Dear readers,
After 2 back to back articles on "culture clashes", I decided to lighten things up by reviewing a place that I went to recently... Backyard (www.backyardistanbul.com)
Before starting on my "review", let me give you some "reminder" info on my background and why I feel I have some skills to "review" an establishment.
From May 2001 to December 2010, I was the General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the Guide Magazines. This included the bi-monthly issues of The Guide Istanbul and the annual issues of The Guide Antalya, The Guide Ankara and The Guide Bodrum. We prepared the last issue of The Guide Antalya in 2007 and had decided to stop issuing The Guide Ankara after the 2010 issue, but I don't know if this decision is still in effect. The Guide Bodrum has always been a popular issue and is being prepared - separately in English and Turkish for the past several years. During this period, I had the opportunity to visit lots and lots of restaurants, cafes, etc in the wining and dining industry in Istanbul as well as the other cities.
During the last 5 years at my tenure at American Express in NYC, I was the Regional Manager of Budgets and Administration for the Eastern Region (which included NYC - but not NY State; Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Ohio and Detroit) in the Establishment Services Division. Working with the DOS (Directors of Sales), RVP (Regional Vice President), SEs (Sales Executives) and TMs (Territory Managers), etc. I had the opportunity to visit and eat at some of the best restaurants in NYC and beyond. Personally, I am a major fan of Bobby Flay (I was a fan of Mesa Grill and their heavenly blue potatoes among other dishes) and Daniel Boulud and the wonderful restaurants of Danny Meyer (of course when I lived there, he didn't have the empire he has now!).
On my numerous trips to Paris - I have had the opportunity to dine at some of the best restaurants (i.e. D'argent.. Pierre Gagnaire, Market, Alain Senderes, etc.) in the city as well as lots of bistros, cafes, etc.
As a major wine lover (more on that in later posts) and "foodie", I have been a member of the Turkish chapters of Châine des Rotisseurs and Ordre de Mondial since 2009. In fact, in May 2011, I was a "non-professional" juror at the Châine des Rotisseurs competition to select the best young chef in Turkey: this chef will be competing at the international event in September 2011.
In other words.. on a "non-professional" level, I believe I think by now, I know a thing or two about the wining and dining industry.
Even though on the top of my list is eating "very well prepared food", if the service, ambiance and decor is not up to par... then the total experience is never a well-balanced one! Don't get me wrong.. I also LOVE "no frills" restaurants but am not a fan of places that contend they are 'fine dining' or are 'casual', but are not!
The wining and dining industry has really come a long way since I moved back to Istanbul in 1995. There are sooooooooooo many alternatives now where you can enjoy all sorts of cuisines that were previously not available in Istanbul (i.e. Lebanese, Japanese, Indian, Korean, Spanish, etc.). With this tremendous growth, keeping up with the service, ingredients, etc. has not been an easy task for restaurant, cafe and nightclub owners. After the "boom" began.. there were many "crashes" too! Some restaurants and cafes opened and closed so quickly, confusing customers to no end! The main problems that I noticed for this problem was the lack of qualified service staff (including chefs!), high rents, opening an establishment in the "wrong" location... bad decors and sorry to say this... but "everyone" who had some money to spare, thought they could run a restaurant without having any experience in the industry!
Are there still problems in the wining and dining industry in Istanbul? Sure! But, is the problem decreasing? Definitely! For example, there are more and more women entering the workforce.. there are several excellent Turkish women chefs and waitresses at many eateries - once dominated by men! A women's touch is always needed I say! The wait staff is getting younger - more and more college kids have entered this market (before a no-no - most Turkish families didn't feel it appropriate that their children become waiters/waitresses or chefs for that matter) and most now have 'basic' English language skills.
Additonally, "education and training" has finally become a priority: several independently run culinary schools have opened and shortly, an academy to train wait staff will be opening.
Now... let's gets back to Backyard! But, before I start my review, I also recommend that you read an article prepared by my old compadres at The Guide Istanbul's website (www.theguideistanbul.com) which they just posted yesterday and I found out from a post on Facebook today. Apparently we are on the same wave length as they visited Backyard at the beginning of this week.. and I went there yesterday.
I have been to Backyard many times since it opened a couple of years ago. It is located in Bebeköy which can be reached by making a right turn after the Etiler entrance of Akmerkez Shopping Mall and heading straight down towards Arnavutuköy (like at the half way point). The entrance is on the left hand side of the street right next to a taxi stand. Backyard is also right next door to the posh and expensive MAC Sports Center with a view of MAC's outdoor swimming pool and partial view of the Bosphorus.
