My New Haunts: Cookshop & Kahve Dünyası

 Dear readers,

I know I have been off the radar for quite a while now and haven't written a post in months but between travelling in December, ringing in the New Year,looking for a new apartment and then moving at the end of February ... well it has been pretty hectic to say the least!

I'm nearly settled in ... absolutely love my new apartment and neighborhood and have already gotten chummy with the local shopkeepers surrounding the area because Luka, my 4,5 year-old Maltese dog and I have been walking on average 4-5 km daily! 

I now live in Ulus which is about 3-4 km from my old neighborhood Levazim. This area is much more upbeat while Levazim, where I lived for 5 years was like living in one huge complex of apartment buildings and pretty much nothing else until Zorlu Center opened about 1,5 years ago. Furthermore, since it was quite hilly Luka and I didn't walk nearly as much.

I walk Luka twice a day - like most dog owners. He wants to go out by 8-8:30am and then again in the afternoon by 3-4pm. Then I'm set until the next morning! In the mornings we walk towards Ulus Park (but not all the way yet) and in the afternoon towards Akmerkez Shopping Mall. We don't stop by anywhere in the morning because I just want to get back home and have coffee and breakfast. But, in the afternoon we have become pretty much "regulars" at Cookshop and Kahve Dünyası - the two most convenient places to go to with a dog for a quick, moderately priced meal, coffee - or a glass of wine!

So, let me give you some insight on my two new haunts in Ulus.

Cookshop has several branches throughout the city and has been around for several years. The Ulus branch is quite big and has spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas and of course is "dog-friendly". Also, it is right across the street from Akmerkez (which is not dog-friendly)

I had been to Cookshop several times before moving to the neighborhood and had always enjoyed the food and the moderate prices. 

I can highly recommend the omelet with herbs or grilled toast sandwich if you want something on the light side...

Or... if you want something a little more heartier, the grilled köfte (Turkish style meatballs) or grilled salmon with a side of grilled vegetables are excellent!

Or... at other times, I just prefer having a glass of brewed Turkish tea or a glass of rose wine!

 

I can't vouch for the quality of the food at Cookshop's other branches (obviously the chef is not the same), but I'm sure you will enjoy the Cookshop across the street from Akmerkez in Ulus. 

Kahve Dünyası or "Coffee World" in Ulus is a hop, skip and jump from my apartment and Luka and I stop by almost everyday for coffee (even when I go to Cookshop). The terrace is quite spacious (and always crowded), but you can sit indoors as well. 

As their name suggests, Kahve Dünyası with many branches throughout Istanbul specializes in all sorts of coffee (hot and cold; with/without ice cream) and also has a wide assortment of chocolates (their own brand), all sorts of delectable cakes (make sure to try the lemon cheesecake - heavenly) as well as savory pastries, quiches, salads and sandwiches. I have tried their savory pastries (very good) and quiche (so-so) but don't have photos to share. So, let's concentrate on the coffee...

My favorite is Turkish coffee... at Kahve Dünyası it is served with a huge piece of chocolate, chocolate covered blueberries or sour cherries and a small bottle of water: the price is only 5,5 TL! I am so hooked on the blueberry covered chocolates that I buy them for home (bad Dani... bad!)

Turkish Coffee at Kahve Dünyası/Ulus

Since I normally order a Turkish coffee, I don't look at the menu often but decided to the other day and I was pleasantly surprised that they also serve Iced Turkish Coffee (first time I'm seeing this on any menu) and decided to try it...

Iced Turkish Coffee at Kahve Dünyası/Ulus

Normally, I do not use sugar or milk in my coffee, but I must admit the Iced Turkish Coffee was absolutely delicious! Besides chocolate syrup, it is topped with Turkish coffee bean grinds!

My other two favorites here are Iced Instant Coffee (normally served with chocolate shavings) and Espresso Macchiato...

Iced Instant Coffee at Kahve Dünyası/Ulus

Espresso Macchiato at Kahve Dünyası/Ulus

So, to sum up... Luka and I are fortunate that we have two very nice cafes that we can stop by to take a break during our afternoon walks in the neighborhood that don't also put a "dent in mom's wallet"!

