Hona

Ansar, a 23-year-old chef, is doing wonderful things at a tiny omakase counter in Cihangir. At the daytime service you choose between just three kinds of onigiri and the Tom Kha options.

Tom Kha, a Thai soup, comes with Karabiga prawn or salmon. The balance and variety of the ingredients he uses produce a wonderful flavour — we'd certainly recommend trying his Tom Kha. All three onigiri were excellent, but my favourite was the shiitake with piyaz sauce.

Hona has already made a name for itself since opening in December 2024. It recently took over the whole of the clothing shop it sits inside, and now serves an à la carte menu in the evenings too. On Saturday evenings there's a tasting menu. With its simple decor and the food prepared in front of you, sitting down here feels like being in Japan.

Don't let the simplicity fool you: the cooking is genuinely at a high level. Make a note of the name — you'll be hearing a lot about Ansar Kemaloğlu.