Owned by Esra Muslu and Zeynep Moroğlu - two experienced women chefs (Zeynep is the pastry chef) with extensive experience in Istanbul and abroad, the eatery was totally revamped this summer. I had tried going several times before my last visit, but unfortunately it was still under construction then (early July). I also met Esra before when she was managing a different restaurant - she is a very nice person and loves what she does! I think these two girls make a nice team.
Backyard has a small indoor dining area and what they did was expand the seating capacity in the outdoor garden/patio.
So, what they did was to add seating in the garden for those customers not dining, but just having something to drink (the tables are too small for dining)... and a split-level patio with tables and chairs for diners... it is definitely much bigger now!
It was a lovely and sunny Friday morning when my very good friend Zeyno and I got together at around 11:00am for coffee (and which turned into an early lunch!). We hadn't seen each other for awhile due to both of our crazy schedules and we wanted to get together and chat before she heads to Bodrum to complete preparation for her wedding - which I too will be attending in mid-September!
Since it was a lovely day and knowing that Backyard is "dog friendly"... I brought my little Luka with me and he finally had a chance to meet his "aunt" Zeyno. Undoubtedly, they got along famously!
We decided to sit at a table instead of in the garden, because we decided we wanted to eat as well. We both had busy schedules in the afternoon and thought it a good idea to eat to keep our energy up. It wasn't very crowded so we had no problems getting a table and I also ran into a friend - Phil - who I hadn't seen in a awhile.
The tables are set up to accommodate up to 4 people, but I just wish the chairs were a little more comfortable. They are not really conducive for sitting for a long time and are a little hard - a soft cushion would have been nice! There was also a lovely breeze and we didn't feel the heat at all! In fact, the breeze kept on blowing our napkins off the table!
Like I said.. we went from just meeting for coffee to having lunch - or rather a late breakfast - opting for a plain omelet (for me) and a Tava Tost (it was HUGE and prepared with toasted black olive bread, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, arugula and purple basil) with an iced latte (for me) and fresh juice for Zeyno.
We were served fresh homemade bread (could have been a little fresher) and a tomato based dip while we waited for our food. As Zeyno and I were too busy chatting it up, I didn't really review to see what else was on the menu. However, I did visit their website. Togive you a flavor... most dishes are organic, and include breakfast treats, salads (a little different from the rest with some more unique ingredients), mini-tastes, main courses (from whole wheat penne to whole lobster), and desserts (homemade ice cream and sorbet and daily specials).
We had a nice time at Backyard...I will definitely be going back to enjoy the "outdoors" before the summer season ends.. AND... for the winter, according to the article prepared by Talya at The Guide Istanbul (she started working there after I left, so I don't know her) - the outdoor section will be enclosed and used in the winter: the small indoor section in a separate building has a fireplace and will also accommodate diners.
Backyard is open from 8:30am to 11:00pm on weekdays (kitchen closes at 10:00am) and from 9:00am to 11:30pm on weekends (kitchen closes at 10:30pm). There website is in English and Turkish.
Congrats Esra and Zeynep! You have a very nice place, it's serence and relaxing - and bigger now too! I hope you much success in your future endeavors!
Dani
Dear readers,
As I mentioned many times early - I just started blogging on July 4th, so I am still basically a "newbie" at this - but thoroughly enjoying it! I am still trying to figure out how to use all the features available and most importantly, how to increase my hits and readership!
900+ pageviews for someone who just started out I guess it's not bad, but I see I have a long way to go to really get the numbers up! I am now basically "promoting" my blog by posting to Facebook, Twitter and Internations and then hoping that my friends "share" my blog with others. But, there has to be a better way - but I haven't figured it out yet! I recently visited some Turkish blogs where the bloggers "contend" that they get thousands of pageviews a day - I personally find this difficult to believe! I wish everyone would include a "pageview" counter like I have - I believe in being totally honest and don't want to hide the true facts.
This blog is still a "work in progress". In my summary, I have mentioned what I will be writing about and then will expand/decrease my scope based on readers request.
One of the things I did realize is that most of my readers are more interested in and I get more page views when I write about "culture clashes" and Turkish people in general. So, I will see what I can do to increase my posts in this area. But, I want to keep it fun and not use it as a forum to vent and complain. I want to be as objective as possible when talking about the differences in cultures and these are my personal views and thoughts! This does not mean everyone has to agree with me...I can only write about what I know and that is the US (specifically New York City) and Turkish culture (my life in Istanbul) that I have personally experienced.
I am Turkish - but I'm not! Sure, I was born in Istanbul - both mom and dad are Turkish - dad from small town near Eskişehir and mom's side from Izmit and Crimea, Russia.
