Spot News: 3 Restaurants (Antica Locanda; Mama Shelter; P.F. Chang's)

Dear readers,

Unfortunately I have not been able to prepare a post for nearly two months and have been off the grid far longer than I expected! Sorry about that, but I've had my mind on the "political" issues in Turkey and although I have quite a repertoire of places to share with you, I had (and to an extent still do) a major case of "writer's block" and was totally pre-occupied! 

I am hoping I'll get back on track and write more often as I truly do enjoy writing and sharing my experiences with you. However, I have 3 trips (1 domestics and 2 international) coming up between now and the middle of May, so I'll just have to see what happens! But, I definitely do want to write about the 3rd Alaçatı Herb Festival which will take place from April 11-13, 2014 after I return to Istanbul from my trip to Alaçatı. 

This issue of "Spot News" includes restaurants I visited recently; two of which for the first time! I will prepare this post in alphabetical order.


Antica Locanda, obviously an Italian restaurant, opened about 3 years ago in a tri-level renovated once a bakery on the grounds of the oldest Greek Orthodox Church in Istanbul. It is located on a quite side street steps from the Bosphorus in Arnavutköy which is basically infiltrated with side by side seafood restaurants. 

Owned and managed by a husband-wife team (chef Gian Carlo Talerico and his Turkish wife), the casual and cozy eatery (with indoor seating for 65 with a small terrace) has been getting very good reviews since its opening. I finally I had a chance to try it out when Zeyno Gürses Dolay (my good friend), owner of the website Iyi Yemek (www.iyiyemek.com) organized a dinner for foodies on March 25th. Briefly, Iyi Yemek organizes monthly dinners in Istanbul as well as gourmet tours from time to time (like to Alaçatı for the Herb Festival) and the website includes all sorts of articles on gastronomy. However, the website is currently only available in Turkish.

Zeyno Gürses Dolay (left) and me; Antica Locanda outdoor terrace

I'm not going to specifically talk about the set menu dinner (paired with wines from New Zealand and Argentine) we had because the theme of the dinner was inspired by Fellini and included his favorite dishes which are not on the menu. But, I can say, the food and service was very good!

Antica Locanda

But, I can give you some info on their menu. I noticed that there are 5 starters (Seafood Risotto; Ricotta cheese balls with prosciutto; etc.) and 4 main courses (Roasted Grouper; Roasted Chicken Wings; Sauteed Veal Scalopini and Roasted Lamb Chop). I didn't get a chance to look at their dessert menu or to ask if they offered daily specials.

Although I have only been to Antica Locanda once, I still feel comfortable recommending this Italian restaurant, so buono appetito if you decide to go! (Satış Meydan Sokak No. 12, Arnavutköy; Tel: (0212) 287 9745; www.anticalocanda.com.tr) 

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The France-based chi-chi & trendy Philllipe Starck designed Mama Shelter Hotel opened a branch in Istanbul last year. Like its sister properties in Paris, Marseilles, Lyon and Bordeaux Mama Shelter Restaurant is a "fun" place for cocktails or casual dining... For example, you can play one of the instruments (guitar, etc.) on display or try a hand at one of the game stations situated around the restaurant.

Located in the heart of Beyoğlu, a few steps from Istiklal Street and attached to a shopping mall, I finally had a chance to visit and have lunch at Mama Shelter with the hotel's Guest Relations Manager Inci Ogan and Gamze Raday, their rep at Kiraz PR firm.

I was invited to the opening and then a couple of times after then to try it out, but for a variety of reasons I only had a chance to go for the first time on February 27th!

The hotel/restaurant occupies 3 floors in the building it shares with the shopping mall with a separate entrance on a side street off of Istiklal Street. The hotel has 81 rooms ranging in size from 17 m2 to 42 m2 at affordable prices with minimalistic designs. Unfortunately, although I was invited to see some of the rooms, I was running behind schedule and didn't have time. 

