Last Sunday I attended the biggest and the most lavish buffet of the town: piles of fresh oysters accompanied by sparking wine, chocolate fountains and Turkish delight mountains, trays of exquisite small bites aka meze, boxes of Asian fixes, slices of freshly baked pizza, artisanal and not so artisanal coffee, ice-cream of every imaginable flavor, assorted grilled meats and rivers of booze. Pair this menu with a Bosphorus view, top notch location by the water and good weather, and here is your recipe for a successful Istanbul party. And the Timeout folks know how to throw one: that’s why they have chosen this setup for their food festival 101 Istanbul Lezzeti / 101 Flavors of Istanbul.
After rubbing my back with other eaters the whole Sunday I thought it would be fair to say that the food establishments that participated in the event and the offering they created for the day is a good indication of what Istanbul eats. “Parayı veren düdüğü çalar / He who pays the piper calls the tune,” as a Turkish saying goes meaning that the young and solvent folks such as those who joined the party create demand and ultimately shape the current offering of the Istanbul restaurants. And if so, here is a snapshot of what Istanbul eats.
Note: If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you know that I have mentioned many worthwhile eateries that participated in the festival. No name dropping here.
