16. April 2011: Restaurant Asitane
The first impression of the Restaurant Asitane does not fit what it actually offers. The restaurant is located in the middle of nowhere and pretty hard to find and you basically have no chance of finding it accidentally if you don’t know its exact location. Once you’ve found it though, the impression definitely changes. The interior is nice as it is mainly held in marble and the reservation I made online in advance worked out perfectly.
As a starter you get “greetings from the kitchen” which was in our case bread with a kind of humus and rootbeet. The humus tasted pretty good but in my opinion, the beetroot was tasting way too much like vinegar.
As a starter we had the “Asitane Treats” platter which had Ottoman Hums [Crushed chickpeas, lightly pureed with currants, pine nuts and cinnamon powder], “Lor” Cheese Blend [Mixed with scallions, parsley, green peppers, and tomatoes, seasoned with rosemary and paprika], Fava [Creamed broad beans, seasoned with dill and olive oil], and Pounded Cucumber Salad [with onions and pictachios] and cost 20 TL. The Ottoman Hums was really tasty and the cinnamon powder gave it the little extra hint. The lor cheese blend was good but nothing special, the fava was interesting and pretty smooth and the pounded cucumber salad was somewhat disappointing overall.
As a second starter we went for the Gerdaniyye (Lamb chuck medallions stewed with aromatic vegetables and herbs, blended with sheep brains) for 18 TL. The Gerdaniyye was good in taste and its consistency was really smooth and therefore perfectly fit with bread.
As a main dish, I had Goose Kebab – Slowly baked Cankin goose served on a bed of almond pilaf in crunchy Yufka (40 TL) which tasted amazing. At first, when I got the plate served I thought nothing good about it as it looks quite boring – but honestly, it is great. The goose meat was rich in taste, the filling with rice and dried sweet little berries was an absolutely great mixture – definitely a Turkish main dish I can recommend!
As a desert I had Levzine (Pounded Almond “Halva”) for 14 TL which were not bad but somewhat boring. I mean, it’s not that there was anything to complain about them but honestly, you are just somehow expecting a bit more of a Turkish desert.
Finally, I had Turkish Coffee (5 TL) which was quite good but you have always to be aware of the coffee grounds in the coffee. Secondly, I had Altinbas Raki (8 TL) which was not bad either but is somewhat strong.
Below you can see a picture of the Restaurant Asitane on the top level …
… and below the entrance when you walk down the stairs.
The waiters are friendly and helpful; if you order more wine, water or bread, it is brought to your table within seconds. The interior design is really nice and you feel comfortable there. They were even playing live music (a violin player and a singer) but the music was so soft and nice that it didn’t bother you while eating.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
|
| Service: | |
|
| Dishes: |  |
|
| Price-Performance Ratio: | |
|
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant Asitane
Kariye Camii Sokak No. 6
Edirnekapi
34240 Istanbul (TR)
Tel.: +90 212 635 79 97
Fax: +90 212 521 66 31
E-Mail: info@asitanerestaurant.com
Homepage: http://www.asitanerestaurant.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