Mama Shelter restaurant is very spacious and has an indoor and outdoor seating areas on one floor and I'm told a terrace (not open during the winter) one flight up with a 360 degree panoramic view. 

I loved Phillipe Starck's inspired decor and especially loved the ceiling designs which were hand etched over a period of one week!

Mama Shelter has an open kitchen and the menu was prepared by Alain Senderens (I've been to his restaurant in Paris and love it), a noted and popular French chef and includes starters, pizza, mains and desserts. There is a separate lunch and dinner menu (although some of the items are the same, but portions and prices vary). Also, the lunch menu includes a different starter/main dish combo for 29 TL and available Monday-Friday.

We shared the starters: "Green lentil salad with soft boiled egg & mustard vinaigrette"; "Poached Eggs" and "Eggplant Salad" and I had "Mama's Yogurt Kebab" while Inci had "Chicken Skewers with lemon potato purée", and Gamze chose "Salmon Fillet with spinach".

The starters were good but I would have preferred the green lentil salad more if it wasn't prepared with a heavy meat stock. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with my main course because a "typical" kebab is served on a bed of pita bread with either döner or sliced meat and topped with yogurt & tomato sauce. Since the yogurt and pita bread were served on the side, the bread was very dry as it hadn't had a chance to soak up the juices of the meat. Moreover, since the kebab was prepared with köfte (Turkish style meatballs), it really wasn't a kebab - but rather a typical köfte dish.  

I don't like to make a very positive or negative decision based on a "first" visit because I believe this is not fair and can be misleading at times unless I was totally "blown away" by my meal. 

I think Mama Shelter is worth a visit (and I plan on going again once the 2nd floor terrace opens) and I'm looking forward to trying different dishes on my next visit. I also hear they prepare special cocktails which are highly recommended. (Istiklal Caddesi No. 50-54, Beyoğlu; Tel: (0212) 252 01 01; www.mamashelter.com) 

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A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from Fatoş Ertaş (Marketing Director ) at P.F. Chang's to inform me that they've introduced a new "set lunch menu" and invited me to try it out. Of course, I didn't say no! I've written about P.F. Chang's (refer to my previous post for detailed information) before and I also mentioned that it's my favorite Chinese restaurant in Istanbul... 

Fatoş and I met for lunch on a rainy Friday (for some reason it ALWAYS rains when I go to P.F. Chang's) - March 28th to be precise. 

Available between noon and 5:00pm on weekdays, P.F. Chang's set lunch menu is 35 TL (vat included) and includes soup, main course and soft drink. All of the items available are directly from their main menu and the sizes of the portions are the same.

The soups include a choice of "Hot & Sour Soup" and "Egg Drop Soup" while the mains available are "Mongolian Beef", "Beef with Broccoli", "Sesame Chicken", "Sweet & Sour Chicken", "Almond & Cashew Chicken" and "Salmon Steamed with ginger". All the mains are served with a side of steamed white or brown rice.

There is no "end date" for this special lunch menu and will continue throughout the summer, but Fatoş has informed me that once the weather starts warming up, the soups will be replaced with starters. Enjoy! (Nispetiye Caddesi No. 94, Etiler; Tel: (0212) 358 60 60; www.pfchangs.com.tr) 

Stay well,

Dani

   

Spot News: 1 Guest Chef; 1 Museum; 1 Restaurant; 1 Airline

Dear readers,

From time to time I have decided to prepare posts titled "Spot News" and give you up-to-date info on different events, exhibition openings, etc. side by side along with my more long-winded posts on a variety of subjects!

So, here's the first of hopefully many many more spot news from Istanbul & around the world!

da Vittorio is one of Italy's renowned and respected 3 Michelin star restaurants and is located in Bergamo (about 40 km from Milan), Italy. The popular eatery's 2nd generation chef Enrico Cerea will be a guest chef at Aqua Restaurant at the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel between February 18 and February 23. The family-run da Vittorio received its 3rd Michelin star in 2009 and this longstanding family owned restaurant is managed by the Cerea family which includes mom, dad Vittorio and Enrico's brothers and sisters Roberto, Francesco Barbara and Rosella. 

