Eat your way through Istanbul

FOR BRUNCHING HIPSTERS

Sure, you can find eggs benedict if you really want to. But no one sane will want that once you’ve seen a lavish Turkish breakfast spread.

The best places have amazing regional cheeses, olives, tomatoes and enough jams, spreads and dips to boggle the mind — all served with freshly baked bread. Bal kaymak or honey with clotted cream, in particular, is aphrodisiac.

Also not to be missed is menemen — eggs scrambled to a wet mess with tomatoes, peppers, onions and spices. Have it topped with sausage or cheese, and sop it all up with a crusty loaf.

The best place for creamy, delectable menemen is the humble Lades 2 (Sadri Alisik Sokak 11, Beyoglu), off Istiklal Caddesi and just across the original Lades, which serves up traditional Turkish fare to a hungry lunching crowd. About 35 Turkish Lira (TL) or S$17.60 for two.

For the full-blown Turkish breakfast experience, you can’t go wrong hitting up Van Kahvalti Evi (Defterdar Yokusu 52/A) located in the picturesque Cihangir neighbourhood.

Van is a city in eastern Turkey that is known for all-day breakfast feasts and Van Kahvalti Evi is no exception. This comfy cafe has items like a tasty herbed cheese brought straight in from there. About 45TL for two.

FOR FOOD SNOBS

Ciya Sofrasi (ciya.com.tr) is touted as one of the best restaurants in Istanbul and for good reason too. The owner and chef Musa Dagdeviren is known to be a collector of recipes from all over Turkey, and the menu also changes regularly according to what is in season.

Expect unusual dishes and culinary creations quite different from what you would find in other eateries, such as lamb stew with pearl onions, chickpeas, quince and chestnuts.

Be sure to also check out the meze (appetiser) bar and its galore of cold salads and items like the most amazing hummus, cig kofte (a raw, meat-paste dish that’s more often made vegetarian these days) and rice-stuffed peppers sold by weight.

FOR SWEETS LOVERS

You can’t go wrong with Saray Muhallebicisi (saraymuhallebicisi.com) for a taste of traditional Turkish desserts. Around since 1935, locals will tell you that the restaurant chain is one of the go-tos for kunefe, a labour-intensive sweet that has gooey cheese sandwiched between syrup-soaked, finely shredded pastry.

There’s also tavuk gogsu, a milk pudding filled with barely-there strings of chicken breast in every bite. The concoction may sound odd but it works well as the savoury meat cuts through the saccharine sweetness of the pudding.

FOR BUDGET FOODIES

You can’t go hungry in Istanbul, not when there’s so much deliciousness on the cheap. The ubiquitous simit (less than 2TL), a chewy sesame bagel and pretzel hybrid, found on every street corner is great for quieting tummy rumbles.

A yummy alternative to kebab is balık-ekmek (5TL to 7TL) — grilled fish and vegetables in a fresh baguette. It is easily available near the Karakoy, Eminonu and Kadikoy shores.

Keep your eyes peeled for the tavuk pilav street carts. An order of warm, fluffy rice topped with chickpeas, shredded chicken and pepper (about 4TL) that is dished out from a steamy glass case never fails to hit the spot. Wash it down with a cup of ayran, a delightfully refreshing salted yogurt drink.

Another item not to miss is lahmacun (4TL or less) or Turkish pizza that has spicy minced beef or lamb spread over a thin, crispy flatbread. Drizzle lemon juice on top, add loads of parsley, roll and tuck in. Try this at Halil Lahmacun (Guneslibahce Sokak 26) or Borsam Tasfırın Lahmacun (Serasker Sokak 78) if you’re in the Kadikoy area.

FOR CAFFEINE JUNKIES

You’ve not been to Turkey if you haven’t knocked yourself out with copious amounts of cay, or Turkish black tea served in too-hot-to-touch tulip glasses and two cubes of sugar by the side.

Cay is an institution; some offices even have tea funds to pay the cay seller since it’s too troublesome to collect money five times a day or more. Depending on whether you prefer to nurse your drink on a sidewalk stool or in a cafe with feature walls, cay can range from 1TL to 3.50TL.

Then, there is Turkish coffee. A dark, murky brew that reveals a thick sludge at the bottom of the cup when finished, this is not for those who get caffeine jitters. According to an old Turkish proverb, coffee should be “black as hell, strong as death and sweet as love”.

But if you’re the kind who likes your kopi siew dai, ask for medium sweet. There’s only one to go for the best: Mandabatmaz off Istiklal Caddesi (Olivia Gecidi 1/A, Beyoglu). Nothing else compares.