The Best Meze in Istanbul - Fariha Ansari Javed

1
The Best Meze in Istanbul Fariha Ansari Javed

• The best meze in Istanbul is unquestionably at
  Meze by Lemon Tree
• The origin of meze is often disputed and claimed
  by a number of different countries.
• The Turkish meze is extremely diverse and worldly
  and owes this to the Ottoman empire and the Silk
  Route. Given that the empire stretched from
  Europe to Asia a few centuries ago, the influence
  on food is obvious. The enormous kitchens in the
  Topkapi palace will give you an idea of the
  importance of cuisine to the Sultans who stressed
  on innovation in this field. Chefs were
  constantly encouraged to adapt and evolve new
  recipes.

2
(No Transcript)
3
The meze at Lemon Tree is a modern version of the
same phenomenon. For example, the Overnight Beef
Brisket with Pesto and Honey Mustard, is not
something you would expect as a Turkish meze. It
is, however, truly delicious!The restaurant is
small and across the street from two
contradicting hotels Soho House (sleek
modern) and the Pera Palace (ornate heritage).
 It is not easy to get a table which get taken up
quickly by locals (I have rarely seen tourists
here). On being seated you are handed a menu and
encouraged by the server to look at the meze in
glass counter. There are usually around 15 20
meze that the chef or server describe in detail.
They all sound amazing and you will undoubtedly
over order.You can sit back at your table and
people watch while enjoying warm fresh bread and
the scrumptiousness of each meze. I have never
been able to decide which one is my favourite.
4
We order  - Slow roasted sweet pepper with
Feta cheese and honey - Overnight beef brisket
with pesto and honey mustard - Sea bass ceviche
with radish and dill - Fried eggplant with hung
yogurt and marinara sauce - Babaganoush with
pomegranate  - TzatzikiUnique, clean and
fresh, this restaurant tops my list of "must do"
in Istanbul.Note Meze cannot be confused with
tapas. The latter is small plates typically eaten
at as an appetizer or at bars while the former is
mostly considered a full meal. Visit on site
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Follow us _at_
The Best Meze in Istanbul