Bereket Doner - Istiklal Avenue

There are dozens of doner establishments in Istiklal Avenue, so many, you won't even know which one to choose from.

For me it was easy. I settled on Bereket Doner not because I knew that it was part of a famous franchise but because I'd taken a quick look at the meat . And it was juicy mind you, not dried out like most. Focus on the kebab skewered at the back, not the eye candy in front please, girls.

 Once, over here, I find out that a sit down plate costs more than a takeaway wrap. But I'm ok with that. And he, proceeds with my order.

Baklava and Lokma - Tatlici Safa

Take a short stroll around the Spice Market, and you will surely stumble upon this busy Lokma and Baklava shop. 

 

 

The selection is bewildering for a first timer like me.

Look to one of the counter guys for a recommendation. " Is it very sweet ? " I ask . And he points out a selection which he thinks that I can probably settle for.

Fish on Brick - Fenner Fish Restaurant, Kumkapi

Some say that one must never leave Istanbul without dining at one of the many fish restaurants , since the fish here is super fresh.

But as a tourist, though we may be at a disadvantage price wise, in getting a better deal, only a local would be able to recommend you a place like this, which by being way off the tourist belt , costs more reasonable. Thus it boils down to whether you can trust whoever it is you choose, to do the booking and recommendation for you. In my case, again it was thanks to the very handsome Ismail

Mavera Cafe & Restaurant - Camlica Hill

This was one of the times where I really wanted to kick myself for not bringing along a better camera, still, I'm gonna go ahead and post my dark, blurry pics up because I ended up really impressed with both the food and service . The restaurant is on Camlica Hill, in Uskudar, the Asian side of Istanbul. Many restaurants dot the area, this one seems a little more 'up' than others, judging from the make of cars parked outside the premises.

Besides the stunning view of the Bosphorus Bridge, highly visible from the dining room, personally, I just love dining here. If there were such a place in Penang, I'd probably be a regular.There are hill top restaurants in Penang , but the food, um...well, you know,no need to elaborate.

Fish sandwich with Turkish tea on the banks of Karakoy

These are the famous floating golden fish sandwich boats , found in Eminonu. But I wanna try what the locals are having so I'm going across the Galata Bridge over to Karakoy.

Short walk later, I come face to face with a small wet market. Check out the variety of fishes on display.

My first Turkish breakfast

Ever wondered what a Turkish breakfast looks like?

Well for one, it's got succulent zucchinis and lotsa juicy ripe tomatoes on the menu. Together with cheeses, jams,hams and yogurts.

 They consume a lot of olives, around ten pieces per person hence the 3 varieties in the corner. There's grilled bittergourds (delicious!) brinjals and even chillies , devilled eggs, shredded carrots, beets, cucumber with yogurt.

Those white bowls in the background are homemade jams like Rose Petal jam, Cherry etc