Enrico, aka "Chicco" and Roberto, aka "Bobo" Cerea 

Now... the brothers Cerea will share some of their dishes with discerning guests at the elegant and refined Aqua Restaurant at the Four Seasons Bosphorus! 

A special menu has been prepared for the event which will be available during dinner on these dates and Enrico will also be preparing the delicacies offered during Sunday Brunch at Aqua Restaurant on February 23rd.

If for some reason you can't make it to this event, I still highly suggest you visit Aqua Restaurant for lunch or dinner... their Executive Chef Sebastiano Spriver is a fantastic chef and I've been fortunate enough to taste many of his innovative and delicious selections from refined Italian cuisine.

Reservations are highly recommended, so call Tel: (0212) 381 4059 for additional information. 

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Two temporary exhibitions opened on February 5th at the Suna & Inan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum located in a restored historical building in the heart of the Pera District in Istanbul. Both exhibits can be visited until April 20th.

The first, Picasso: Engravings and Ceramics from the home of his birth" includes 56 engravings and 8 ceramics of Pablo Picasso's works from the Museo Casa Natal Collection located in Malaga and formerly his home and birthplace.

The other exhibit, titled Aurora: Contemporary Nordic Glass Art includes 51 works from 25 artists from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Denmark.

Artist: P. Lake

While at the museum, make sure to visit the sections of the museum that include their permanent collection - you definitely will not be disappointed!

Visit their website for detailed information about the museum, exhibition and visiting hours. http://www.peramuzesi.org.tr

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P.F. Chang's is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Istanbul and I have been a customer ever since they opened a branch in Istanbul about  1 1/2 years ago and have eaten there many times with friends or from time to time have been invited to events.

I was just at P.F. Chang's, which is located in Etiler on Monday night with a group of bloggers and we are invited so that they could share their Valentine's Day menu with us.

The set "condensed" menu includes some of their regular dishes. The menu includes soup (Hot & Sour Soup) and a choice of two appetizers, 2 main courses, dessert for two (this is prepared special for Valentine's Day) coffee, tea and 1 glass of wine/each. The price is 190 TL/for two.

The following are just some of the samples we tasted and I must say my all time favorite is the Dynamite Shrimp! 

Dumplings, Salt & Pepper Calamari & Dynamite Shrimp

Beef with Broccoli & Crispy Honey Shrimp

Personally, I find the meat dishes a little too salty for my taste because of the sauces used, but the shrimp dish is excellent and the "Dali Chicken" also received high marks from the bloggers.

If you still haven't made a reservation for Valentine's Day, P.F. Chang's can be a good alternative... the food is very good, the service efficient and the 2 story venue (plus a 3rd floor for private events) is airy, spacious and comfortable. (Tel: (0212) 358 60 60)

P.F. Chang's /Etiler, Istanbul

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Turkish Airlines, or THY for short is my favorite airline, and not only because I'm Turkish! I think THY has the best flight attendants, the fleet is constantly being renewed and new destinations are constantly being added.

So, for all my domestic and international flights, THY is my preference. I also find their "Miles&Smiles" program very easy: you can collect miles quickly with flights and a local credit card (I've gotten many many business class tickets with my miles on international flight very easily - even with "restricted" seating miles) and THY is a member of Star Alliance.

I'm definitely not an "expert" on business lounges around the world, however, I have visited some in Europe (Paris, London, Spain, Italy) and by far, the THY Business Lounge in Istanbul is beyond compare. It is very spacious, the food, drinks, services and amenities are beyond compare. Can you imagine, the THY Business Lounge is 3,500 square meters, however, since THY flies to 105 countries around the world and as Istanbul has become a major "transit" passenger point, the lounge was having a difficult time handling the influx of business class passengers especially during the morning "rush hour" flights! Many times I was unable to find a place to sit due to the crowd.

