Today is my birthday! Don't ask me how old I am because I won't say and anyway... isn't "age" just a number!!!!
As it is Day 10 of my trip with days and nights of running around - I am totally wiped out!! So, I plan on just hanging out at home with the family and then we will be going to dinner at a friend's house with lots of people tonight to celebrate - I hope to get energized by then!
Actually, yesterday we didn't go to the beach either and just hung out at home by the pool and relaxed. My brother-in-law is a bit under the weather and my sister wasn't feeling that great either.
In the evening we decided to try a restaurant called Tapu (Cumhuriyet Caddesi No. 16 Alaçatı; Tel: (0232) 716 61 40) that we have been hearing about. It took us a while to get our act together and my sister and I left the house around 10:00pm.
She was quiet during our 10 minute drive to Alaçatı and the reason for this came out during dinner.
We parked the car in our usual parking lot as Tapu is located on a side street off of the main strip on Kemalpaşa Street. To easily explain it.. once you see the "Shakespeare in Love" swimwear store, you either hang a left or right depending on the direction you are coming from ... in our case we made a left. You walk down the street almost to the end - about 1 1/2 blocks and Tapu is on the right hand side. The street is very nice wit beautifully restored typical stone houses.
Located in a lovely private alcove right next to an old monastery, it is surrounded with beautiful greenery and dimly lit.
We sat down and starting reviewing the extensive menu. There were so many different types of hot and cold appetizers, salads and mains that it did take us a while to decide what to order. My sis ordered something light (eggplant salad and yogurt) as she said she wasn't feeling that well. I ordered asparagus and parmesan cheese on toasted homemade bread and tenderloin of beef slices as a main.
Unfortunately our dinner turned south as our appetizers arrived. My sister's "reflex" stomach problem really kicked in and she was having a difficult time breathing, so we asked for a doggy bag and had to take it most of our food home. I'm happy she was able to drive back home as she was in really bad shape.
So... I really didn't get a chance to "experience" Tapu, but the following are some of my general thoughts.
The place is beautiful, the menu is extensive - prices are medium to high. The service staff is very friendly and attentive. However, I was not happy with the appetizer I ordered as the asparagus served was very flimsy - in fact if you put the 4 pieces served together, it wouldn't be one piece of asparagus. The other thing I wasn't thrilled about was the "küver" on the bill. This is a charge that some restaurants add for serving bread and water. Here, the küver was quite high and 7 TL/person. Yes, the bread served was very good as it was pieces of garlic bread. However, I do not feel customers should be charged for this IF it is automatically served. I criticize all restaurants that do this.
All in all... I still feel that Tapu is a nice place... I wish I had a chance to visit this 2 year-old restaurant again before I leave, but alas I am returning to Istanbul on Friday - you should never overstay your welcome... even when staying with family!
Dani
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