Latest news with #Turkish-style
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Turkish kebabs and desserts in Hyderabad
When the decision to dine at a place is based on its location, travel time and availability of parking, Kebapci in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad should fit the bill. It is an eatery that promises to serve Turkish-style kebabs, mandi and a wide range of house-made breads. However, if you are unsure and want to take the staff's suggestions, then you will be left with choices that range from mandi to adana rice kebab or a Turkish platter with rice. Irrespective of how much you love rice, at Kebapci, try all things beyond the favourite staple. Start with the range of flatbreads like pita to variations of Lahmacun and pide. Lahmacun and pide are types of Turkish pizza. They are not too doughy, and come without the uniform- tasting tomato sauce, and, most importantly, they look different. Pides look like boats with their elongated shape and raised edges. The distinct flavour comes from the use of onion seed of kaljeera. For the flavour reference, pide tastes like mathri with cheese and soft texture. Lahmacuns are round, soft breads. The toppings range from Turkish spice dust to bell pepper spread. I prefer pide, because spice-rubbed toppings is not my thing. Kebapci began in Chennai as a humble four-seater diner. Now it is a multi-city culinary brand. The menu features signature dishes like charcoal-grilled Adana kebaps, Urfa-spiced Mutton Biber Mandi, Turkish lentil soup, and house-made baklava. Kebapci also offers exclusives created for Hyderabad, available only on select days or by pre-booking. As the restaurant manager started recommending everything with rice, I requested him to let me decide my food. As a norm, I asked for hummus with flat pita, which came in a jiffy. That was a good start to my meal. I also took a sip of the insanely sweet Turkish tea. That ruled out dessert quota. I went on to choose dishes that looked new to Hyderabad. First was the cichan kebab. Turns out that this kebab is safe for toddlers and elders. It needs minimal chewing and is flavourful, yet, has no spice whatsoever. Cheese-burst meat patty would be a simple way to explain it. If you are one of those eaters who only want meats that are fried and spicy with chilli powder and oil, look elsewhere. Maybe, the Sultana Adana kebab. Or the flat sheek kebab that was juicy, meaty, greasily satisfying and somewhat spicy. To be inclusive, the menu has a few Indian non-vegetarian gravy dishes and vegetarian specials like mushroom melody and cream of paneer. I stuck to my kebabs and pide. Prices at Kebapci start from ₹250 onwards.
Eater
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Lilo in Carlsbad Earns San Diego's Only Michelin Star for 2025
The 2025 California Michelin Guide was announced last night in Sacramento's SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center to a crowd of chefs and restaurant professionals, with new stars awarded across the state. Carlsbad's Lilo from the Jeune et Jolie/Campfire team came home with the San Diego area's only star, while Atelier Manna in Leucadia was given a Bib Gourmand. No other awards were doled out for San Diego, though the one star for Lilo marks a significant moment for chef Eric Bost and partner John Resnick. Lilo opened a little over 10 weeks ago behind Bost and Resnick's casual all-day restaurant Wildland. Lilo serves 22 diners at a time across mostly counter seating that wraps around a fully open cooking area (there are also two four-top tables for larger groups) inside a stunning, architecturally compelling space. There, diners enjoy seven full courses with counterside flourishes by kitchen staff. Just outside, diners are escorted to lounge areas before and after their meal for pre-dinner snacks and post-prandial drinks. The multi-faceted tasting menu reflects a more ambitious dinner compared to Bost and Resnick's other Michelin-starred restaurant, Jeune et Jolie, hinting that Lilo could very well earn two or more stars in the coming years. In Leucadia, Atelier Manna opened in April 2023 from the former Jeune et Jolie chef Andrew Bachelier as a chic neighborhood cafe. With a 'food as medicine' approach serving overnight oats with ancient grains and Turkish-style poached eggs, the casual cafe earned the San Diego area's only new Bib Gourmand. The overall relatively subtle award action for San Diego raises questions about the focus of the guide on larger locales like San Francisco (which gained two new two-star restaurants) and Los Angeles (which gained two new three-star restaurants). The southern stretch of California now has six total Michelin-starred restaurants (five with one, and Addison with three). San Diego also came up empty in this month's James Beard Awards, with Animae chef Tara Monsod earning a finalist nod but losing out Best Chef: California to Kato's Jon across the border in Baja California's Valle de Guadalupe, the Michelin Guide for Mexico awarded stars for the first time to Olivea Farm to Table and Lunario. See More: San Diego Restaurant News