My honey Luka at Kahve Dünyası/Ulus

Stay well,
Dani

FINAL NOTE: I haven't been "out-out" in a while now because of my move which was exhausting! However, I have been to some great places in the last few months like Rudolf, Brasserie Cognac and Armut and plan on writing about them as well because they are worth it!

Lokanta Farina at Ormanada/Zekeriyaköy: For a Bit of Fresh Air & Delectable Delights!

Update: Unfortunately this lovely restaurant has closed. (October 2015)


Dear readers,

We all have our "comfort zones" and are "set in our ways" one way or the other let it be in our dining & entertainment habits, where we shop, where we live... etc. etc. 

Especially since I live in Istanbul and since we have a major traffic problem, I usually like to "stay closer to home" since I don't want to deal with sitting in traffic to get somewhere and then back home - specifically on the weekends!

However, a couple of weeks ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone to visit Lokanta Farina which is located in Zekeriyaköy at Ormanada, a brand new 44,000 square meter deluxe verdant residential complex with 188 villas and 81 row houses! 

Although it is only 18 km from where I live in Levent, I felt like I was in another city! And... the traffic was much lighter than I thought to get there! The surroundings were so expansive and green green green - something we miss living in a cosmopolitan city like Istanbul which has a population of about 13 million inhabitants! Yet again... I was still in Istanbul! What a breath of fresh air! 

I met Jale Balcı,  the owner and executive chef of Lokanta Farina in 2010 when I was invited to the launch of her 2nd cookbook titled "Antakya City & Cuisine" at Antiochia Restaurant (she is the co-owner with her brother) in Asmalımescit in the heart of the Pera District.  I had previously tasted Antiochian cuisine but I was totally mesmerized by the delectable delights I tasted that day and most importantly, all the recipes were in Jale's cookbook (it is separately available in Turkish and English and can be purchased from her website directly too)! Antakya, which is part of the Hatay region is located in Southern Turkey and borders Syria. Antakya's cuisine is renowned and the cuisine is more "Levantine" than Turkish cuisine.

Jale and I have been in touch on and off in the past 4 years and are "Instagram" and "Twitter" friends so when she started writing that she was opening a new restaurant I got very excited to see what was up her sleeve! After much planning and creating her menu, Lokanta Farina (lokanta means restaurant in Turkish and farina is the Italian word for flour) opened in late June, but with all the traveling I did in the last few months, I just had a chance to visit her new place on a sunny, yet cold and windy Sunday afternoon (October 19) with my sister Meltem, nephew Arman and good friend Müjgan for lunch.

It took us about half an hour to get to Zekeriyaköy from Levent and it was definitely worth the trip.

Lokanta Farina has indoor and outdoor seating areas, but it was a little to cool to sit outside, but she will be installing heaters to use her terrace throughout the winter.

The venue is not very big, but it is beautifully decorated in a minimalist style and I loved the different accents all around the space... you just know that there is a women's touch here - let it be the decor or the presentation of the dishes.

"Accents" at Lokanta Farina/Ormanada

Jale's motto is to serve "healthy, hearty, satisfying and tasty dishes" not only from Antiochian cuisine, but others as well.

With menu in hand, we started perusing the list and decided that it would be best to try a whole host of different dishes and except for the pancakes my nephew ordered, all the other dishes we selected were from Antiochian cuisine.

We tried not to eat too much homemade warm fresh bread with butter before our order came, but we weren't very successful! 

We started out by trying the "mini crostini" which was a selection of bite-sized Antiochian delights (humus, muhammara, ezme, etc.); "İçli Köfte" which is similar to the Arabic kibbeh (deep fried oval shaped balls of bulgur wheat stuffed with minced meat); falafel (no explanation needed) and whipped stracciatella cheese (an Italian cheese) on a bed of olive oil,topped with cubes of red bell peppers.    

We also had "Muhammara" (red pepper and walnut dish); "Kuru Dolma" (Sun-dried green peppers stuffed with minced meat); "Sliced tomato salad with cheese (topped with zahtar - a spice made with roasted sesame seeds and sumac) and "Köfte" (Turkish style meatballs) on a bed of cannelloni beans flavored with beets! Talk about original... who would have thought you can combine beets and beans - it was absolutely delicious!

