! He has done and continues to do a fantastic job in ensuring that the areas he is responsible for are always in tip top shape and efforts to renovate and rebuild many of the neighborhoods in his jurisdiction are continuing...

Just a small footnote for those readers not familiar with Istanbul - Nişantaşı and especially Abdi Ipekçi Street is the Fifth Avenue or in my opinion.. the Avenue Montaigne of Istanbul. The 6-7 city block long street is home to Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Prada, Brandroom, Jo Malone, L'Occitane, Vakko, Beymen Department Store, Godiva, and so so much more!

After our brief walk, it was now time to head to PiPa. So, we walked back up along Abdi Ipekçi Street where it intersects with Rumeli Caddesi and after crossing the street, hung a left and then the first right to Süleyman Nazif Sokak. We weren't sure exactly where on the street this new restaurant was, but simply, it is only a few steps up the street - on the left hand side over an indoor parking lot.

Not knowing what to expect, we walked up the stairs of the apartment building it is housed in and were greeted by a hostess at the entrance behind a desk... the hostess confirmed our reservation (don't go without one as they are usually packed), our coats were taken to the coat check room and then the hostess escorted us down a long narrow very elegantly decorated hallway lined with all sorts of wines to the main dining area...

PiPa hallway

And...we were like WOW! as we entered the main area. The first thing we saw on the right hand side in front of us was an open kitchen with the chefs at work and in front of the kitchen was a long high table with communal seating. From there we entered the main dining area and another wow! The walls were covered with floor to ceiling glass, right in the center was a rectangular bar with seating and the dining tables were scattered around a bi-level platform. I took a picture... it's not the best, but since it was crowded, I didn't want to bother the other diners by disrupting their fun or meals.

PiPa

PiPa's glass lined walls

We were amazed at how big the space was and the high ceilings... who would have thought that a place in an apartment building could be so large, but we later found out that this was once a level of the parking lot, so that made sense!

Although we had reservations, we were asked to wait at the bar and knew there was a small problem. A portion of the bar is also allocated for dining and has very comfotable seating because your feet or not dangling from a bar stool as it's on a platform. We ordered a bottle of wine while we waited. The wine list is okay, but like in most others venues around town, I always find the wine lists lacking in selections and the prices a bit higher than what the wine is worth. The bottle we ordered was a Kavaklıdere/Selection (Boğazkere) and it was 95TL. With the wine, we were served a plate of real Parmesan cheese pieces instead of mixed nuts which I personally think is a much better idea!

We were finally escorted to our table at 8:00pm. What had happened was that an "unexpected" VIP group had showed up without a reservation and had to be accommodated, so they had to rearrange and juggle the customers with reservations. This of course is a very "a la Turca" incident and didn't make me very happy, but the food and efficient service did make up for it by the end of the evening!

PiPa - which is the first two letters of pizza and pasta has a modest sized menu. Unfortunately, due to the dim lighting and although each table has it's own elegant lighting hanging from the center of the table, it was very difficult to read because the menu was black and the menu selections were written in a light yellow (if it was white, it would have been much easier to read).

As can be expected, we were told that pizza is their specialty. But, normally, I don't prefer to eat pizza at dinner, although I love it! We weren't in the mood for pasta either, so when our waiter informed us that there was a meat and fish "special of the day" - we opted for the Grilled Tenderloin of Beef. We also decided to share an appetizer - Breasola.

While we waited for the food to come, we were served homemade bread with olive oil and sea salt on the side...I usually stay away from white bread (there is no whole wheat or dark bread), but it was too good to pass up!

Then the Breasola arrived...

Bresaola with slices of Parmesan cheese on a bed of Mediterranean greens

And.. it was very very good and cost 27 TL. The portion was more than enough for two people and most importantly, the quality of the breasola and Parmesan cheese was topnotch. Also, it was on a bed of Mediterranean greens which were seasoned just right with a vinaigrette dressing, so nothing extra had to be added to give it a kick. This is usually overlooked at some other eateries, but properly prepared at PiPa.

