Cihangir'de saklanıvermiş: KAHVE6

 Cihangir'in ara sokaklarına adeta saklanmıs bir cafe daha! Sokagın icine girip de aczık ilerlemeden bu mekanı görmek neredeyse imkansız! Böyle saklı köşede kalması iyi olmuş ama, gelen gecen görmüyor burayı, sadece bileni gidiyor ;) icerideki müsteri kalitesi de bir baska güzel oluyor tabii. Mekan kücük bir oda misali, birkac masa dısında bir de soyle iyicene yayılalım diye genis koltuklar var. İster masa basında lezzetli yemeklerinden tadın, ister yayılın söyle koltuga saatlerce, cayınızı kahvenizi yudumlayın. Her iki secenek icin de mükemmel burası. Ve arkada meger bizi yine bir süpriz bekliyormus: minik şirin bir bahce, ortasındaki süs havuzu ile de adeta büyüleyici! Yemeklere gelince, bir kere dısarıda kahvaltı etmek isterseniz direk buraya yönelebilirsiniz! Kocaman kahvaltı tabagından tut, daha mütevazi kahvaltılıklara kadar bir sürü secenek var. Bir de böyle "can simidi" gibi tatlı tatlı adları var! Ay su bazlama ekmeginde yaptıkları tostun tadı da hala damagımda! Gel gelelim önemli olan kahvaltı tabagının zenginliginden cok malzemelerin kalitesinde! İste tam bu noktada bu mekan on numara bes yıldız! Gidip gidip duruyorum ama hala cözemedim, mekanın bir yerlerle bir baglantısı var, otantik secenekler menude cok, kahvaltıda verdikleri acukadan diyorum ki bir cerkezlik var, sonra menude bazlama ekmekleriyle, falafel köfteleriyle karsılasıyorum. Ardından ana yemeklerde hünkar begendi bir yandan, tabule salatası öbür yandan. Vallahi kafam iyicene karıstı! Ama tek anladıgım o ki, bu malzemeler özel bir yerlerden geliyor, e ziyadesiyle saydıgım tüm bu lezzetlerin tadı sahane! Gerisi bahane! Haydi arkadaslar Kahve6ya , ister öglen bir salataya, ister nefis bir kahvaltıya.

Watching the amazing Galata Tower from a roofbar: ROBIN'S

And finally we are together in Istanbul again! Lara has just came back from Toulouse , only for 10 days unfortunately... But still, it is super nice to spend some time together in this beautiful city just like in the old days. And here is our first discovery since Lara came: ROBIN'S

ROBIN'S is a great ROOFBAR in this popular district GALATA. It is located on the hill between Galata Tower and Tunel(The second end of Istıklal Street). As you pass the Galata Tower and climb up the hill , you will see the HOTEL DUO on your left side, which is also a restaurant. Go inside this restaurant and ask immediately where the ELEVATOR is ! Because the surprise is waiting for you upstairs! Fourth Floor and you are kindly welcomed to the roof bar ROBIN'S !

 

It is actually a small terrace (much smaller than we expected) but it doesn't even matter after you see that amazing view of the Galata Tower. Much more than the view of the Bosphorus, this roofbar amazes you by the fact that its located just next to the Galata Tower. While you enjoy your cocktail , you feel so close as you can seriously reach and touch the Galata Tower.

 

Furthermore, this place is not crowded, maybe because it is actually hidden in a hotel. We actually loved the idea that this place is not so easy to see and discover! As it is not so crowded, this bar is a super option to spend some hours before a dinner and having a drink while enjoying the view. And that was what we did the other day! We went to this place about 19.00 pm and enjoyed our conversation with a glass of wine. Of course there was a lot to talk about!