Of course THY was aware of this problem, so in a few short 2,5 months, the Business Lounge was expanded and an additional 2,400 square meters was added and opened to the public just yesterday - February 11.

The following are some pictures of the new Turkish Airlines Istanbul Lounge annex, located at the Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul which includes a whole host of new seating areas, golf simulator, miniature race car track and much more! I can't wait to visit the new annex! (http://thy.com.tr) 

Stay well,
Dani

Tom's Kitchen Istanbul: "Comfort Food" at its best...

Dear readers,

With the opening of Zorlu Center in Istanbul at the beginning of October 2013, we now have an influx of wonderful new internationally recognized restaurants and popular Turkish restaurants under one roof! 

I have pretty much been a "regular" at the mall which is literally steps from my apartment (3 minute walk!), but I can't say I really "know" everything about the mall because I'm too busy trying out and tasting my way through all the "non-fast food" eateries every chance I get, so no wonder I've gained weight! Of course, I have also been travelling quite a bit lately, so that hasn't helped either! In fact, I returned a couple of weeks ago from a wonderful trip to San Sebastian, Spain and I plan on writing posts about my travels as well! 

I've already written about Jamie's Italian and Morini and now it's time to write about Tom's Kitchen! The list is quite long and I have many other restaurants to write about at Zorlu Center, but just need the time to get to it!

Tom's Kitchen opened at the end of November 2013 and is located on the "main level" or rather the "outdoor" section of the mall and is surrounded by the major fancy and deluxe international and local brand retailers (Louis Vuitton, my personal favorite; Stella McCartney, Dior, Miu Miu, Prada, Beymen, Vakko, Bulgari and the list goes on!) 

The eatery is pretty spacious with three sections: an indoor area with an open kitchen and bar; and two outdoor dining areas.

The main reason why many of the restaurants have "outdoor" sections at Zorlu is to accommodate customers who smoke, but unfortunately, the outdoor section of the mall has been encased with glass panels because of the wind and cold weather. As a result, smoking is currently not allowed and has definitely affected the business of restaurants located in this area of the mall (Tom's Kitchen, Parle, Morini). The glass panels will be removed once the weather heats up and the problem will disappear.

I went to eat at Tom's Kitchen for the first time on December 2nd and I have been back at least 3-4 times since then for a dose of good old "comfort food"! However, I have been to Tom's Kitchen in Chelsea, London, so it wasn't a totally new experience for me.

Owned by internationally acclaimed British chef Tom Aikens (with Turkish partners for the Istanbul branch), the menu includes a smorgasbord of comfort food delights! Although Chef Aikens is obviously not in the kitchen, he is very "hands on" and has come back and forth to Istanbul to monitor the developments and of course "gets in the kitchen" on these visits! On one of his visits, I had an opportunity to introduce myself and chat a few minutes and found him to be very friendly and down to earth.

Okay, I can hear you saying... "let's get on with it... talk about the food"! 

So, let's start with the "starters"... of course, I won't be able to list the whole menu, but starters include Tom's "classics" like "Steak Tartare"; "Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait and the dish I tried "Spicy Crab Cake with tomato salsa"

It was very good and flaky, but I usually prefer a little more "kick" and to my personal taste, the crab cake could have been spicier. 

On the day I had the crab cake, I didn't want to overdo it and wasn't very hungry so I ordered a side dish: steamed spinach (also buttered spinach available), which hit the spot in my quest for "comfort food" that day!

One of the things I usually can never say no to is bread! Although I try to stay away from bread so that I don't fill up too much, the bread at Tom's is so good and unfortunately so is the butter (the French brand President), so I do indulge!

