Istanbul is a lush metropolis for meals lovers. I’ve lived right here for 12 years, and I’ve by no means gotten uninterested in its delicacies—from native road meals to inventive reinterpretations of Turkish classics, from Istanbul-specific dishes to flavors from throughout Anatolia and neighboring international locations like Syria, Iran, and Georgia. In a metropolis with so many choices, it may be arduous to know the place to start out consuming. In fact, most guests have heard of kebab or doner, however I imagine essentially the most attention-grabbing native delicacies goes nicely past these world-famous staples.

The one dish I like to recommend vacationers begin with is deceptively easy however consisitently scrumptious: lahmacun.

A skinny layer of round dough is rolled out and topped with a combination of minced lamb and spices, then baked in a brick oven till the sides flip completely crispy. It’s served scorching, and the correct approach to eat it’s to squeeze some lemon juice, sprinkle it with spices like sumac and Aleppo pepper, and pile on a handful of parsley. Then, you roll it up like a burrito and dig in.

One or two is normally sufficient to fulfill your urge for food. It’s finest paired with a chilly glass of ayran, a salty Turkish yogurt drink that completely balances the spiced meatiness of the lahmacun.

A lahmacun restaurant sits someplace simply above quick meals—meant for individuals on the go, however nonetheless providing one thing you’ll be able to savor. It is meals of the individuals, equally satisfying for vacationers and locals alike.

My favourite place to eat lahmacun is at Borsam Tasfirin in Kadikoy, the neighborhood the place I dwell. The place is at all times bustling with individuals of all ages, and lahmacun flies out and in of the huge stone oven that dominates the small area. Whereas the restaurant has a tiny upstairs salon, one of the simplest ways to take pleasure in Borsam’s lahmacun is perched on a stool inside or exterior by a window, watching the colourful foot site visitors of the neighborhoods cross by. (Borsam presents just a few different choices, together with a lahmacun topped with cheese, however I like to recommend sticking iwth the traditional.)

There could also be fancier or extra complicated dishes to strive within the metropolis, however you’ll be able to by no means go improper with the standard lahmacun.