No Reservations Season 6 Episode 2: Istanbul
In this episode Tony Bourdain travels to Istanbul. Tony tells the viewers “Turkey has always been a mystery to me” and has no preconceptions of the country as he arrives in Istanbul. He finds the streets clean, sophisticated food available and young and hip people milling through the streets. Tony admits since Istanbul is Muslim and a dry country with no ready alcohol, he overdid it on the plane coming over.
Tony’s first guide is Ezra, who takes him to a local breakfast place. Tony finds out what a typical breakfast meal is in Istanbul: eggs, bread, flatbread, a variety of fresh and fried cheeses, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers accompanied by strong Turkish tea during the meal and strong Turkish coffee after the meal. Another tasty item Tony tries is cooked peppers and melted cheese rolled in a bread and baked.
The next guide takes Tony to sample a pizza like object popular in Turkey. This thin crusted pizza bread is topped with lamb, a spicy salsa, tangy sumac spice, red peppers, arugula, parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. The pizza has a thin crispy crust which Tony approves of.
Tony is hankering for some street food and gyros are what he is craving. Yes he admits he likes the “meat on a stick” pre-formed gyros towers you find in the U.S. but this is the real deal: layers of cut meats in a tower, slathered onto flatbread to eat. Tony comments “this is classic stoner food” as he eats his authentic gyro. Tony is drawn to another cart food item he has heard about, Istanbul’s “soggy burger”, and gives it a try. He thinks of it like a big spicy slider and jokingly laments “that’s going straight to my hips”.
A local Chef de Cuisine guides Tony to a butcher shop and restaurant where offal is one of the offerings. Tony is always interested in organ meats and this is no exception. As he and the chef gather some spices and offal items to cook up Tony can’t resist having some of the dishes the restaurant features. Tony and the chef sit down to roasted lambs head and lamb kabobs with spicy chili. Tony likes the lamb kabobs with flatbread so much he orders a second one.
Next the chef takes Tony to a fine dining restaurant that specializes in ancient recipes of the country. The chef and Tony decide on a red meat with fruit stuffed in a lemon shell dish and a stew dish of baby lamb, dried figs, raisins, currants and dates. The chef tells Tony so many people rush through meals and it should be a time to enjoy the food and talk.
Ramadan is an Islamic month of fasting for Muslims, requiring a fast from dawn ’till dusk, it is thought the fast teaches Muslims patience, modesty and spirituality. At 4:30 a.m. a local taxi driver is Tony’s next guide, driving Tony through the city looking for a meal before dawn arrives. The guide and Tony partake of available food, eating a big breakfast that needs to last until 8:00 p.m. when fasting ends for the day. Tony discovers the taxi driver is a bit of a character, he seems to know everybody in the city and is a encyclopedia of historical information about Istanbul. As dusk sets Tony and his guide arrive at the Blue Mosque to find food as they end their daily fast.
Tony visits the Bosphorus where the Black sea and the Mediterranean sea meet. Tony’s guide takes him to a restaurant that serves fresh seafood caught that very day. Tony tries the unrefrigerated mussels stuffed with spice and rice that he thinks is very good, and hopes the room temp seafood does not come back on him with a vengence. The guide takes Tony to a restaurant featuring brain salad. Tony immediately bites saying brain salad sounds bizarre and he must have it. A local fish that is fried and resembles anchovies is brought to the table. Tony says they are “small, boney and delicious”. The next restaurant stop is a place that cooks their meat in a brick hole in the ground where the meat hangs over the flames. Tony and his guide enjoy the big portions of cooked meat with colorful vegetables wrapped in flatbread.
Tony is invited to one of the guide’s home where her mother and grandmother cook traditional dishes. The dishes are plentiful, with cooked okra, peas and onions with fava beans and dill, zucchini in pastry shell, and lamb with eggplant puree which Tony says is sensational. All desserts he has had here are delicious and the dessert at the end of the meal is no exception, a flaky, rich concoction covered in pomegranate seeds. Tony says “it’s nice to be wrong, to be surprised” about Turkey, “Turkey’s food is a slam dunk”. Tony tells the family he is dining with to his surprise he loves the yogurt in Turkey, saying “any place that can get me excited about yogurt – then anything is possible.” Tony’s final meal in the country dining with his guide’s family is, according to him, the best meal of the trip.
