Archive for August, 2007Istanbul is a huge city filled with history, water, and food. The restaurant scene is equally full of variety - you can eat traditional Turkish food to your heart’s content, but there are also plenty of modern and international restaurants to choose from. Best of all, it’s big enough to support at least three vegetarian restaurants. On first night in Istanbul fled the atmospheric, but tourist heavy, Sultanahmet district for the hipper Taksim zone just across the Galata Bridge. We started the night with cheap beer at a fun bar called Sinergie, then set out to find a well-known vegetarian restaurant called Zencifel Nature and Peace. According to our Lonely Planet, it should have been at no. 8 Kurabiye Sokak. But wasn’t. Not only that, when we asked locals for directions no-one had heard of it (the fact that most locals worked in surrounding restaurants may have contributed to their amnesia). After making the near fatal mistake of wandering off into a dangerous part of Istanbul, we returned to the original street for one last try. We didn’t find Zencifel, but we did stumble across a vegetarian restaurant called Parsifale at about the same address (no. 23 Kurabiye Sokak). We assumed Zencifel had changed names and went in.
Parsifale is a small, narrow cafe with a Parisian air. The menu is a mix of Turkish vegetarian dishes, like guvec stew and stuffed artichoke with potato, carrot and dill, and international favourites like lasagne and vegetarian burgers.
Our group of four ordered the guvec, which came in the traditional clay pot with rice and salad on the side, two mushroom and soy burgers (served simply as the burger patties with salad on the side, rather than in a bun) and the lasagne. The meals were healthy and fresh, and it was nice to have a break from the staple vegetarian mezze dishes. As an added bonus, the bread that came with the meal was brown, not white, and served with olive oil. Later in Cappadocia, we had dinner with a lovely American couple, Gizelle and Vadim, who had also set out to find Zencifel and ended up at Parsifale, confirming that our experience was not unique. By then, however, we had a coda to the story: Zencifel is alive and well and can be found on the same street! We only realised our mistake because by chance our friends bought a Time Out Istanbul magazine, which included a review of Zencifel, but at a slightly different address (number 3). A couple of nights we set out again. Once again, the restaurant was not quite at the published address but fortunately this time it was close enough for us to find.
Zencifel is in an old, stone Turkish house which has been extensively renovated. The main room has a double storey ceiling, and there some more private tables lining the back, bright red wall. However, the outside courtyard was the perfect place to sit on an Istanbul summer’s evening, and we were lucky to grab the last table. The regular Zencifel menu is quite small and looks unadventurous. However, there was a long list of interesting dishes on the specials board which we ended up ordering from exclusively.
We tried the vegetable salad (actually three small and delicous bean salads), yoghurt soup with chickpeas, Aegean stew with fennel, dill and artichokes, sea beans in yoghurt, and soft lentil patties which were served without being fried first. Each of these dishes was pre-prepared and served cold (like most mezzes in Turkey). However, they were unlike any other food we tried. The Aegean stew in particular with its mix of flavours, and the freshness of the bean salad, were a real treat. If you’re spending some time in Turkey it’s worth trying both Zencifel and Parsifale, because you won’t find anything like them elsewhere in the country! But if pressed, I’d choose Zencifel only because the food experience was more original. If you are not big on cold food, go straight to Parsifale. We did try to visit the third vegetarian restaurant in Istanbul ( a raw food restaurant called Saf, also in Taksim). Unfortunately we left it to our last day, which happened to be a night when it was closed. This is far swankier (and more expensive) that the other two vegetarian restaurants, but reputedly has amazing cocktails and (in my view) enormous novelty value given raw food is the antithesis of traditional Turkish cooking. If you want a complete guide to Istanbul for vegetarians, please check out Isil’s wrap-up at Veggie Way , which is the definitive account. I developed an addiction to Lipton’s “red tea” flavour on my first day in Turkey, and when I finally found someone to explain the flavour to me I figured out why!
Not too sweet, like a raspberry flavour, but with plenty of taste, rooibos iced tea is the best. I’ve only seen this in Turkey - has anyone seen them in Australia? In Istanbul we jumped at the chance to take the Cooking Alaturka class at the Sarnic Hotel. Eveline Zoutendijk, a trained chef and fluent English speaker, leads the course, but the hotel’s Turkish chef is on hand to demonstrate techniques and offer assistance. The class was not vegetarian; however, three of the dishes were and the other two were easily modified. The class is fun, full of useful information and, best of all, hands on. Each participant helps in the preparation of the five dishes, with everyone practising essential skills, like peeling a char-grilled eggplant.