Our main course was Grilled Tenderloin of Beef...

Grilled Tenderloin of Beef

It was served on a bed of baked potatoes (with the skin removed) with a side of caramelized onions and toasted garlic bread. It is usually never easy to cook such a thick piece of meat the way you want it in a very busy kitchen. However, Nur wanted hers medium and I wanted mine medium-well and they were both cooked just right. This dish cost 52 TL! It was kind of expensive and since it was a special of the day, we hadn't asked the waiter the price. However, I personally think that in Turkey when there are specials that are not clipped on to the menu, the waiter should tell you the price off front, like they do abroad, so that there aren't surprises at the end of the evening. Normally, I have no qualms about asking the price myself, but for some reason, it slipped my mind.

Although we really didn't have room for dessert  - we said "what the heck", it's the holidays and ordered a Tiramisu (can't remember the price exactly, but it was between 15-17 TL)...

tiramisu

Although the tiramisu looked very good and it was homemade and fresh, it didn't taste as good unfortunately. It's important that real mascarpone cheese is used and that was evident, however, the rum content was not sufficient so it tasted too sweet... just with a little twicking (rum!) it will definitely taste better!

As with all good things - there are also downsides at PiPa, but nothing that can't be fixed. First, because of the high ceilings and the very nice and modern decor, there is a problem with the acoustics and the noise bounces all over the place! Also, PiPa definitely needs a new sound system and DJ! The speakers are not strategically placed and instead of hearing the music, you just hear a "thump thump thump"... but then again, the music played is not really suitable for such a lovely place and definitely has to be worked on! I'm sure the owners are aware of these issues and will do whatever is needed to fix them.

All in all PiPa, is a very nice place and incredibly you feel like you are in a restaurant in the USA, instead of on a side street in Nişantaşı over an indoor parking lot! I definitely recommend that you try it - but definitely make reservations!

PiPa is open daily from noon to midnight and the kitchen closes at 11:00pm. (Süleyman Nazik Sokak No. 7/B, Nişantaşı; Tel: (0212) 225 74 72; www.conceptmasters.net)

Finally, there is an outdoor terrace for smokers...

If you do go to PipA based on my blog write-up, please let me know. Would love to get some feedback! Enjoy!

Dani

Off the Beaten Path: Ca'd'oro Restaurant & SALT Galata...

Happy happy New Year dear readers!

I would like to start off with the classic well wishes for the New Year to all of you and hope that 2012 brings you lots of joy, laugther, good health, prosperity, travel and a very very minimal amount of sorrow and ill will! We have to admit, where there is good, there is bad and vice versa - but always always - the good should outweigh the bad - so always having a positive attitude is my motto!

The month of December was a really crazy time for me and I just noticed that I haven't had a chance to write a new post since December 8th!

First, I had a major book project which I had to totally concentrate on to complete... I translated a romance novel from Turkish to English. I won't go into the details now, but will give you more information once I get word from the author that it is being published - so cross your fingers and toes!

Secondly, my darling little maltese terrier Luka got ill on December 13 - the evening after I went to C'a'd'oro and SALT Galata. Nothing major, but more of a nuisance for him. Shortly, he had to have stitches and wear a god awful bubble over his head for 10 days and go to the vet for 7 days for shots! That's why I haven't been able to write any new posts on his blog either, but will be catching up on that too as he's a little upset with me for falling behind. But, if you still haven't had a chance to read the articles already posted, visit http://lollifeofluka.blogspot.com - I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it!

I finally finished the book on December 26, but only sent it to the author yesterday because I wanted to do one final read through to make sure all the "t"s were crossed and the "i"s dotted!

New Year's eve was very nice - I cooked and had my immediate family (we were 6 people in all) over because, frankly, I hate going out on New Year's Eve! Every place is overcrowded, prices are sky high and food and drink are mediocre compared to other nights.