Besides the "classic" starters, Tom's has a list of other starters which include "Endive Salad", "Baked Scallops", "Burratta" and my personal favorite "Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Soup"... just writing about the soup makes my mouth water and I could definitely have some right now - talk about "comfort food"!

After the starters, there is a section on the menu called "Sharing Dishes" (for two) and they are: "Charcuterie Board (foie gras, smoked duck, ham, beef rosetta); "Fish Board" (fish cakes, mackerel pate, cured salmon, anchovies); and "Seven Hour Confit Lamb" (served with mash potatoes and balsamic onions). I'm looking forward to trying the Charcuterie Board one day.

Now, on to the mains... once again the menu includes Tom's "classic" mains and other mains. There are 5 Tom's classics and I've had 3 of them: "Shepherd's Pie" (my favorite); Organic Chicken Schnitzel (delicious) and "Macaroni Cheese" (with or without truffles), which hits the spot each time, but for some reason I don't have a photo of the Mac n'Cheese, but take my word for it... it's good and I prefer mine with truffles!

The other "classic" mains are "Beef Burger" and "Filet Steak" and there are 4 main courses: "Roasted Lamb Rump"; "BBQ Chicken"; "Aubergine and Herb Cake" and "Calves Liver".

If you are now asking yourself "where's the fish & chips?" obviously that's listed under "Fish" on the menu!  I still haven't tried the "Beer Battered" Seabass & Chips" because I try to stay away from fried food, but some of my friends have tried it and say it's excellent... the other "Fish" dishes available are "Fish Pie"; "Sea Bream"; "Baked Fish" and "Fish Cakes".

The menu also includes a bunch of classic sides dishes to accompany your meals. Before going on to the desserts, there is also a "Local Cheese Platter" with a total of 4 types of cheeses (6 pieces each) which is a great idea for an afternoon or early evening snack with wine!  

On the subject of wine... I do wish Tom's Kitchen had a more varied wine list (by the glass and bottle) and not rely too much on one particular brand. There are many local and international brands that deserve to be on their wine list.

Now... let's talk dessert! Something I should definitely live without, but can't! I have a love/hate relationship with sweets and succumb to these delectable delights for long stretches at a time and then go "cold turkey" and don't touch the stuff for months! Unfortunately, I am not in the "cold turkey" stage now, but should be!

The list is quite long - with puddings, cakes (cheesecake), "White Chocolate & Passion Fruit Creme Brulee", a "two share" section (Baked Alaska & Ice Cream Sundae)... and I tried the "Cinnamon Doughnuts" (with apple & raisin compote filling and side of vanilla yogurt)...

The doughnuts were good, but not quite what I expected... I thought the filling would be gooier and sweeter, but it was a little dry and the "dough" of the doughnut a bit took thick. I guess I'm sort of a Dunkin Donuts kind of girl!

Wow... after writing this post, I realized I haven't been to Tom's Kitchen for a while and need to make a stop really soon because it's cold, windy and sunny on and off in Istanbul and the "best" time for some "comfort food"!

To sum up, Tom's Kitchen at Zorlu Center is definitely worth a visit. I love the homey and casual decor; the food is good; prices medium to high and the service good.

Cheers!

Tom's Kitchen

Zorlu Center - Zincirlikuyu/Istanbul

Tel: (0212) 353 66 77

www.tomskitchencom.tr

Open daily from noon to 11:00pm for lunch & dinner

Stay well,

Dani

Sidebar: Tom's Kitchen also serves breakfast which is available from 8:00am to 11:45am Monday-Friday and from 10:00am to 11:45am on Saturday-Sunday. The list is quite long and includes everything from croissants, bagels, porridge, cereals to all sorts of egg dishes; pancakes and waffles and sandwiches which you can enjoy with fresh fruit juices, "eye-openers" (i.e. Bloody Mary) and a selection of tea and coffee. Or you might want to try a "Full English Breakfast"! One of these days I hope to finish up my morning chores in a timely manner so that I can try the breakfast treats!