When we lived in Istanbul, I loved taking our visitors from the European side to the Anatolian part of the city.
Not only could our friends enjoy a vapurride on the Bosphorus, but they also could say they had been to �Asia.� I would even time our visit so we could eat at one of my favorite and one-of-a-kind places in the city � �iya located in the Kadik�y neighborhood.
In the last few years, �iya has earned the recognition as one of the city�s foodie hotspots, as mentioned by IstanbulEats, DeliciousIstanbul and Parla Food. �iya's owner/chef, Musa Dagdeviren, from Gaziantep in southern Turkey, has travelled all over Turkey as well as the Balkans and neighboring countries collecting his recipes. The result is some of the most distinctive dishes you�ll find in Istanbul such as candied vegetables, meats cooked with seasonal fruits and wild herbs and greens. Dagdeviren�s menu is always changing at his three locations located on the same pedestrian-only street in Kadik�y.
On my initial visit to �iya with Selin of Turkish Flavours in 2011, Dagdeviren was making Turkish pide and kindly hung out with our group for a bit. Of course, I had to ask if I could get my photo taken with the chef, and he obliged.
As soon as you walk into �iya, you�ll notice its fantastic salad bar that�s always filled with unique wild herbs and greens, hummus and other seasonal nibbles. This is where I start. Grab a plate, select your favorite dishes and then be sure to get your plate weighed by the helpful staff. You could make a meal just out of this salad bar!
The main dishes always change, depending on the season, but you�ll usually find a few soups as well as several meat-based dishes such as kuzu etli ayva dolmasi (lamb cooked with quince), celeriac stuffed with rice and ground beef, visneli k�fte (meatballs cooked in a tangy sour cherry sauce) or a tasty meat stew with baby okra. I find it difficult not to order one of everything especially if it�s a dish I haven�t tried before. These dishes aren't fancy, just honest, homecooked food, and the flavors are outstanding.
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| One of my favorite dishes when it's in season - kuzu etli ayva dolmasi. |
Conclude your delightful meal with a refreshing serbet, a sweet, fruit-based beverage popular during the Ottoman era.
For dessert, I always have a hard time deciding between k�nefe or katmer, both desserts hail from southeast Turkey. However, if you would like a unique dessert, order �iya�s plate of candied fruits and vegetables. Who knew candied olives could be so tasty?
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| Dessert time at �iya. |
During my next visit to Istanbul this spring, I might have to include a stop at �iya as well!
Location:
�iya Sofrasi and �iya Kebab (right across the street from each other)
G�neslibah�e Sokak 43
Kadik�y, Istanbul