I grew up in New York and I'm from the "Brady Bunch", Welcome back Kotter", "Partridge Family" and "Fonzie" era! In a way - I'm playing "guess my age", but since I think that "age" is nothing but a number and what you feel and project are your "true" age, I think we don't need to belabor this point!!!
So, when you take a kid that was brought up on the streets of Flatbush and Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn; who lived in Istanbul after graduating from HS (Erasmus Hall) at the tender age of 16 (in 3 1/2 years) and worked as a secretary at Bosphorus University for about 2 - 2.5 years (met some fantastic people then - that's another post!); who then returned to the USA , working and climbing the ladder her entire work career (17 years) in NYC at American Express in downtown and then midtown Manhattan (first Finance and then Establishment Services Sales Division), receiving a degree from NYU by going to school while working; with a 10 year stretch living in Guttenberg, New Jersey (the last 3 in a posh concierge/condo with view of Hudson River and NYC skyline - rented my apartment from my best friend Chrysoula) and then throwing this person back to Istanbul - well, you get an interesting and diverse character/personality!
I can't believe I summarized my life in one paragraph... I did mention in my previous article that I like to write short and sweet! There are still some gaps, but that's from my childhood and not very important to the entire picture.
Once again, I digressed.. but I was just trying to explain why I AM Turkish, but not at the same time! I am very proud of my heritage and I am truly amazed that even though I grew up in NY, I still have lots of my Mediterranean traits! But, then again - NY is a melting pot of all cultures, so I guess this had something to do with it too!
But these two different lifestyles come into conflict at times and the end result can be very funny or sad depending on the circumstance!
Some more examples...
I am fluent in Turkish - I can read and write Turkish and pretty much learned how to read Turkish when I was 9 years old and my dad handed me a Turkish newspaper and said, "read Vildan"! Of course, it wasn't that simple, but eventually I did learn! And.. we always spoke Turkish at home. However, this does not mean that my Turkish is at the same level as Turks who were brought up here. My grammar is still horrible... I do read alot to improve (but do not prefer to read Turkish novels.. I get sidetracked easily!) my Turkish and of course as part of my freelance life, I can easily translate from Turkish to English, but not vice versa. I am still stumped by many words that I might not have used/heard before - especially the more "formal" words. Turkish is not an easy language and has many rules/regulations, but if you are living here, it is always a good idea to take some lessons to at least learn the basics. One little trick... if you learn how to pronounce each of the letters of the alphabet, then you will be able to read Turkish! Every single letter (except for the 'ğ' which is silent) has a specific pronunciation which does not change according to the word - like it can in English.
Turks are really bad at saying "no"... so they don't say anything at all and skirt the issue totally! Let me give you an example that is work-related... you ask he/she to advertise in your magazine... the person in question is a friend... and says "sure, sure" ! So, you send he/she the info, prices, etc. and wait for a respond... 9 times out of 10 - there is no response! You call or email... they either don't pick up the phone or do not respond to your email! I never push my luck when this happens and "realize" this is their version of saying "no" And guess what? The next time you see this person... there is absolutely no mention of the fact that he/she never returned your phone call or email!
Along the lines like the above example... most Turks are really bad at responding to emails! This drives me nuts! The subject matter is not important... but, you need a response... it's common courtesy... and don't get one!!
The Turkish language is a little more formal... and this can be difficult to understand by other cultures. For example, there are different ways of addressing people you know, versus those you don't. Turks are not crazy about too much "familiarity" in conversations. For example... to a friend.. you will say "nasılsın" to say "how are you", but to a person that you don't know or have a more formal relationship with, you would say "nasılsınız". You would never call your boss by their first name, but have to add "hanım" (female) or "bey" (male) after their name according to their gender. There are just tooooo many examples, but the above are just the basic ones.
Turks can be a little over "emotional" at times... and may not be good at some "joking" that is totally appropriate in other cultures. For example, you can make fun of Obama as much as you'd like - even on TV, in print... etc. But, god forbid you try to do the same with any government official in Turkey. At the drop of a hat, they will take you to court for slander! If you make a "bad" comment about a nurse... a taxi driver... etc... the ENTIRE professional group will go up in arms and say that you are putting down EVERYONE in that field! And.. never ever say anything bad about an opposing soccer team to that of your own to a friend/acquaintance who is a fan of the other team... your friendship might get into jeopardy!
