. Nicola Prentis

Çok Çok really stands out on a simple street like Meşrutiyet Caddesi. Although the name doesn't give away the restaurant's genre, the Far East design does. A lively yellow sign marks the spot for Çok Çok, an excellent Thai restaurant in Istanbul. After establishing themselves in London, the modest owners have partnered with Singaporean architect Kay Ngee Tan, winner of the Venice Biennial, to create a more sophisticated venue. The bottom floor of the two-storey restaurant includes Tan's retro, wooden chairs and dark-coloured tables, which, along with the floor-to-ceiling windows and unobstructed view of the outdoors, gives Çok Çok a tranquil feel. The most attention-grabbing object is the chandelier that dangles down from the ceiling of the top floor almost all the way to the bottom. This piece was inspired by Tan's introduction to Turkish pottery. The colourful seat cushions, as well as the chopsticks, plates, and salt and pepper dispensers brought from Bangkok, are all very classy, complementing the soft, instrumental ethnic music.
The restaurant seats 50 people, which will increase to 70 in the summer when the patio opens up. In addition to Thai food, Indian, Turkish and Singaporean-influenced dishes are all on the menu, a multicultural culinary melee that has rather amusingly been shortened to the acronym T.I.T.S. on the café's website. Puerile kicks and guffaws aside, you can watch Çok Çok's Thai chef (and former executive chef for the Thai consulate), whip up all of the above in the restaurant's modern kitchen. Ingredients include Thai classics like coriander, lemongrass, and ginger, which they've imported from abroad. Coconut milk soup with chicken and mushroom, spring rolls, fish cakes, and grilled prawns all make delicious starters, while entree choices like curries, salads, noodles, and stir-fry options abound. Service is very professional and the restaurant goes out of its way to make customers feel comfortable. Although the restaurant could surely fall under the fine dining label, the owners prefer to advertise it as a comfortable and serene cafe, in keeping with the eastern philosophy of simplicity. Expect to pay around 35 YTL per head.