Eater
29-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
A Wood-Fired Turkish Kebaps Restaurant Lands in San Diego's Normal Heights
Ever since leaving the shores of Mersin along Turkey's Mediterranean coast for sunny San Diego, chef Seckin Sage Anlasbay has dreamed of opening a Turkish-style meyhane, a kind of wine bar or restaurant to host friends and family. After more than a decade working at restaurants such as Bottega Americana in San Diego and 3rd Cousin in San Francisco, followed by a successful run with a pizza catering company, Anlasbay opened Bosforo in Normal Heights on May 27. Named after the Turkish strait that separates Asia and Europe, Anlasbay's restaurant will highlight the cuisine of Adana, the home of Turkey's most hallowed kebap (meat skewers) tradition. Turkish interior designer Ilkem Naz Dinç worked with the Bosforo team to blend modern touches with traditional elements of meyhanes in Turkey. The all-white dining room is warmed by dark reds and leather upholstery at the bar, a wall lined with literature and vintage records, and Turkish lamps. The back bar adds a touch of Old World charm with a trio of arches featuring stone wall accents. The heart and soul of Bosforo's kitchen is a Mugnaini wood-fired pizza oven, ideal for Anlasbay's Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked at 750 degrees, lahmacun (the Turkish spelling of lahmajoun, a flatbread with a blend of minced meat and vegetables), and kebap (the Turkish spelling of kebab). The pizza dough at Bosforo consists of double-zero flour, topped with a tangy Bianco DiNapoli organic tomato sauce for standards like pepperoni, cheese, or mushroom pizzas. The lone Turkish innovation on the pizza menu is the Anatolian, featuring keyseri pastrami (pastirma) from Central Anatolia, Turkish sausages, and white cheese imported from Turkey. While the Anatolian teases Turkish flavors, Anlasbay's lahmacun is an unadulterated taste of home. Three wood-fired thin-crusted lahmacun come in an order, topped with a delicate layer of a minced blend of beef and vegetables. Slices of tomatoes, onions, sprigs of parsley, and sumac come on the side to dress the lahmacun before rolling them up for eating. 'This is a one and only Turkish experience in southern California,' says Anlasbay, who noted the more substantial Turkish dining options in New York City, Miami, and San Francisco. Bosforo's elevated menu begins with cold and hot mezze, offering a unique approach to Turkish cuisine. From the cold mezze, standouts include an herbed hummus with beetroot, spicy eggplant atom (eggplant puree), and antep ezme, a fragrant salad of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, which works as a complement to the kebap. Hot starters like Mersin-style crispy potato fries to dip in green yogurt blended with herbs, and Adana içli köfte — minced meat croquettes — home in on the sense of place at Bosforo. Kebaps are cooked inside the restaurant's wood-fired oven and consist of hand-minced beef, şiş kebap (beef chunks), and chicken kebap made of chicken thigh. All kebaps are served with fire-roasted tomatoes and peppers, and sumac–dressed onions atop toasted lavash. For vegans, there's a Beyond Meat skewer. Another standout on the menu is the grilled fish, prepared with sea bass sourced from Turkey. No Turkish meal is complete without coffee to sip while enjoying desserts like sütlaç, oven-baked rice pudding, or pistachio ice cream. On the bar menu, find wine and local craft beer, which are staples of meyhanes. For a modern twist, there are Turkish-inflected cocktails. Midnight in Istanbul features a base of vodka and Turkish coffee sweetened by sutlac (rice pudding) and Kahlua, while the gin-forward Antalya Spritz mixes in raki (Turkish anise), elderflower, and lemon. Food from cultures like Greece, Turkey, Palestine, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, and Jordan continues to be popular dining options in Southern California, with no signs of slowing down, and Bosforo promises to bring a taste of Adana to Normal Heights. 'I've been chasing this for 15 years, opening a restaurant that brings the food from my home,' says Anlasbay. 'It's been a long journey.' Bosforo is located at 3201 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. It's open Sunday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sign up for our newsletter.