Finally,
Turks can be a little too inquisitive about subjects you might not have even thought of... this has happened to me many times! For example, when I first moved back to Istanbul, I didn't have answers too or ever thought about two specific questions that I was asked over and over again (and still get asked!)They are: "What does Vildan mean" and "Your last name is Yahni - where does this come from?" To be quite frank.. I STILL don't know the answers to both of these questions... except to say that the name "Vildan" is mentioned in the Kuran and since most of my father's side of the family is deceased and I haven't kept in touch with any of my cousins in years (no family problems.. we were just never close because we never lived in the same country or city in Turkey) - so I have no idea why my father's family selected our last name (never thought of asking dad before he passed away in 1992) after the Turkish Republic was formed! One of the things I did find out though is that "Yahni" is a very common last name in the Jewish faith too, but our family is Muslim. One of these days I might research my family tree.. but to be quite frank, it's not on the top of my list!
Dani
Dear readers,
One of the bad things about being laid up at home and sick is that you have too much time on your hands BUT... you are tooooo tired to do anything! Surprisingly, even though you are basically doing nothing... time does pass by quickly and it's the end of the day before you know it!
I am and have always been a night owl! Even if I am at home, I have a tendency to go to sleep very late - and I usually spend my time when at home reading newspapers, magazines, surfing facebook, twitter, internations and watching TV. I am going to be totally honest and admit that I do like to watch TV. Even when not watching, the TV is always on... I like "noise" in the background...
Now that I work from home.. I can also watch day time TV too! I have digiturk - a cable TV system with lots of Turkish and International channels - but sometimes STILL can't find anything to watch - especially now that it's the summer and all shows are in reruns. I must admit though that I do not follow Turkish TV programs - let it be comedy, drama series or talk shows - but I do watch the local news on CNN Turk or NTV. Instead, the series I follow include Fringe, Grey's Anatomy, V, Bones, Law & Order SVU, CSI Miami, reruns of Will & Grace, Cougertown and so on. For some reason, I can't totally relate to Turkish shows! I find some of the story lines totally out of my scope of interests - I guess it has to do with the fact that I was brought up in NYC... and values, outlook on life, etc. are so so different. Don't get me wrong... I am not saying I am "better" or "worse" than my countrymen... I am just saying that we do not have that many common denominators! Even so... I am very happy that I moved to Istanbul and it was probably one of the best decisions I have made in my life - sounds like a bit of a conflict don't you think? This is a very long story and too difficult to summarize in a blog ... maybe one day I will write a book! I guess in a way I like the "clashes and differences"... Some examples...
I do enjoy listening to music - but for some reason, not at home! I don't have a stereo or CD system and make due with my ipod, which includes some of my favorite artists - who I like to listen too during my daily long walks when not sick and when the weather is not so hot. I do have "weird" musical tastes I think and my current all time faves are Moby and Pet Shop Boys! I can listen to their latest cds (which I believe came out a few years ago) over and over again without getting bored. My all time favorite singers/groups are Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Tina Turner, Elton John and I really really also love American country music (Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, etc.) - but have been out of the loop ever since returning to Istanbul. I'm not a major fan of the newest groups/singers for some reason and would never buy a CD from Lady Gaga.. the recently deceased Amy Winehouse... Rihanna... Beyonce.. even though I think they are great. But, there is nothing like the "old" songs.. the words... tunes... just can't compare as far as I'm concerned. I guess it's an "age" thing. I also do not prefer listening to popular Turkish music - except for from time to time Tarkan and Sezen Aksu! I find that most of the more "popular" singers all sound the same - the music, the words... just can't relate!
I was never hooked on age, status.. how much money people earn until I moved back to Istanbul! I'm still not hooked on it, but realize that most people around me are! I was stunned when I first moved back and people asked me "how old I was and how much money I earned"! Honest to God.. no one asked me these questions in NYC. "Status" is also a big thing here - fancy titles are sometimes more important than what's underneath them... I do have lots of friends and acquaintances in "high" places, but have never used them to get ahead or get perks in my social or business life. Also, in my business life in the USA, I was always on a first name basis with co-workers, bosses, etc. But, I realized you can't do this in Turkey - all my subordinates called me "Vildan Hanım".. in Turkish, instead of saying Mr. or Ms. and the last name, you first name is used and hanım (for a female) and bey (for a male) or added to the end of your first name. You cannot be too "familiar" with your subordinates because most workers in Turkey are still not good at mixing "business and pleasure" and can cross the line if you are too friendly.
I am a bit too honest and straight forward for my own good! You have to be especially careful of this in the workforce. My countrymen are not very good at talking and saying what's really on their mind openly! They do like to beat around the bush and use inferrences and are definitely not good at accepting criticism! Maybe the reason for this is that Turks are not very good at expressing "constructive" criticism... sometimes things are very black or white, but sometimes you do need a bit of gray!
