Food&Drink
I don’t tend to go to Sultanahmet and Sirkeci that often to be honest; if you live in Istanbul repeat visits to monuments in the old part of the city with accompanying overnight stays in nearby hotels are simply not on the cards; these are things that tourists do, not expat journalists married to Turkish women.
Last week I decided to broaden my horizons: Imbat, a very well run, complete with Bosphorus view, Mediterranean eatery in the heart of Sirkecı was my assignment and I was determined to keep an open mind. I’m going to come right out and say it ‘the service was damn near perfect’. Let’s not beat around the bush; I have certainly eaten better or more expensive food recently as I review a lot of fine dining establishments with international reputations. Although the food was very tasty, a little bit like good Bistro food, the service, comprised of the perfect staff that was attentive but not invasive, represented ‘the point’. The guys serving food at Imbat were dynamic and displayed an economy of movement only picked up on the streets of Paris from mime artists or those serving in the Special Forces.
The other thing worth harping on about was the lovely, much sought after view; every restaurateur wannabe covets one of these Bosphorus backdrops to keep the punters happy. I could see from Galata tower all the way to the first bridge; to me it’s all old hat but to a traveler brimming with off-the-plane-enthusiasm this is a real treat.
I started my meal with a slightly retro dish of Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese wrapped in a pancake. The smoked salmon had the perfect salinity and smokiness, which can only suggest quality (I’m guessing a very good Norwegian producer). Cream cheese has always acted as the ideal bed buddy for cured or smoked fish providing an appreciated almost bland dairy contrast. Rolled homemade pancakes generously keep all of the above in check in a playful way that rather reminded me of those fun canapés mother used to serve at 1980s cocktail parties.
Next up was a simple crunchy green salad to assuage the guilty consciences of any of us who had just polished off the starter involving cream and carbs. Do yourself a favor and order the Fillet Steak with Porcini Risotto for mains; risotto, which is always a tough one to master, was executed here in an authentic way. The rice itself was al dente which is always a good sign; the flavor components (homemade chicken stock, earthy porcini rich with hard to put your finger on umami and sweet, nutty Parmesan) were all out in full force. The fillet steak was really juicy, cooked perfectly and obviously from an animal of good provenance.
For dessert I sampled the chocolate parfait, which was as light as air and full of intense chocolaty flavor. All in all a very good meal. If you’re a tourist at a loss in Sirkeci or anywhere in the city really I thoroughly recommend Imbat as a viable dinner option. I live miles from this neck of the woods and no longer qualify as a tourist but you can bet your house I will be back to this newly discovered haunt to enjoy a tasty steak and gorgeous view soon enough.
Hüdavendigar Cad
No 34 34110
Eminönü-Sirkeci
0212 520 7161
Imbat Restaurant
Writer: Barney Fisher-Turner
I don’t tend to go to Sultanahmet and Sirkeci that often to be honest; if you live in Istanbul repeat visits to monuments in the old part of the city with accompanying overnight stays in nearby hotels are simply not on the cards; these are things that tourists do, not expat journalists married to Turkish women.
Last week I decided to broaden my horizons: Imbat, a very well run, complete with Bosphorus view, Mediterranean eatery in the heart of Sirkecı was my assignment and I was determined to keep an open mind. I’m going to come right out and say it ‘the service was damn near perfect’. Let’s not beat around the bush; I have certainly eaten better or more expensive food recently as I review a lot of fine dining establishments with international reputations. Although the food was very tasty, a little bit like good Bistro food, the service, comprised of the perfect staff that was attentive but not invasive, represented ‘the point’. The guys serving food at Imbat were dynamic and displayed an economy of movement only picked up on the streets of Paris from mime artists or those serving in the Special Forces.
The other thing worth harping on about was the lovely, much sought after view; every restaurateur wannabe covets one of these Bosphorus backdrops to keep the punters happy. I could see from Galata tower all the way to the first bridge; to me it’s all old hat but to a traveler brimming with off-the-plane-enthusiasm this is a real treat.
I started my meal with a slightly retro dish of Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese wrapped in a pancake. The smoked salmon had the perfect salinity and smokiness, which can only suggest quality (I’m guessing a very good Norwegian producer). Cream cheese has always acted as the ideal bed buddy for cured or smoked fish providing an appreciated almost bland dairy contrast. Rolled homemade pancakes generously keep all of the above in check in a playful way that rather reminded me of those fun canapés mother used to serve at 1980s cocktail parties.
Next up was a simple crunchy green salad to assuage the guilty consciences of any of us who had just polished off the starter involving cream and carbs. Do yourself a favor and order the Fillet Steak with Porcini Risotto for mains; risotto, which is always a tough one to master, was executed here in an authentic way. The rice itself was al dente which is always a good sign; the flavor components (homemade chicken stock, earthy porcini rich with hard to put your finger on umami and sweet, nutty Parmesan) were all out in full force. The fillet steak was really juicy, cooked perfectly and obviously from an animal of good provenance.
For dessert I sampled the chocolate parfait, which was as light as air and full of intense chocolaty flavor. All in all a very good meal. If you’re a tourist at a loss in Sirkeci or anywhere in the city really I thoroughly recommend Imbat as a viable dinner option. I live miles from this neck of the woods and no longer qualify as a tourist but you can bet your house I will be back to this newly discovered haunt to enjoy a tasty steak and gorgeous view soon enough.
Hüdavendigar Cad
No 34 34110
Eminönü-Sirkeci
0212 520 7161