Jale was busy running around, but she did get a chance to sit and chat with us for a while from time to time and I was thrilled for her because she is very hardworking and conscientious. She has created a very good and balanced menu at Lokanta Farina and of course, the dishes will change according to season and availability of fresh ingredients.

Me and Jale Balcı

Before I mention the desserts we had, I must say that everything we ate was absolutely delicious, very fresh and spiced just right! In fact, we did order seconds of some of the dishes! My nephew Arman is a typical teenager and a finicky eater, but he too absolutely loved a lot of the dishes we thought he wouldn't event taste!

Desserts are also prepared fresh daily by Jale and her team and we opted to try the Banana Meringue topped with plums while Arman had a cupcake!

We had a lovely afternoon at Jale's Lokanta Farina and made sure to pick up some homemade jam (I selected figs) on our way home. She also prepares all sorts of cookies, homemade lemonade and of course cupcakes and muffins which you can also take home! 

As you can see from the looks on our faces ... Meltem, Müjgan, Arman and I were totally satisfied and happy after the delectable meal we had!

Müjgan, me, Arman and Meltem (left to right)

I definitely plan on stepping out of my "comfort zone" more often and visit Lokanta Farina in the coming weeks and I recommend it to everyone who lives in Istanbul for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life to enjoy the fresh air, verdant surroundings and excellent food!

Bon Appétit... Afiyet Olsun... and give my regards to Jale too!

Stay well,
Dani


Note: Lokanta Farina is open daily from 9:30am to midnight on weekdays and until 1:00am on weekends. Also, "theme" evenings on planned on a weekly basis (follow Lokanta Farina on tweeter or instagram for details). Tel: (0212) 801 0 777; www.lokantafarina.com - website only available in Turkish). Lokanta Farina also offers catering services for your social gatherings.  

Atelier Real Food: "Back to Basics" at The Ritz Carlton, Istanbul

Dear readers,

During the latter part of the first week of this month, I received an email from Yasemin Uygurmen who is the Director of Public Relations at The Ritz Carlton, Istanbul Hotel. Although we know each other for years and "keep in touch" via Instagram, too my total amazement, she reminded me in her email that the last time we got together was nearly two years ago when I attended an event called "Basta Bad Pasta" (you can read my blog post on this subject) where we were taught how to make homemade pasta at Çintemani Restaurant!

She was now writing to inform me that Atelier Real Food had just opened (soft opening) in place of Çintemani lunch and wanted to invite me to lunch on September 12th...

I was of course intrigued and happily accepted her invitation ... I was just getting over a 10-day bout with the flu & had been home bound too long and looked forward to trying something new and seeing old friends at the same time!

We were a small group - Yasemin, Max Zanardi General Manager of the Ritz Carlton Istanbul (and someone I've been friends with for over 15 years) and Ebru Eke, the Editor-in-Chief of the Turkish versions of La Cucina and Travel Magazines, also a good friend.

Atelier Real Food or the old Çintemani restaurant is located on the lobby level of the posh 5-star hotel which overlooks the magnificent Bosphorus strait. And, I was surprised at the major changes that were made to the space once occupied by Çintemani. In other words, the changes were much more than just a "name change"!

First, Çintemani used to cover a vast area of space next to the bar/lounge: now, the bar/lounge was expanded and the decor totally changed and the new Atelier Real Food Restaurant is separated with a partition, at the very end of the corridor and is much smaller and cozier with seating for about 50 people...

Atelier Real Food/The Ritz Carlton, Istanbul 

I admired the new minimalist and contemporary decor which I found out was designed by popular Portuguese architect Patricia Pina and that the furniture was designed and produced solely for the restaurant.

I especially loved the open kitchen! More and more restaurants are designing their venues with open kitchens and as a major "foodie" and amateur "cook", it's great and exciting to be able to observe the professionals in action!

Besides the standard elegant table settings affording a lovely view of the Bosphorus with huge almost floor to ceiling windows, there is a Chef's Table seating up to 12 with a very well-stocked wine cabinet adding to the elegant yet casual ambiance of the space.

After we all greeted each other... my first question was "what do you mean by 'real food'?".  Answer? "back to basics!"