Axios
20-05-2025
- Axios
Turkish pide spices up Pittsburgh's pizza scene
It's time for another peculiar Pittsburgh pizza. The intrigue: Yinzers might not realize many pizza joints in the region are run by Turkish immigrants and their descendants, but a select few lean into their roots and offer a Turkish-style pizza called pide. 🍕 Dig in: At Efes Pizza in Aspinwall, the Turkish flatbread is shaped like a football and loaded with either traditional pizza ingredients like cheese and pepperoni, or a Turkish minced meat mixture bursting with soft spices. I tried the Pide Efes, which is filled with finely chopped ground beef, tomatoes, and onions. The subtle warm spices are complemented by a cool tzatziki sauce. The cheese and sujuk (Turkish pepperoni) has Italian pizza flavors, but with a Middle Eastern flair thanks to a pop of cumin. The thin, crunchy, yet pliable crust is the real star. Light and delicious. The vibe: This is an unassuming mostly-takeout spot in a small strip mall. There are a few tables inside if you want to sit down.
Forbes
26-04-2025
- Forbes
5 Fun And Affordable Hostels In Kadikoy, Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey. Typical colorful houses in Kadikoy neightborhood of Istanbul. There's a particular magic in staying in a hostel—it's not just a great way to save money on your accommodations while traveling but also one of the best ways to meet like-minded travelers and build connections you'd otherwise miss by staying in a traditional hotel. There are plenty of hotels in Istanbul but the options in Kadikoy on the Asian side of the city stand out; this side boasts a more consistent nightlife and a lot of young people as well as a more laid-back and local-leaning way of life. Here are some of the most fun and affordable hostels in Kadikoy: Hush Hostel Lounge is by far the most famous hostel in Kadikoy and the minute you check in you'll see why. The cozy hostel is just blocks from some of the best cafes in the Asian side of the city but you don't have to leave the property in order to really feel the beat of Kadikoy. The hostel boasts a rooftop co-working space and a garden that's always packed with international travelers and digital nomads, cozy nooks and corners for relaxing after a long day, and a mix of dormitory-style rooms and private rooms, both of which have balconies with views of the Sea of Marmara. Yolo Hostel is another great option for travelers looking for a cozy and affordable spot to spend the night that's also welcoming and plenty with amenities. The property boasts colorful rooms with unique details like skylights as well as free Turkish-style buffet breakfast and incredibly welcoming staff. This no-frills hostel is both affordable and clean with a great garden and terrace reserved exclusively for guests. Kevin's Hostel also boasts fun activities for guests, like Turkish coffee lessons, backgammon lessons, and other community-building offerings. Tilas House No:8 is a unique hostel in terms of its history: the property is housed in a wooden 19th-century Istanbul building that was first constructed in 1870. It was renovated between 2015 to 2020 and now boasts a series of dormitory-style rooms and private rooms as well as cozy sitting areas and a community kitchen. Moda Drei Hostel is within the limits of Moda—which is still close enough to the popular parts of Kadikoy but is also a great option for those looking for a quieter spot with parks and walking trails at your doorstep. The hostel boasts a total of 45 rooms, a shared kitchen, and a made-to-order breakfast served daily.