After all , Robin's is a perfect place with its
AMAZING VIEW
GOOD QUALITY OF SERVICE
NICE, EASY LISTENING MUSIC
GOOD SELECTION OF WINE ( They have a couple of wine options which you can order as a glass - a glass of wine is about 20-25 Turkish Lira)
TASTY COCKTAILS ( We tried a cocktail which was similar to Gin Tonic- but they added cucumber in it! I have never thought before that cucumber would go so great with a drink! - It was so fresh! )

Easy Listening Tracks and some Fresh Filter Coffee: CHERRY BEANS COFFEE

 

















The fact that this place was right beside my high school was a big chance for me! We used to leave the school with our dead brains after spending almost ten hours in the lessons and run to this place to have a small break and feel alive again! This cafe is just the perfect place to have a break and relax: firstly you get amazed by this wonderful smell of fresh coffee. You smell this even from outside while you are walking around this place and you already get hypnotized on your way: So there is no other option but to get immediately inside! As soon as you are in, this time you get amazed by the cute decoration and the relaxing songs playing in the cafe. All these details, the smell of the coffee, the music, the books and magazines which are put all around on the tables take you away: Somewhere peaceful. Oh and if you are lucky you can suddenly notice another amazing smell: The smell of a fresh yummy homemade cake which has just been baked in their tiny oven! If you catch this smell , you should definitely try a piece of cake!
Another thing I love about this place is the playlist they have: They usually play easy listening classical tracks and in my opinion this kind of music goes perfect with this peaceful atmosphere in the cafe. Cherry Bean Coffees is definitely one of my favorite spots where I feel totally relaxed and joyful !
 

 WHERE IS IT?
You walk down from the famous GALATA TOWER towards the seaside (Karakoy)

Kitchen Discovery: PASTA with CARAMELIZED ONIONS

It is time to share some kitchen discoveries again!
Here comes an easy pasta recipe which I actually took from a film called 'Chef' . By the way I definitely recommend this film which is totally amusing BUT BE CAREFUL: YOU WILL GET CRAZY HUNGRY while you watch the film as you constantly see crazy delicious looking dishes!
And this recipe I am gonna share is a dish I saw in one of the scenes , where the man cooked a yummy pasta dish: Actually the only thing I saw was that he caramelized onions! And then he added these on the pasta and added some fresh parsley on top. That was it! But this totally took my mind , cause I adore CARAMELIZED ONIONS. And I just said to myself : Caramelized onions with pasta?? Why haven't I never thought of it?! I should try to do this as soon as possible!
So yesterday I gave it a try and as I did not have any recipe I just followed what I saw in the film and added a little bit my own creativity.
So here is the Pasta Dish I created by getting inspired from the scene:
PASTA WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND FRESH PARSLEY

Actually all you need to do is to slice TWO LARGE ONIONS and start to cook them on high heat with some OLIVE OIL. After a few minutes , as they become soft , (just before they start to get burned) take the pan and put it on the lowest heat and let the onions get slowly cooked on low heat. This should take at least 20-25 minutes. The more the onions rest on low heat , the more delicious they get: They get perfectly caramelized!
BUT at this point I prefered to add some seasonings: I put some pepper, salt, just a little bit sugar, garlic powder and finally two tablespoons of BALSAMIC VINEGAR which gives a perfect taste to the onions. And then I put the onions on low heat.
While your onions get caramelized all you have to do is to chop the fresh parsley and cook the pasta, drain, set aside. Besides, save a half cup of the water in which you cooked the pasta.
When both the pasta and onions seem ready just combine them, BUT DO NOT FORGET TO ADD SOME BUTTER AND PARMESAN CHEESE. (If you want you can also add some cream and turn it into a cream-sauce but I just wanted that the onions become the star of the dish- so did not add extra cream) Finally add a little bit of the the pasta water ( I did this so that the pasta does not taste too dry) and the fresh parsley. Stir the pasta for a last time until everthing gets combined well.
BON APPETIT!

Yine minik şirin bir Cafe, arkasında ise Gizli Bahce!