The New Year started with a bang and I have been busy for the last few days - but not with work. Instead, just running around town to do errands with my sis and also for my mom. After a rainy couple of days during and after the first of the year, we've had sunny sunny days in Istanbul - but alas, the rains will be back with us for at least 3 days starting on Friday!

If you are a follower of my blogs, you know I work as a freelancer and translate anything and everything (books, brochures, menus, websites, etc.) you can think of from Turkish to English. Currently, I have finished all the projects I had and am now giving myself some time off to just relax, catch up on my blogs and just enjoy life for a week or so before I start up again! I have sooo many articles to prepare for both of my blogs and will be bombarding you with stuff in the next couple of days!

After a very long intro - let's now get to the post at hand!

Istanbul is in full swing for the fall-winter season and many new restaurants, cafes, museums, galleries, hotels, etc. have opened or will be opening. I have fallen behind a little in visiting most of the new venues, but do plan on making up for it in the New Year.

However, on December 13 I had a chance to visit Ca'd'oro Restaurant and SALT Galata ...

SALT Galata

SALT Galata opened its doors to the public on November 22, 2011 and was founded by Garanti Bank. Located on Bankalar Caddesi (which translated means a street with banks) in Karaköy, previous to SALT Galata, it was home to the Ottoman Bank Museum. However, even before that... this landmark building was designed by Alexandre Vallaury, a French Levantine architect to house the Ottoman (Osmanlı) Bank which was inaugurated in 1892.

The Ottoman Bank closed once it was merged with Garanti Bank in the late 1990s and the building was converted and was home to the Ottoman Bank Museum which opened in 2002 and housed the bank's archives and was also used as a research center.

Several years ago, the museum closed its doors for renovations. The building's façade and interior - a mix of neoclassical and oriental styles was still pretty much maintained, but with some major new structural interventions were made indoors to bring it up to date and to conform to its new identity (and it looks great!).

Nihal, a good friend of mine, Nihal and I decided to meet for lunch as we hadn't seen each other in months! She was away most of the summer and then before you knew it, it was December when we had a chance to schedule a get together!

We decided that we wanted to try Ca'd'oro as it had just opened and we knew that it would be good because it is managed by the Istanbul Doors Group (Zuma, Anjelique, A'jia, Da Mario, Vogue, Kitchenette, Mama, Carotta), a group that includes some of the best restaurants and cafes in town!

Ca'd'oro is off the beaten path because it's not a place you will find as you're walking down the street or in a trendy part of town! You have to know where you are going to go there!

As it's name suggests, Bankalar Caddesi was once home to all the major banks in Turkey. Today, there are still some bank branches there, but the majority of the shops sell all sorts of lighting and lighting fixtures for the home or office.

The SALT Galata building is right next door to the Central Bank of Turkey and once again, there isn't a huge sign on the door that says SALT.

Since I live in Levent, I decided to take the metro to the area instead of taking a taxi to avoid sitting in traffic. Also, a taxi ride would have probably cost me over 20 TL anyway whereas a ticket for the metro is only 2 TL! I got on at the Levent station, got off at Taksim, the last stop and then transferred to the Şişhane train on the other side of the platform.

I exited the metro at the Şişhane/Kasımpaşa exit....

Şişhane/Kasımpaşa metro exit

and walked down one block in the opposite direction of the picture above to the beginning of Bankalar Caddesi in Şişhane. Hang a left on this street and after walking down about 5-6 city blocks, SALT is on the left hand side of the street.

I arrived at about noon and sat down to have a cup of coffee with Sima Benaroya, SALT's Director of Communications and Administration, who has been a long time friend (over 10 years and someone who I hadn't seen in a very very long time!) as I waited for Nihal to arrive.

We sat in the cafe section of Ca'd'oro which is very simply decorated with one wall lined with books and magazines and the other a floor to ceiling window which overlooks a lovely terrace. This floor of the restaurant also houses their open kitchen.

