Week before last I went to Istanbul to give a presentation on social media on a workshop organised by MCI. But interesting as that was, this blog post won't be about that.
Me and my friend M, who have been to Istanbul many times, did a whirlwind tour of a few bars and restaurants. We visited the roof top bar of the Marmara Taksim hotel, the lovely little restaurant Leb-i-derya (where we had an amazing fillet steak with something called "40 spices sauce"), and the well hidden away bar/restaurant Mangerie in Bebek.
But the place that made the greatest impression on me, and where I had the best plate of food, was The House Cafe in Ortaköy.
Amazing outdoor terrace by the water, we are sitting below the surface of the Bosphorus...
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Absolutely fantastic. The kind of polished restaurant concept that gives me goose bumps. Like Riding House Cafe, Dishoom, Hawksmoor, Byron and Polpo in London.
With my limited knowledge and experience, the menu seems firmly rooted in Turkish food and ingredients. They have also created a few items unique to them, like their own house olive oil, and this apple lemonade drink which doubles as a fresh apple snack board.
Apple lemonade with mint, as tasty as visually stunning
Originally uploaded by Manne.
The staff were all welcoming and friendly, and when we wanted to move tables out from the beating sun and into the shade (where they also had free WiFi), they didn't even bat an eye lid but with a smile helped us move all our bags (already checked out from the hotel...) and plates.
The design takes inspiration from the 20s/30s, you can easily spot the influences, but it has been tweaked to feel fresh and modern and fit in with Istanbul of today. Like Turkey itself (this is my impression from my meager two visits to the country...), The House Cafe makes an effort to bridge new and old, show progress while preserving and caring for their roots.
Behind The house Cafe is the award winning design and architect firm Autoban. They have not only created the concept and the interior design, they are also responsible for a lot of the furniture and decorations seen throughout the restaurant. And the furniture is of course also sold in their shop. There is a hotel attached to the restaurant as well, and I am quite keen to book with them next time I go to Istanbul.
Enough about the place, moving on to the best plate of food I had in my three days in Istanbul. Not only was it incredibly tasty, packed with flavour and with a lovely creamy texture, it also felt like the perfect Low Carb High Fat dish.
Turkish meatballs on aubergine puree, one for @hollowlegs
Originally uploaded by Manne.
That dish is, and I quote from the menu "The House made spicy meatballs on aubergine puree; served with strained yoghurt and cayenne pepper infused melted butter."
Delicious. The aubergine puree is also mixed with molten cheese, which makes this a proper calorie bomb despite not looking very much. Believe me, this would keep you going all day, and if you try to stick to an LCHF diet this is the kind of restaurant dish that makes you feel warm inside.
My next goal is to try and find the recipe for this style of aubergine puree (pointers welcome) so I can make this at home.
