THE BRIEF
Once again, it was the word of mouth that led me in the direction of a fine restaurant. I was repeatedly being told that Istanbul was probably one of the top five restaurants in Honolulu. I got my trusty assistant, always agile with reservations, to book us a table. My best friend was in town and I wanted to treat him to some fine dining.
As you enter and approach your table you are greeted by rustic old-world charm. It was the attention to detail that absolutely blew me away. From the pillows at the table to the artwork hanging on the walls the Mediterranean atmosphere oozed throughout the room. It has that romantic ambiance that is perfect for dinner with that special someone or treating anyone to some exceptional cuisine.
Hand-crafted Le Creuset plates form the centrepiece of the table setting. Le Creuset is recognized the world over for market-leading, premium quality ranges of enamelled cast iron cookware, multi-ply stainless steel, toughened non-stick, stoneware and ceramics, along with its outstanding range of wine accessories.
It was time to have a look at the generous selection of wine and drinks. The cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley caught my eye. This was from Duckhorn vineyards in the famous winemaking region of California. The Cab is actually blended with a bit of Merlot to form very smooth tannins. It has a wonderful aroma and a focused finish with hints of plum and blueberry on the palate.
For a starter, we chose the Meze Platter with hummus, muhammara, babaganoush, su borek, spanakopita, peynir & karpuz, pita (all the mezes are hand-made by Mom Chef Nili) vegetarian. The muhammara was delicious and perfect with the tender pita.
If that wasn’t filling enough, even though we were sharing all the plates among the three of us, I had to try some of the other tasty dishes on offer. We chose the MEDITERRANEAN SALATA with Ho farm tomato & cucumber, lettuce, Turkish cured olive & feta, EVO, lemon vinaigrette (vegetarian gluten-free). It was fresh and delicious and prepared the palate for the wonderful main courses.
Everyone knows I’m a big fan of lamb so the order was put in for the LAMB TENDERLOIN (3 SHISH) grass-fed Kohala lamb, marinated & aged in Turkish spices for 48 hours, Mediterranean Salata, saffron pilav, tzatziki
(gluten-free). Having the lamb marinate overnight not only tenderizes but also takes any gamey flavour out. Superb!
We also ordered the LEVREK (Mediterranean Sea Bass)fresh Mediterranean catch of the day, pan-fried, Narlikuyu sauce, Coban Salata, saffron pilav | gluten-free. A very fresh and tasty dish with just the right spices added to it.
Of course, no dinner would be complete without some tasty dessert. All dishes were Turkish. We started with ANTEP BAKLAVA & DONDURMA (2 pieces) traditional 40 layers filo, Turkish walnut, Rare Hawaiian honey syrup, cream fresh dondurma (2 pieces with one scoop of cream fresh dondurma). Second up was the PISTACHIO TAHINI HELVA with VALRHONA CHOCOLATE DONDURMA. A side of TURKISH DELIGHTS 6 pieces Turkish delights with fruit and floral notes from Narnia’s Wardrobe (vegan, gluten-free). What a perfect finish it was to a fine dining experience.
THE DEBRIEF
This restaurant annihilated my expectations. The decor is beautiful, the service was excellent, and the food (every dish) was delicious. Truly wonderful Mediterranean cuisine makes you feel like you’re actually there. I give this one the coveted Captain’s Cap.
👍👍👍👍