Yokus asagı oyle kaptırmıs giderken ben de neredeyse atlıyordum bu mekanı ! Öyle yokus üstünde sol kaldırımda saklanıvermiş. Icerisi de pek kalabalık degil, anlasılan o ki henüz pek kesfedilmemiş! O zaman hemen sizi bu şirin Cafe ile tanıstırayım! Cihangir Firuzaga Camii nin ordan Cukurcuma ya girdiginiz de soldan asagı inen bir yokus vardır hemen. İste o yokusun sol tarafına saklanmıs Cafe Lumiere meger. İlk soyle bir bakınca hakkaten de bakıp geciyor insan, 'aa buraya da bir cafe acmıslar' diyip yola devam ediyor. Ama dikkatli bakıslara sahipseniz eger Cafenin onunde yer alan minik tabela gözünüzden kacmamalı işte! Cunku orada sizi cezbedecek bir sey yazılı : Secret Garden ! Meger bu kutu gibi mekanın arkasında kendisiniden daha büyük bir bahcesi varmıs! Hem de rengarenk şirin mi şirin bir bahce. Evet, iceride oturmak ne kadar keyifli olur bilemicem cunku daha ben de hic deneyimlemedim! Buraya her geldigimde kendimi direk arkadaki her renkten sandalye ve masaların serpiştirildigi o gizli bahceye atıyor, bir kahvemi soyleyip huzuru buluyorum. Hava şansınıza güzel ise bu bahceye siz de bir ugrayın derim.

  








 Burası da sehrin yogunlugundan bunaldıgınız zaman sıgınabileceginiz harika bir alternatif. İster elinize bir kitap alın gidin, ister kolunuza bir arkadas takın, saatlerce bu sakin bahcede muhabbet edin. Yemeklere gelince, daha cok kahveden gittim , o da klasik : filtre kahve. Boyut büyük fiyat kücük, tam istedigim gibi! 

 Ohh miss gibi taze kahve ve kitap okuma keyfi: 5 Lira !


Bir kere de salata denemişligim var, ucmadım ama memnun kaldım: doyurucu, taze , lezzeti yerinde. Yanımdan gelip gecen yemeklerin de bende bıraktıgı izlenim genel olarak bu oldu. Hani öyle tadlarından kendinizden gececeginiz bir durum yok- gastronomik bir beklentiyle gitmeyiniz. Ama uygun fiyata sohbetin yanına bir şeyler de yiyelim diyorsanız mekan sizi bu konuda da memnun eder.

Döner, İskender nereye kadar? Biraz da yurdumun sebzelerinden söz edelim: HELVETIA

Türk Yemeği dendi mi illa da Döner, Kebap, İskender demiyoruz ki kardeşim!
Tencerelerde pişen güzelim sebze yemeklerimiz, zeytinyaglılarımız, bakliyatlarımızı unutmak olur mu hiç? Alın benden size bu yemekleri bulabileceginiz muhtesem bir mekan:

HELVETIA

 

Sıcacık leziz mi leziz ev yemeklerinin mükemmel adresi burası ! Bir de fiyatlar acayip uygun olunca müdavimi oluyor tabi insan. Minnacık mutfaklarında hepsi birbirinden lezzetli türk yemekleri yapıyorlar bir de güzel vitrine diziyorlar ki sormayın! Hepsinde gözüm kalıyor, her gittigimde hangisini sececegime karar veremiyorum. Bir yandan tadı damagımda kalmıs olan yemekler bir defa daha beni cagırıyor, bir yandan yeni lezzetler sec beni diyor! Ay karar vermek cok zor! Burada klasik şu: Vitrinden sec begen al, ister bir tanesiyle doldur tabagını ister beş.

Çeşit sayısını ne sen sor ne ben anlatayım! İçeride piştikçe pişiyor. Hepsi de bir ayrı güzel gözüküyor,kokuyor ve aynı gözüktükleri gibi de güzel tadıyor. Sen seciyorsun, onlar tabagını dolduruyor, ısıtıyor ve masana sıcacık getiriyor. Sen de afiyetle yiyorsun , alnına kadar doyuyorsun, bir de komik bir para ödüyorsun: 13-15 lira civarı. Bu kadar saglıklı, taze yemegi yemek, bu kadar secenek, bu paraya İstanbul'da vallahi saka gibi. Ben tabii ki her defasında beş çeşit secip dolduruyorum tabagımı. Bir cok sebzesini denemis bulunmaktayım ve bir tane bile begenmedigim olmadı. Burada ne yediysem acayip lezzetliydi. Hem karnımın nefis doydugundan hem de oh ne saglıklı yedim diyebildigimden dolayı her defasında yüzümde kocaman bir gülümsemeyle ayrıldıgım mekan burası. Ne sececeginiz tamamen o anki keyfinize, zevkinize baglı, hicbiri sizi hayal kırıklıgına ugratmaz ama ben yine de tabagınızdan TAVUK GRATEN ve FIRINDA MAKARNA yı eksik etmeyin derim!



