Rice with beans and boiled meat.
It sounds hardly like you'll be dressing up and expectantly dashing to this restaurant with the aim of 'dining out', does it. Rather it's more something you associate with mother's household staple and an old (edible) family friend, and you just eat it, and swear nobody does it better than her. Perhaps Kalkanoğlu is the uncle (or aunty) of many Istanbulites. How else could you explain the existence of a food business since 1856 in a suburb bursting at the seams with restaurants? And, strictly speaking, a culinary one-trick pony at that? The answer lies in exactly the plate of pilav. The rice is very robust, telling stories of being boiled in a rich beefy broth. The beans are soft and delicious as a result of a long cooking process. The kavurma (braised meat), finally, falling to pieces-tender complete the unpretentious delight. If one didn't know at the outset, by the time you start seeing the ceramic underneath the generous portion, one will realise that this is a Trabzon restaurant. The yellow butter residues are a dead giveaway. And nice Trabzon butter they use, too! Not that you will be needing more food, but the way the flavours all combine to make a hearty meal makes you reach for the Karadeniz village-style bread and mob up every single last bit. Damn the torpedoes, and the cholesterol anyway. The family has passed down their pilavcı (Pilav maker) tradition from generation to generation, on last count 5 times, and they keep their successful recipes close to their chest. But it's safe to say that butter is a major ingredient. We went on a Sunday mid afternoon, and the place was full. The service is very efficient, quite likely due to the lack of complications when ordering: you can order rice, beans, meat, or a combination of the three. There are a couple of other dishes to choose from like Kuymak - this being more a breakfast food - but looking around every patron really ate the same. Like a fine wine matching something flashy, their open, fresh Ayran complements the Black Sea wonderfulness. If you are looking for a meal reminiscent of eating in your mother's kitchen (and with a general sweeping statement that they can all cook), and you're in Taksim, a place abundant with (often quite average) eateries, make sure to check out Kalkanoğlu. And if you don't trust this one blog entry, I refer you again to their track record. They have well and truly earned their rights to call themselves tarihi, historical. A 160-year old Istanbul institution, going strong and likely to be there when your grandchildren are looking for a simple, hearty lunch, evocative of workday sustenance around a village kitchen table. Cost: kavurma, pilav & kurufasulye 12.5 TL
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AuthorInnate curiosity, learned (discovered) deep love and appreciation for Turkey, a bit of time at my hands, and always hungry: voila, a food blogger! Archives
September 2019
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