Our first dish was a spicy red lentil soup, a basic version of which is available throughout Turkey. The original recipe called for chicken stock, but as this was added at the end we were able to reserve some soup and add hot water. If I made this dish at home I’d try adding vegetarian chicken stock. Seasoned with fresh lemon it made a delicious starter.
The next dish was green beans and tomato in olive oil. Although a popular dish in its own right, Eveline explained that the technique of cooking vegetables in olive oil, water, lemon and sugar is used for all of the “zeytinyagli” range of vegetable dishes, which includes white beans in tomato sauce and dolma (stuffed vegetables). A great choice for vegetarians!
One of the great things about the course was learning special tricks, like layering the ingredients in the pot to make sure the flavours mixed.
The third dish was fried zucchini and white cheese patties. In Turkey you would use beyaz peynir, but as this is hard to come by in other countries you can substitute feta cheese. I’m not a fan of fried food, but these patties were delicious. Because they were only lightly fried they tasted succulent. Adding fresh bunches of dill, parsley and mint to the batter gave them plenty of flavour. Yum!
The main course was a famous dish from Turkey’s Ottoman period, when the Empire was experimenting with aspects Western European culture. The original dish is lamb in tomato sauce served on a bed of a smoky pureed eggplant. For vegetarians, we made a mushroom ragout instead of the lamb. Tasted mighty fine to me.
The French influence was evident in the eggplant puree, which was mixed with a white bechamel sauce. First, eggplants were char-grilled over the gas stove top until their skins cracked and the flesh became soft. Then we practicised our peeling technique, which felt a little like vegetable surgery because you make a small incision at the top of the eggplant then tear off strips of skin. The end result was a smoky, yet rich and creamy, puree which made a great complement to savoury ragout.
This being Turkey, no meal (or cooking class) would be complete without dessert. We learned how to make sekerpare, otherwise known as semolina sponge cakes with hazelnut, topped with a super sweet syrup. Adding the syrup to the semolina cakes immediately as they came out of the over was the key to dish - which meant you had to time the preparation of both perfectly. Perhaps the best part of the class was eating the final product at the end, with a glass of Turkish wine and good company. I’m not sure if it was the expertise of our teachers, or the thrill of cooking (and eating) fresh food after a month on the road, but this was one of the best meals we had in Turkey. Highly recommended for anyone who visits Istanbul. Details
Just before I left Sydney I wrote a publıc love letter to gozleme (turkish pancakes) thinly disguised as a review of my local gozleme stall). I couldn’t waıt to try the real thing ın Turkey.
Lıke many thiıngs ın Turkey, a “real” gozleme experience proved elusive. Gozleme originated ın Anatolia, but their popularity with tourists means they are easy to fiınd throughout Western Turkey. They are sometimes included on restaurant menus, feelıng suspıcıously lıke an afterthought to broaden the restaurant’s appeal. Alternatively, you can have a pancake made “traditionally” in a dedicated pancake stall. This ıs more fun (ın a shamelessly tourıst way) and means you can watch the gozleme being made from scratch.
The gozleme dough is rolled out until it makes a large, thin circle. The filling is added in half of the dough, then the remaining half is pressed on top of it. In this gozleme restaurant in Patara, the woman making the gozleme used the wooded rolling pin to fling the gozleme onto the grill… spectacular to watch but I’m not sure how well that works at home.
I swear that gozleme cooked on the grill over a fire taste much better than in a restaurant. The dough takes on a slightly smoky flavour, and no oil is used to cook the pancake so the outside stays crisp and fresh.
A gozleme stall will offer a variety of fillings including white cheese, spinach, mushroom and mashed potato (plus every combination of these fillings). My favourite was spinach and cheese, but the mashed potato was also yummy. Unlike in Australia, lemon didn’t come with the gozleme, although they often had butter added straight after they came off the grill or chilli flakes added to the filling.
