Alaf
Alaf may be our very favourite restaurant in Istanbul. We think Michelin did it a great injustice by not awarding a star.
Alaf presents Yörük culture and cooking in a superb reading.
The classics of the menu — the Şanlıurfa mince, the Lebanese-style beef tartare, the İzmir-style 'atom' kokoreç and, for dessert, the Kale (dried red pepper filled with chocolate in a black mulberry sauce) — were legendary once again.
On this visit, the newly added salted bonito, the garlic zırh kebab, the Aydın camel sucuk and the chilled sorrel soup have all been wonderful additions.
Our thanks to the Alaf team, who send us away happy every visit and still manage to surprise us with what they add to the menu.
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