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Ankara, my hometown makes me wonder around the tastes I am familiar with. One being döner, I can easily say that I had the best döner sandwiches topped with onions and parsley through my school years. Have to mention the … Continue reading
For a decent portion of döner, you need decent meat. You need high quality meat. Because döner is made from meat and animal fat, to be precise, tail fat. But… The smell of the meat was very unappetizing, the meat used was fron various low quality cuts, nerves and all were present, not to mention the inedible, tough and greasy at the same time meat, leaving your mouth greasy and tummy sour. Will not return…
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We were taken by the smell of the wood fire, and followed by my nose and hungry instincts, we end up at a local, family run pide restaurant at Milas. After all that rush at pazar and the morning kokoreç has left … Continue reading
If you want to eat local food of Antakya, cooked delicately,deliciously and properly, a must stop is Sultan Sofrası. Metin Tansal is a very demanding boss checking if everything is in order, you may see him in the kitchen or anywhere showing working like his staff. Osman Bey is working like a family member, keeps the restaurant intact and helps the family to run the business. Nowadays the beautiful young lady Meltem Tansal is growing into the business and I saw that sparkle in her eyes, made me remember the time I started working, just out of school.
We began our feast with yoğurt aşı, a soup made of a special yoğurt, oruk and chickpeas. Then followed oruk, which is içli köfte. Then came hummus, cevizli biber. Then kaytaz böreği, ıspanaklı börek. Never stopped, almost…
Firik was out of this world, firik is a kind of cracked wheat, bulgur, wheat is harvested and burnt just before it is completely mature so it leaves a smoky flavor in your mouth a true delicacy. Aşur is boiled wheat, chickpeas and meat all combined together and beaten down with wooden spoon, to a mastic kind paste, finished with butter, cumin, walnuts. Aşur is a very laborious dish, should be prepared by the true usta, like this one.
Mumbar, lamb intestines, stuffed with rice, meat and spices so tasty. Kağıt kebap was presented in a lavaş, preparation is again not easy for this unique meat dish, the meat is minced by zırk, a special knife, with herbs and spices then pressed on a piece of parchment paper, cooked in stone oven, you eat it with hand, tearing little pieces and wrapping in the lavaş. The taste is garlicky, peppery, meaty, yet you taste them all one by one.
After all these dishes we were so full, but you are in Antakya, you dine like the royal family all put together, and always offered with more delicious things. So there comes the mini dessert plate full of regional tastes like, zeytin tatlısı, kireçte kabak and ceviz tatlısı.
Can not tell enough, how we devoured every bite, how pleasant our lunch was, how kind Sultan Sofrası Family is… It is a safe place far from home, definitely!
Address: Istiklal Caddesi, No: 20/A, Antakya
Phone: (326) 213 8759
Service hours: Monday-Saturday around 11:00 – 21.30, closed on Sunday.
At Abdo,the dürüm’s taste is zingy, meaty, peppery and the lavaş is crunchy… It is different then any other you had, making you addicted.
The dürüm – wrap – is prepared different then the other cities. First the lavaş is dipped in to the oil in the tray, under the döner. Then heated by holding against döner’s fire. Then the lavaş is spreaded with hot pepper paste, heated again holding it against the döner’s fire, which during this process turns the peppery lavaş into a crunchy yummy one, then it is topped with zerzevat, consisting of onion and parsley rubbed with pepper flakes, layered on top the slices of döner and finished with a tomato sauce, rolled and wrapped and voila! Ready to be devoured!
It is not animal fat, it is vegetable oil that is rubbed the lavaş with, the reason is they use leaner meat than normal döner supposed to be, so a they use vegetable oil to spread on the lavaş. The meat half mincemeat, half cutlets of meat all veal, topped layer by layer the meat slices holding the mincemeat intact.
Antakyalılar, locals of Antakya, is obsessed about their döner, that is why!
Address: Hürriyet Cad. No:19, Antakya, Turkey
Phone: (326) 212 7546
Service hours: Open everyday from 11:00am till the second döner finishes around 10.00-11.00pm
What happened to the Ikbal which we used to go and eat döner sandwiches even early in the morning? Well, sustainability is a monster for some. The big split is so appealing, all layer of meat on top of each other, you expect a flavour but the meat has no taste whatsoever, while eating or no aftertaste when you finish, nothing at all, it creates a big contrast. So disappointing! Ikbal’s time has come and far gone. Will not return.
The word of mouth and the reviews said it is worth a visit. So we did. They serve iskender. And they are proud of it, so we ordered. One of the few times I could not finish what’s on my plate. I just could not! The döner was tasteless, the tomato sauce was hot tomato paste, the pide pieces are literally swimming in fat. Probably the worst I had. Not to mention the stinky dirty toilets. Will not return.
Meat… Tasty, juicy,thin layers of lean meat stacked on each other, rotating on a vertical spit, cooking slowly.
The meat is from lamb and beef. It is marinated before, so you do not need to add neither salt nor anything else.
The tender and utmost delicious döner is served in pita kind of sandwich bread which is home baked as well. You also may have wrap, half-a-bread sandwich, or a plated portion. What ever you choose do not forget to ask for tomatoes and peppers cooked under the döner, bedded in the juices, sucking them up.
This tiny place is is a 35 years old city gem, where you always feel welcome, the döner is always delicious! Stop there for an early lunch, wait for your turn impatiently and enjoy every bite, cause it is one of the best döner city offers you.
Address : Sinan Paşa Mah. Mumcu Bakkal Sk. No:6, Beşiktaş
Phone: (212) 261 7693
Service hours: Opeans early but the döner is ready around 11:00 am – till it finishes. Closed on Sundays.