Ca'd'o'ro open kitchen

Ca'd'oro cafe

Sima started giving me info on the museum and restaurant. The restaurant is managed by the Istanbul Doors Group, but the space is owned by the SALTand they also named the restaurant. Ca'd'oro which means golden house is also called the Palazzo Santa Sofia and is the name of a palace in Venice, Italy. An appropos name for a restaurant in a museum I think!

The cafe section opens at 10:00am and the restaurant, one floor above, at noon.

Nihal arrived and we chatted with Sima some more before she had to run off to a meeting. We decided to eat first and then tour the museum, but I'm sorry to say, we never got a chance to do it! Sorry Sima - I promise I will the next time I come! As Nihal and I hadn't seen each other in a long time, we had so much to talk about that we didn't realize where the time went and we had to make a mad dash out of there as we had other appointments afterwards. However, at the end of this article, I will give you some more info on SALT.

The main restaurant section is very nicely decorated with white tablecloths and floor to ceiling windows with a lovely view of the old city. Unfortunately, some of the view is blocked by some of the older buildings nearby.

Ca'd'oro Restaurant

Ca'd'oro Bar

View from Ca'd'oro

I'm sure the view, lighting and decor is much more impressive in the evenings with the old city as a back drop!

The restaurant also has a lovely terrace which will open once the weather is more suitable, however, since it was such a wonderful sunny and mild day, as the day progressed, customers sat outdoors to have coffee or a meal (including us - we had our coffee and cigarettes on the terrace after our meal).

Ca'd'oro terrace

Also, besides the terrace adjacent to the restaurant, there is another one on top of the restaurant itself... this space will open in the summer - can you imagine the glorious view from there?

We sat at our table by the window and while we looked over the menu, we were served a bread basket with an assortment of yummy bread and a dish of olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

The menu is pretty straightforward and includes a short list of selections from International and Mediterranean cuisines. I didn't take notes so I can't give you some examples except for what we ordered - but I can say the prices are medium to high. There is a separate wine list with a selection of domestic and international wines. Personally, I found the prices high for by the bottle and especially for by the glass.

To sum up, the food was very very good, but the service was a little choppy. But, I guess that's because they were only open for a short few weeks. I'm sure the service is more efficient now - or at least I hope it is!

Nihal and I ordered one appetizer to share: artichoke hearts with haricort vert, watercress and red beet sauce! It was absolutely delicious! Who would have thought that a beet sauce could add such texture to this dish!

Artichoke hearts with haricot vert, watercress & red beet sauce

For our main course, we ordered the same thing: Grilled salmon with a side of potato graten. This dish was absolutely heavenly - especially the thinly sliced potatoes!

Grilled salmon with potato graten

The salmon was cooked to perfection and very moist. Instead of salad greens, they only served parsley which was an excellent idea and the lemony sauce delicious!

We didn't have room for dessert and like I mentioned earlier, we moved to the sunny terrace and had coffee, but we did hear that the desserts are also very good - next time!

We had a lovely lunch at Ca'd'oro and I'm sure you will too! Whether you go for lunch or dinner, I highly recommend that you make reservations, because although they are off the beaten path, they already have a following!

Additionally, Ca'd'oro has an a la carte brunch menu on Sunday available until 4:00pm. The list includes the classics: pancakes, French toast, toast sandwiches, Turkish cheeses, omelets, poached eggs, jams, freshly squeezed juices, etc and prices range from 5 TL to 19 TL.

Ca'd'oro cafe is open Tuesday - Sunday fron 10:00am to 2:00am and the restaurant from noon to 2:00am. Don't forget, museums are closed on Mondays!
(Bankalar Caddesi No. 11, Karaköy; Tel: (0212) 243 82 92)

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Additional info on SALT (www.saltonline.org; Tel: (0212) 334 22 00)

(photos supplied by SALT Galata)

1) SALT means absolute or sole in English.

2) The aim of SALT is to (and I quote from their pamphlet): "SALT explores critical and timely issues in visual and material culture and cultivates innovative programs for research and experimental thinking. Assuming an open attitude and establishing itself as a site of learning and debate, SALT aims to challenge, excite and provoke its visitors by encouraging them to offer critique and response".

