I was delighted to discover the Antiochia Restaurant in Asmalimescit, Istanbul serving delicious cuisine of Antioch, Antakya (in the photo, the delicious mezes of walnuts and red pepper paste, hummus, olives with onion and oregano, kebabs with sumac and onion, all very yummy) where my roots are from. The owner and very creative Jale Balci wrote the wonderful book Antioch; City and Cuisine, an amazing book of Antioch’s wonderful recipes, cuisine and culture. This book is now available in English too and highly recommended.
And just minutes away from Asmalimescit is the newly upcoming Galata Tower region. Once it was one of the highest points during the Ottomans, Galata Tower offers spectacular views all around Istanbul. It has been buzzing with new cafes, tea shops
and artisan shops, such a wonderful place to stop by, reflect and enjoy the surroundings.
that is quite hot, but really juicy, sweet way of hot, reminds me a little of the Hatch chilli peppers we used to get in Austin, Texas. Very tasty:)
thanks for the comment,
Ozlem
I just visited Antiochia last week. It was my favorite restaurant in all of Istanbul! Good memories. 🙂
Hello,
They are spicy chilli peppers from Turkey