Before visiting Turkey, the only Turkish food I knew were Kebab and Pide (Turkish Pizza). After researching on what to eat in Istanbul, I have discovered a wide variety of food that Turkey has to offer. Below is a list of what to eat in Istanbul and in order of what I think is MUST-EAT as it is probably quite hard to find outside this country. Although I did not realize most are desserts!
Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir @ Istanbul, Turkey
I must admit Turkish Delights were never my thing. They were just pink, soft sweets with pungent artificial rose smell. It wasn’t until we made our way to the original store that invented Turkish Delights “Haci Bekir”. That’s when I feel in love with these sweets.
Karakoy Gulluoglu (Baklava) @ Istanbul, Turkey
The best baklava in Istanbul is at Karakoy Gulluoglu- a company that has been opened since 1820. They only have one store in Istanbul, which says a lot about their quality. The location is near Galata bridge which is a pleasant walk after a visit after Galata Tower in Beyoglu.
Mocan & Green Grout- Espresso Bar (Canberra, Australia)
Due to my recent obsession of eating organic & fresh ingredients, York has found this little cafe in New Action- an area in Canberra near Lake Burley Griffin. Mocan & Green Grout does not take bookings and we arrived there on a busy Sunday afternoon. To our surprise it didn’t take too long for us to get a table. There were many people waiting outside for takeaway coffees, tables and chairs were provided with blankets if you find Canberra winter too chilly.
Lonsdale Street Roasters (Canberra, Australia)
It was a chilly Saturday afternoon, York had just flew into Canberra from Adelaide that morning. We were staying at Clifton Suite on Northbourne Avenue, this eatery was conveniently located 2 streets away. Their website looked quite good, so we decided to give it a try. Even at 2pm, Lonsdale Street Roasters was packed with people. There were many benches outdoor, with one large table for people to share.
Remy and Violette @Adelaide, SA
Remy and Violette is a new café on Hutt Street. The place is quite small with a hand full of tables inside and two outside table. The décor is quite cute with a cosy French café feel. This Café has a selection of small desserts such as cakes, tarts and brownies. Most customers in the store were having coffee with a desert and happy chatting away in the cosy café.
Number 12 Cafe – #12 Cafe @ Adelaide, SA
At lunch we went to a breakfast and lunch café on Halifax Street called Number 12 Café. The café is quite close to King William Street with many business buildings around. At lunch time the place is packed with people lining up to get takeaways for lunch. As it was our day off we were casually ordering and seated our self in the spacious café. The Number 12 Café is very spacious inside and the tables were very spread out. They have a sandwich bar where you can build our own with fresh ingredients. They also have an open fridge with pre-made baguette and sandwiches.
The Waiting Room @ Melbourne, VIC
The Waiting Room is located at the classy side of the crown complex. It is one of Melbourne’s most luxurious lobby bars. It has quite a selection of classy alcohol from classic cocktails to exclusive wines. It also offers a small selection of selection of food. Most importantly, The Waiting Room is Winny’s current favourite afternoon tea place. Winny came to this place not so long ago with her friends and she loved it. She loved it so much that she cancelled the place I booked for high tea with her because she wasn’t happy with the food there and she took me to this place to share her experience.
Nutrition Republic @ Adelaide, SA
Nutrition republic is one of Winny’s favourite organic food store, it is located on King William Road. This place is always packed with fit looking people who are still in their work out clothes. Many of them seem like regulars who make this place their regular catch up place after exercises. All the dishes here are very natural and healthy, hence you are able to indulge with no guilt afterwards. Next time you go down King William Road and have a craving for dessert but also want something healthy, I recommend you to go to Nutrition Republic.
Faraja @ Adelaide, South Adelaide
Today we had a large group gathering at a restaurant called Faraja for breakfast. It’s located on the classy King William Road, the nicer part of Adelaide where you will find good bakeries and restaurants. We went there on Sunday morning. Parking is always easy around this restaurant with street side parking readily available. The restaurant has a cute cottage feel.