2) The mult-level SALT Galata houses a Research Center, Open Archive, Temporary Exhibition area, Ottoman Bank Museum, a 219 person auditorium, bookstore and cafe and restaurant. Additionally, workshops are held from time to time and organized by SALT on the first floor. The 4th floor of SALT has been allocated for special event organizations.

3) An exhibit titled "Modern Essays 3/Modernity Unveiled/Interweaving Histories" is currently on display at SALT until January 22 and includes Ms. Gülsün Karamustafa's installation which pivots upon the grade school designs of Schütte-Lihotzky for the Village Institute in Anatolia. For more detailed information, you can visit SALT's website.  

   

Gülsün Karamustafa installation

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One final note - you know you are in a "special" space like SALT when you visit their bathrooms! It's the extra touches that makes some places more unique than others!

I don't know who designed this area, but just take a look at the washbasin!

The water automatically cascades down from the metal tubes and swirls around the labyrinth and the soap dispenser are the handles on the labryinth which you would think are the handles to turn on the water - really cool! I don't know if they have the same set up in the men's room!

Happy reading!!!!

Dani

Gaja: Restaurant supreme at the Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul!

Dear readers,

I hate to start off on a negative note, but if the truth be told, hotel restaurants have gotten a bad rap for the longest time!

Most residents of a city do not prefer to go to lunch or dinner at hotel restaurants because they think that 1) they are too sterile; 2) full of just tourists; 3) a good place for a formal business meeting; and 4) they are expensive!

There are some truths to the above, however, many hotel restaurants in Istanbul have a come a long way in the past 10 years and have made wonderful strides to attract a wider audience of diners.

In fact, hotels with several restaurants have either hired a separate Executive Chef for their premieur restaurant or in some cases - like at the Marmara Pera Hotel in Tepebaşı, have turned over the management of their main restaurant to an outside restauranteur and the fine dining Mikla restaurant has been wowing diners from around the world for years.

But, this is not our subject at hand! I will be writing about a hotel restaurant - managed by the hotel that has been getting critical acclaim from locals ever since it opened: Gaja Restaurant at the Swissôtel, The Bosphorus Istanbul Hotel.

The Swissôtel The Bosphorus Istanbul Hotel is located on a hilltop in Maçka offering a magnificent view of the Bosphorus. To get to Gaja, once you enter the hotel, make a right at the "edible" Gingerbread House (erected to celebrate the holidays) and head towards the elevators in this wing and press the button for the 14th floor.

Gingerbread House in hotel lobby

Gaja is located on the 14th floor of the Swissôtel during the fall/winter months and then moves to the 16th terrace around the end of May when the weather gets nicer:both offer superb views of the Bosphorus and surroundings...

Gaja Restaurant/Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul

Needless to say, Gaja is a fine dining restaurant and I was first "introduced" to Gaja when Gerhard Strugher - General Manager and Yeşim Doğukan, Director of Marketing & PR invited me along with several food writers/journalists when they first opened for a tasting.

Then, the Executive Chef was Murat Karaduman and even though a Turk, he had spent most of his life living abroad and came to Istanbul from Portugal. To this day, I remember the excellent meal we had that night!

As is common with Executive Chefs at hotels, after a certain period of time, they transfer to other hotel properties or sometimes decide to leave the hospitality industry and move on to the restaurant industry.

After Chef Karaduman departed - (he decided to stay in Istanbul and has been the Executive Chef of X Restaurant & Bar atop the Istanbul Culture & Arts Foundation building in Şişhane), we were then introduced to James Wilkins.

Before joining the Gaja Restaurant, the UK born Chef Wilkins was the Executive Chef at the Michel Bras restaurant in Toya, Japan. Before that, he worked at many 1 and 3 michelin star restaurants in London and France (3 michelin star Michel Bras in France; 1 michelin star The Green House and The Orrery in London, etc.).

Once again "our group" was invited to Gaja several times to taste Chef Wilkins wonderful dishes.