Mekan nerede?
Cok kolay! İstiklalin bir ucu olan Tünelde: Alın arkanıza Tüneli, yani nostaljik finiküleri, direk Asmalımescid'in girişini göreceksiniz zaten. Asmalımescid'in icine daldıktan sonra dümdüz yürüyor, House Cafeyi geciyorsunuz: Helvetia hemen karsınızda. Kösede kalan minik sevimli restoran!

Trattoria ENZO: I found the best Pizza in town - but the children almost killed me !

FINALLY !
I FOUND IT !
I found the best pizza in Istanbul ! It is classic, it is yummy , it is gorgeous , it is Italian !

Trattoria Enzo !
I was constantly looking at the photos of this place on Instragram and their pizza looked so yummy that I even started to see them in my dreams.... So at that point I realised that I have to go to this place as soon as possible !
And that day came last week. I am so happy to tell you that the Pizza tasted even more delicious than I thought ! A wonderful crust and an amazing sauce. The crust is so thin and crispy in the middle but then it suddenly surprises you with its fluffy corners!
The crust and the sauce: Aren't they the most important and the hardest criterias when it comes to a GREAT PIZZA? The toppings matter for sure, but to find tasty toppings is not as hard as managing the crust and the sauce. I suppose that is why I am not even a little bit surprised when ı see this huge creativity on the menus of many pizza restaurants in Istanbul when it comes to the combination of the topics ! Each restaurant has minimum thirty different pizzas on their menus ! When the basic of the pizza is disappointing, why not hiding it?
But THIS PLACE does not need any creative pizza combination to satisfy the customers because the pizza itself is so delicious! As a result they only have maybe 6 or 7 different options. Besides they dont throw the toppings like crazy on the pizza like every other pizzeria in town - you can still see the crust rather than a 'chunk of toppings in a disc form'.

So when it comes to taste I give a 10 to this place! By the way we went to this place carrying our dreams of the pizza, however we left it not only with the memory of the surprisingly good taste of the pizza but also the pasta ! Oh and these fresh warm breadsticks they serve with some olive oil ... They should not be forgotten either !

BUT UNFORTUNATELY when it comes to the place , I wont be giving a ten ! Here are some reasons:
Let's be honest: The decoration is wonderful with all details: especially with the classic italian table cloths they managed to create this typical italian trattoria athmosphere. HOWEVER it is completely IMPOSSIBLE to feel like you are in a cozzy italian restaurant: The first reason is the rush of the waiters which I totally could not understand! The second reason is the BIG MISTAKE the restaurant has made by opening this place in a SHOPPING MALL! Unfortunately, these families that obviously shopped like crazy for hours choose to have a break not in the food court but in this restaurant. It seems like they try to give around a message:  'Oh, we are so rich and intellectual that we do not eat at that simple food court of the shopping mall like the other losers! '
I really don't understand these people... They go inside carrying hundreds of shopping bags, order almost all the dishes written on the menu BUT do not even know how to sit proparly on a table and eat. Why all this drama?? Why is it such a BIG DEAL when they taste some pizza or pasta which the people in Italy eat almost every day for lunch??? Furhetmore, while the parents act so 'high', their children act the opposite way: Like they are put in an amusement park ! Playing around, throwing balls, in a RESTAURANT ! For these reasons I felt uncomfortable in this place.
But however I should admit that I still cannot forget this amazing taste of my pizza ! So, although these families drove me crazy, I am again expecting to go there again and get another pizza !!!

Where is it?

In a shopping mall called ' AKASYA ' at the asian side of İstanbul. Check the google maps! 

 

Çeçen Sok. Akasya Acıbadem
Acıbadem/İstanbul