Restaurant review
Istanbul Cafe
Reviewed by Crystal Hutchins
He’s studied with Sufis, worked as a journalist in the Middle East during war time, owned a restaurant in his homeland of Turkey, and sold fine handmade rugs in America and abroad. He has an unbelievable story for every occasion. His distinctive laugh, punctuated by high-ended giggles and Cheshire smiles, fill Istanbul Café with its joie de vivre. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s lived a life more full of adventure. Istanbul Café’s owner Aybey G (you couldn’t pronounce his last name even if I could spell it) has seen his latest dream to fruition: an authentic Turkish eatery like no other restaurant in Alaska. Offering up the unique flavors and dishes of his homeland with a heart barely contained by his wide chest, the labor-intensive process of handmade, fresh food is his labor of love. His spirit, a love of people and a love of food encapsulates the spirit of his restaurant. And while Aybey’s spirit alone expands far beyond the walls of the Café, he also employs happy, knowledgeable, attentive servers. Belly dancers round out the cast on Friday and Saturday nights.
The actual construction of the restaurant itself, with its curving bar, rounded walls, and modern decor, is very feng shui. It’s built with the consciousness of energy movement, lending to the comfortable feeling you get as soon as you walk in. The element of community is obvious upon entering, as well. Local reading material, along with a flyer billboard for local events, greet you at the door.
The open kitchen design allows customers the opportunity to see food prepared, adding to the peace of mind that they are getting a fine and freshly prepared meal. If you take a seat at the bar you get a front row view to the ongoing daily food preparation. You might see a chef hand-stuffing and rolling vine leaves for Yaprak Dolma (an appetizer of vine leaf stuffed with organic rice, pine nuts, onions, olive oil and Mediterranean spices-imported from Turkey, $7.50), the only place in Alaska where they are handmade. Or you may catch them carefully laying out layer after layer of thin dough covered with butter and painstakingly cut into squares before baking their own baklava ($5.00). Their popular desserts, including the Kazandibi ($5.00), are made almost daily on large kitchen trays to keep up with demand. The caramel top pudding is a lightly burnt milk pudding cut into squares and rolled like a thick crepe, garnished with nuts and cinnamon. The vanilla-flavored dessert melts in your mouth like custard or creme brulee.
The menu itself is very simple, consisting mainly of kebabs and Mezeler (cold appetizers) but the preparation and presentation are well thought out. They serve the finest hummus ($7.50) that I have ever had, and their babaganush (smoked eggplant puree, $7.50) is beyond compare. Another favorite from the appetizer menu, Ezme ($7.50), is a delicious mix of fresh chopped tomatoes, bell pepper and walnuts with onions, garlic and spices. Appetizers are served with warm pita bread for dipping. You can also choose a small ($17) or large ($22) mix plate from the appetizer menu, which makes a great meal choice for vegetarians. Though I wasn’t brave enough to try it, the tripe soup, said to be great for hangovers, is very popular with his regulars and Aybey makes special personal calls when he is serving it.
The kebab menu includes several options, including a vegetable shish kebab ($15) and their signature dish, the Doner kebab ($17). The Doner is made with seasoned beef and lamb, placed on a large spit rotisserie. Uniquely seasoned, it rotates and cooks slowly throughout the day; chefs slice right off the open grill to order. The Doner machine itself was specially ordered from Turkey and there is nothing else like it in town. The Adana kebab ($17), ground lamb and beef marinated, skewered and grilled, is something like a long, flavorful meatball. It also can be made with chicken and ordered with a chicken shish Kebab on the mixed grill chicken platter ($18). Or to get a sampling of the different styles, order the Istanbul Café Combo ($28). All kebabs are grilled on a flat metal skewer, seasoned lightly, and infused with the flavor of the grill before being served sans skewer over a bed of white rice. They are accompanied by a fresh salad tossed in lemon and olive oil, sandwiched by grilled veggies, and served with a special yogurt mint dipping sauce. Istanbul Cafe’s yogurt is made on site and is also featured on the appetizer menu and in a yogurt shake called Ayran ($3).
The drink menu itself is a marvel, featuring traditional Turkish Coffee, Turkish Tea and a recent addition, apple tea, made with dried powdered apple, tart and sweet. Each is unique and difficult to describe. If you like your coffee sweet, order the Turkish Coffee sweetened because once made, you don’t want to stir it. The finely ground, incredibly flavorful coffee sinks to the bottom of the cup, leaving a silt like mud. You sip the coffee itself out of a tiny cup that might whisk you off to Alice’s Wonderland if you are prone to daydream. Order the Turkish Tea if you have an all-nighter planned. This delicious tea, served in a small fluted glass with tiny spoon (the Turkish sip it off the spoon) packs a powerful punch.
What about justice for the customer and the employee? Prices border below fine dining scale but you get upscale food made with fresh ingredients. Lunch specials are featured Monday through Friday 11am-3pm ($12.50) and include choices from the main dinner menu. Servers make standard wage plus the tips that come with upscale dining. The traditional Turkish chefs are very well-compensated (above Anchorage average). During the summer, Aybey orders fresh produce from P and M Gardens in Eagle River and he supplements throughout the year with local vendor Ditomaso.
Aybey also sees constant room for improvement. This summer he added an outdoor seating area and he is now looking towards expanding the restaurant within its home at the Qupqugiaq Inn, 640 West 36th Ave. After the expansion he plans to add a full breakfast menu with special omelets, bagels and a variety of herb teas. He constantly improves upon the menu and the serving dishes. It seems like there is something new to check out every time I stop by. The location, which has been home to more than a couple of failed cafés, seems to have found its perfect match, and I wouldn’t mind if Aybey didn’t change a thing.
NOTE: Istanbul Cafe’s menu is located here.