Quite simply, 'real food' at Atelier is contemporary Mediterranean cuisine that is prepared with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients and that at an "Atelier", chefs create "unique special dishes". Also, "back to basics" means that heavy sauces, foams (creams, mousses, etc) and other "attractions" are also "no-nos". What a refreshing thought for a change! I was really getting tired of visiting restaurants where I couldn't even figure out what the food was from all the "additional" attractions! In fact, seasonings are also sparingly used not to mask the genuine taste of the food. 

So, before we got down to trying some of the dishes on the menu (which was still a "work-in-progress" and being finalized), we met Andre Piednoir, the French Executive Chef, who I also captured on camera while he was putting the final touches on our meals! 

Executive Chef Andre Piednoir @ Atelier Real Food/The Ritz Carlton, Istanbul

Executive Chef Piednoir has 27 years of experience in the Culinary world. Moreover, he traveled extensively through Turkey on his motorcycle to discover and explore the flavor and ingredients of our country. He has worked in 14 countries at hotel properties (The Ritz Carlton Portugal, Mandarin Hotel Bangkok, etc.), as well as a one year stint at Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Grill & Bar in NYC. Also, he was in executive positions at 3-Michelin star chef Joseph Rostang's restaurants. His real passion is pastry and he spent two years opening a pastry shop in France. So, you can say Chef Piednoir knows what he's doing!

So, we sat back and started enjoying some of the chef's dishes after he asked whether we preferred meat or fish and Ebru and I both opted for seafood!

We were all not served the same meal... so I'll start out by sharing the appetizer and main course I had...

My appetizer was grilled octopus served with greens and a vegetable salsa which was very good as the octopus was very fresh and cooked just right and not "chewy". For my main course, I was served sea bass cooked with potatoes and seasonings in an individual crock pot which was amazing! Of course, I needed a spoon to scoop up the juices!

Also, the homemade bread that you see in the background of the octopus dish is served on hot "Sile" stone purchased from the Anatolian region in Turkey, so your bread is constantly warm and delicious! And... if you would like to add salt or olive oil to your dish...

"Maldon" sea salt & extra virgin olive oil produced for Atelier Real Food

make sure to try the EVOO that has been exclusively produced for Atelier Real Food and the high quality "Maldon" brand of sea salt (also sold at Macrocenter in Turkey).

On the other hand Ebru Eke was served the following dishes (of course I tasted them too)

  
Her appetizer was sea bass tartar and grilled sea bass on a bed of risotto and both were very good too! The above picture also includes a "non" seafood dish and Chef Piednoir wanted us to also try the slow cooked (4,5 hrs) spareribs (prepared off the bone) which was also amazing & if it was on the bone, it would have fallen off because it was so moist and juicy.

Since Chef Piednoir is also an expert on pastries, no doubt the desserts we tried below were totally sinful, yet heavenly & simple!

I was able to choose my dessert and opted for the apple tart, but did also try the other two desserts - one prepared with figs and ice cream in a red wine sauce and the other which was the chef's version of "baklava" - also served with ice cream. Once again, the "back to basics" theme was in play and none of the desserts were masked with unnecessary ingredients which is why I believe they were so good! 

I must say... it was a pleasure meeting Chef Piednoir and it was great once again getting together with Max and Yasemin after a very long time! Ebru and I are friends and have attended many events together, so we were a very good group enjoying fantastic food in wonderful surroundings with good conversation that the 2,5 hours we spent together literally flew by!

me, Ebru Eke, Andre Piednoir, Max Zanardi, Yasemin Uygurmen (left to right)

Some final notes:

1) A winter garden will be opening the first week of October. Also offering a lovely view, it has floor heating and smoking is permitted.  

2) Open daily from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm for dinner. Reservations are recommended. Tel: (0212) 334 41 88

3) Excellent wine menu with over 150 local and international wines. 

4) Atelier Real Food also has a traditional "French Rotisserie" and will be the highlight of the Sunday Brunch or aptly called "Sunday Roast" which will begin on October 19 at 11:30 am.

Thank you for inviting me Max and Yasemin and I'm sure I will be stopping by for dinner and/or "Sunday Roast" with my friends in the upcoming months!

Stay well,
Dani