The speciality gozleme stalls also offered dessert gozleme (banana, honey, chocolate, strawberry, apricot and cherry). I tried a banana and honey version (just, you know, for research purposes) which was lovely and sweet. Unlike the savoury gozleme in the above pictures, the pancake was cooked first in a square shape with the filling added afterwards just before serving. While I doubt any of my gozleme tastings were authentic, these were one of my favourites foods in Turkey and made a great, freshly cooked (and hot!) alternative to vegetarian mezzes. In smaller Turkish tourist towns, like Pammukale and Patara, it’s usual to eat at your hotel rather than at a restaurant. While this may sound suspiciously like an all-inclusive holiday, it’s actually a great way to try a freshly cooked home meal
A Pension menu is usually small and flexible. Our hotels were always happy to make a vegetarian meal - often modifying a dish that they were already serving to other guests. At Zeybek 1 in Patara we tried a delicious plate of mixed stuffed vegetables (”dolma”).
We also ate a vegetarian version of a classic Turkish casserole called Guvec. This is a hearty dish of mixed vegetables, usually covered in baked cheese. Our Lonely Planet claimed that this was a vegetarian dish, but in restaurants it often contains chicken so make sure you check. Because Pensions make food fresh, you may need to order earlier in the day to allow for cooking time. One of the most best things about travelling in non-western countries is confirming what I always suspected as a child: sweet, cereal breakfasts are not normal!
A typical Turkish breakfast consists of slices of tomato and cucumber, olives, rectangular segments of fresh white cheese, a boiled egg, and white bread. Most come with a slice of watermelon.
You can also order a choice of tea (black or apple) served in a cute glass, or coffee (nescafe - choose the tea unless you’re desperate). Most pensions will include breakfast with the room, but make sure to ask when you’re negotiating the price. If you pick up a travel guide to Turkey and turn to the food section you’ll read gushing reviews full of phrases like “best cuisine”, “internationally recognised”, and “delicious and varied”. But ask a vegetarian what they think of Turkish food and their answer will usually be negative. I’m not sure how to explain this disparity of experience. It’s true that the land of the doner kebab is unashamedly carnivorous, and chances are an innocent looking soup or stew is made with a meat stock. But as in Greece, Turkey’s meaty machissimo belies a fondness for vegetable dishes. Most Lokantras (a cheap Turkish restaurant) offer a selection of cold mezzes (dips and more substantial dishes), salads, main dishes and desserts. The mezze dishes are often on display in the window so you can check to see if they have meat lurking in them.
The mezzes are similar to Greece, except they are usually served cold and use slightly different spice combinations. In both countries many vegetable mezzes (”zeytinyagli”) are cooked in olive oil and made early in the morning, set aside, and then served later in the day. Typical Turkish vegetarian mezze dishes include:
Stuffed capsicums, tomatoes or eggplant (usually with rice, allspice, cinnamon, pine nuts and currants).
Imam bayildi (eggplant stuffed with tomato, onion and garlic).
Eggplant cooked in tomato sauce and oil.
White beans in tomato sauce (although minus the dill, unlike in Greece).
Green beans cooked in tomato and olive oil.
Spinach and rice, or just spinach mixed with garlic.
A very Turkish vegetarian mezze is borek - a cigar shaped filo pastry roll filled with white cheese and parsley. There are usually one or two salads on Turkish menus, using ingredients like fresh carrot, tomato, cucumber and red cabbage. These are one of the few sources of fresh food so don’t be shy about ordering them. A nice touch is that you can often dress the salads yourself with lemon juice and oil. Although there is not the variety you find in Greece, they are usually cheese free, which is good news for vegans and anyone with more than a passing interest in their cholestorol levels. Vegetarians will probably be wasting their time by looking at the mains - although you do get the occasional vegetarian plate. But that’s fine because there are enough mezzes to make a main course redundant. Restaurants that see a lot of tourist trade may also have pide, gozleme or pizza options, which can often be vegetarian if you want a change from mezze standards. The Turks have turned dessert and sweet food into an art form. Most restaurants will offer a selection including baklava, rice pudding and fresh fruit, but there are also specialised sweet stores and bakeries if you change your mind on the way home. OK, so Turkey doesn’t exactly wear a vegetarian badge of pride, and vegetable dishes sans oil are as rare as hen’s teeth. But vegetarians won’t starve - in fact, they might even enjoy themselves! |
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