Then we got word several months ago that Chef Wilkins had moved on and that a new Executive Chef was coming on board!

With great anticipation,we waited for the day that he would arrive, settle in and be ready to show and impress us with his talents in the kitchen!

A couple of weeks ago I received an email to say that that the 'day' had arrived! Our group was invited to a special dinner on December 7th(yesterday) prepared by Executive Chef William Mahi! Chef Mahi is from the Basque region in France. He ventured into the culinary world in 1996 and worked up the ranks in the culinary world by working at numerous restaurants throughout France before going "international". He wa at the Le Vendôme Restaurant at the Intercontinental in Beirut, Lebanon  and between 2008 - 2010, he worked at the KEE Shanghai and Lan Club Shanghai in China and before coming to the Swissôtel, he was at the Mahi Restaurant in Luxemburg. Welcome to Istanbul Chef Mahi! I'm sure you will enjoy your tenure here! I know we will!

The picture of the chef below was taken at the end of the evening, so don't think he was hanging out with us during dinner - he was too busy working miracles in the kitchen!

Executive Chef William Mahi

Unfortunately, after a few weeks of mild weather in Istanbul, yesterday was quite cold and raining heavily! But, the weather couldn't hold me back from going to Gaja!

We started gathering at the bar at around 7:30pm where we were offered flutes of Ruinart champagne. Besides Gerhard and Yeşim, the hotel's Operations Manager Christian, Kiraz PR Agency's Yeşim Aksoy along with food writers/journalists Artun Ünsal (Posta Newspaper), Figen Batur (Hürriyet Newspaper), Müge Akgün (Radikal Newspaper) and Zeyno Gürses Dolay (founder, www.iyiyemek.com website) were in attendance. Our normal "group of attendees" does have a few more members, but unfortunately they couldn't join us because they were travelling.

We then moved to our table to start our journey of the 8 + 1 course menu specially prepared for us and paired with wines! I say "specially" for us because not all of the selections we had are on Gaja's menu, but it was a way for the chef to show us his different styles and techniques.

In short, Chef Mahi, as far as I'm concerned (I don't want to talk for everyone, but I do know they too felt the same) is an excellent chef! The emphasis of the menu he prepared included a variety of seafood, which is something I always prefer. Even though the servings might appear small (as they are in most fine dining restaurants!), they were so hearty that by the end of the meal I thought I would burst! I've been to other tastings at lots of different venues like this before, but have not felt the same way. So, I can say Chef Mahi cooks "good old wholesome and rustic food"! I guess it is all in the ingredients and how they are used!

I will quickly run through the meal we had without boring you too much and then give you more detailed information on the White Truffle Festival and Gaja's new menu. Sorry for the quality of some of the pictures - there wasn't enough light and all the plates were white - but you'll still get the idea!

The reason I said 8 +1 course is that we were served a surprise course!

Soft boiled egg with white truffles

This dish was incredibly delicious! Who knew what you could do with a simple soft boiled egg by just flavoring it with white truffles and herbs & spices!

This course and the following 3 courses were served accompained with white wine from France/ Pouilly Fumé, Goulaine - 2008.

Mushroom consommé with white truffles

Noix de Saint-Jacques (sea scallops) with hazelnut butter & chestnuts

Baby Calamari San Sebastian

You know, just writing about the meal I had last night is making the juices in my mouth runneth over again!!!! Everything was so good...

Interestingly, it took 4 days to prepare the mushroom consommé - it was slow cooked and reduced to finally attain its final texture and flavors! It was surprisingly light and seasoned perfectly.

On the other hand, the sea scallops were prepared by just throwing them on a hot pan for a couple of seconds! On the menu they called this process "snacking", but I couldn't confirm this terminology, but suffice to say it was so so moist and just melted in our mouths! I can say the same for the baby calamari - it too just melted in our mouths! If calamari is not cooked properly it can be very tough - that wasn't a problem with this dish.

