Any traveller will tell you that when it comes to food (particularly street food), Istanbul is a world class contender. Boasting an array of savoury dishes and mouth-watering sweets, their cuisine is hard to beat.
For those of us who canβt jet off to the Middle East in our spare time, there is hope β enter EatStanbul. An authentic Turkish grill house that is fully halaal and right here in Cape Town!
The fun play on the name comes from an inside joke β β… because when we visit Istanbul, all we do is eat,β say owners Veysel Bogan and Naadiya Moosajee. Meeting at a restaurant in Istanbul named Saray (which means palace in English), the husband and wife team decided to set up their own version upon moving to Cape Town three years ago. You can visit the Saray restaurant in De Waterkant which serves authentic Turkish & Kurdish food.
The restaurant fared so well that they decided to launch a second last month on Kloof Street, thankfully a little closer to home for our Oranjezicht and Gardens residents. A recent visitor to the newly opened restaurant, Taz Begum, described her experience as βamazingβ, saying the food was βto die forβ, that the staff were friendly and they delivered a great service. She concluded her review by saying it was a βmust visitβ for visitors to Cape Town.
Although it may look unassuming from the outside, the buzz that this quaint teal restaurant emits is palpable from the street, but what about the food?
On the menu
You can expect flavours imported straight from Istanbul. Traditional mezes, such as hummus and falafel and Turkish breads, baked fresh on-site. There are also kebabs available which are prepared over coal grills (something we adore as South Africans) so be sure to try those too.
Güveç (seasonal vegetables cooked in a clay pot) is a must try main course, and for dessert you can expect sticky sweet baklava and sütlaç (traditional Turkish rice pudding).
If this intrigues you, wander up to 64 Kloof Street any day of the week from 11am until midnight to be transported to an entirely different region of the world.
Welcome to the neighbourhood EatStanbul, we wish you every success!