Turks usually talk too much and are not very good listeners... but I am just the opposite! I don't like talking alot and prefer to express myself in a few short sentences - hate long and dragged out unnecessary meetings and have been commended on my listening skills to the point that I can comfortably say I am a good listener!
I enjoy my space and prefer being alone from time to time... not so with most of my counterparts! Turks like to travel, eat and socialize in packs. I on the other hand, love going to a restaurant by myself for a nice glass of wine... some food and chatting with people I might run into. I also like going on vacations on my own too... good way to meet other people and to also shop, sleep, eat and go out without being bound to someone else. I have no problems going to the movies by myself either. That's the New Yorker in me... NY'ers love their "alone" time!
Rules and regulations were made to be broken... Turks hate rules and regulations! When street lights were first installed, Turks had no qualms about running red lights and EVEN beeped at other drivers who didn't. To this day, you will see drivers running red lights. Motorcylists feel that they have different rules from other motorists and usually pass at red lights, think it's appropriate to ride against the traffic and on pedestrian walkways! God forbid you reprimand them - they will yell back at you with full force and make you feel like you are from another planet! You are not allowed to talk or text on your cell phone while driving! Really? Most Turks feel that this rule does not apply to them either... I hate it when a taxi driver is talking it up with a friend while I am in the taxi! The "no-smoking" rule in all indoor spaces went into effect last summer... do you think everyone listens? No way! You will find that people STILL smoke in office buildings (including city and state buildings - you know.. the places that are responsible for enforcing the law) and some bars, cafes and restaurants. As I am a smoker - you won't see me complaining about this! Drivers also feel it's appropriate to use the "emergency" lane on highways - well.. there is too much traffic and there is a lane that is "empty" and not being used - waste not want not! Also, Turks will park their car wherever they want! It doesn't matter that there might be a car park a few feet away - double and sometimes triple parking on narrow streets are just a fact of life!
Turks can be quite negative and sometimes believe in the "evil eye" too much! I think this is why my countrymen are negative. I feel that sometimes if they say that things are going well and that life is good, the opposite will happen! On the other hand, I am very positive and my mantra is "the glass if half full.. not half empty". Ask any taxi driver how life is going and he will complain that he makes absolutely no money, but owns a home, has a private car and can afford to send his kids to college! Most of the beggars on the street make more money than you and I... this has been proven several times, when they have been picked up by the police and besides finding lots of money on their person, many have been found with several bank books in their pockets! So, ask any Turk how business or theirxlife is going and more than likely you will hear a sob story!
All Turks in my social circle are well groomed and dressed... I must admit that when I lived in NYC, I was not into the latest trends, fashions, having my hair done, etc. Of course, NYC is a fashion capital, but the "normal" Joe/Josephine walking down the street does not dress like they have stepped out of a fashion magazine! We as "normal" people had very "normal" lives! Now, after 16 years in Istanbul... I only wear or carry LV (I think I can open my own boutique), Tod's, Gucci, Armani and Longchanp shoes and bags! I visit the hairdresser 2-3 times a week (except during the summer months) for a blow-dry and every two months for hair color and highlights and for frequent manicures and pedicures! I still don't spend tons of money on clothing, but I hate to say this - but I do my clothes shopping in Paris three times a year (more choices, less expensive + duty free!). In other words, in my own way, I have become a fashionista!
Turks are very friendly and are always there for you when in need... my mom will say that "old" Istanbul was even better at this and that times have changed. Back in the old days, neighbors were friendlier - everyone in an apartment building knew and visited each other... the young had more respect for their elders, etc. etc. But, even though Istanbul has changed, the values of "family" and "friendship" are still better than in other cosmpolitan and modern cities. Home visits and telephone calls have in most part been replaced with emails, texts and tweets, but when you need a helping hand... your friends will run to your aid - not walk! I have lived through this in 2002 when I had 4 major surgeries in one year - and nearly died. I needed blood, lots of love and support to recover which took nearly a year and I never felt alone!
So, having said all this....
Am I happy? You bet I am.. I LOVE Istanbul - I thrive on the diversity...the Bosphorus gives me joy every day... I love and am proud of our rich heritage... I love the social life and scene... I do go crazy at the cacophony at times.. I hate the traffic and lack of public transportation... but, in the end.. the good always outweighs the bad.. and I really feel "alive" every day in Istanbul. If you live here, I think you know what I mean!
Am I still growing and learning? You betcha! One of the things I ALWAYS told my young co-workers is that "no matter how many years you have 'lived' or 'worked', the minute you say you 'know it all' " is the day you lose! You never... ever... stop learning and growing - you just have to be open to it! This is one of the most important pleasures in life! So, keep yourself open to all that it has to offer - no matter where you are!
Dani