The following two dishes were served with wine from Italy - Rossj-Bass, Langhe, Gaja, 2009

Poached half lobster with oil oil powder

Risotto "Piémonte' Style

I honestly enjoyed every single course offered us (this might not be the case at all tastings), however, my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE was the poached half lobster and as if I hadn't already eaten alot, I wanted to say "more, more!" The "white stuff" you see next to the lobster is powdered or confectionery olive oil - who would have thought! And, the little tube of olive oil is so that you can inject some olive oil into the lobster before eating! The lobster was perfectly cooked! The risotto was prepared flavored with calamari and topped with white truffles. You only slightly got the flavor of the calamari which was interesting! The risotto was served on a bed of red wine sauce.

The following dish was served with red wine from Chile - 1865 Carmenere, 2002

Roasted Turbot with white truffles, cannelloni beans & mushroom

Personally, I am not a big fan of turbot, however, it is in season and one of the most popular fish in Turkey. I had a bad experience with turbot years ago and I was a little hesitant about tasting this dish. However, I didn't have anything to fear! Also, instead of white wine, we were served red wine and the pairing was excellent. The mushroom was very soft and tasty and the cannelloni beans were cooked al dente (so don't think they are undercooked if you order this dish if it is on the menu!)

Our final dish before dessert was served with a red wine from Italy - Barolo, Falletto, Bruno Glascosa, 2003

Turkish Beef Tenderloin served with a spoon!

Chef Mahi called this dish "Turkish" Beef Tenderloin served with a spoon because the meat is local and you eat it with a spoon! Yes, you read me correctly! The meat was slow cooked for 24 hours and it was so moist that you don't need a knife and fork and can just dig in with a spoon! It was served with a side of herbed mashed potatoes which I included in the shot by holding it in my hand so that you can see it - it wasn't served on the plate with the pot.

The last and final dish of our dinner extraordinaire was served with Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial champagne.

Istanbul by Night

Chef Mahi calls this dish "Istanbul by Night". It includes coffee ice cream served with pieces of chocolate wafers with melted chocolate stuffed between the wafers! It was heavenly and surprisingly very light! The reason I am saying chocolate "wafers" and not chocolate pieces is because it wasn't "just" chocolate and tasted like a wafer! It was interesting how this was accomplished, but that's why I'm not a chef and he is!

It was a lovely evening... we then made a quick trip to the kitchen... took some pictures and also met the "others" behind the scenes and thanked everyone for this very pleasant evening in good company...

Gaja kitchen

Executive Chef William Mahi, Figen Batur, Müge Akgün, Vildan (Dani) Yahni (left to right)

I guess you won't be surprised that I highly recommend Gaja Restaurant! So, if you want to treat yourself to an excellent meal in a sublime atmosphere  with an excellent view with superb and efficient service headed by Restaurant Manager Osman Cebe and his team, make sure to make a reservation! Yes, it is expensive, but what fine dining restaurant isn't? At least you'll get your money's worth!

About the White Truffles Festival..

Until December 15th, a special set menu under the heading "Tartufi di Alba" is available at Gaja Restaurant. The 7 course meal is 315 TL/person and 575 TL/person paired with wines. Prices include VAT.


About Gaja's new menu...

 Undoubtedly, a new chef means a new menu! I think from the above you got an idea of Chef Mahi's style...he has been at Gaja Restaurant since October and the menu selections includes a variety of seafood and meat dishes. Besides some of the fish dishes I mentioned above, some other goodies include but are not limited to Goose Liver Terrine and Baked Lamb Shank. Let the rest be a surprise!


The following has nothing to do with my write up on Gaja... but I do want to take a minute to plug my other blog! It's called LOL:Life of Luka and it includes the escapades of Luka... my 14 month old maltese terrier. The blog is fairly new, I haven't had a chance to interview him that often right now, but will be making a new post shortly. He does have lots of ideas, but his mother is too busy to write about them right now. So, if you haven't had a chance, please visit: http://lollifeofluka.blogspot.com I'm sure he will be thrilled and get motivated to write!

Luka

 Keep well!

Dani