Crossing Continents for Dinner

This evening we crossed to another continent… travelling from Europe to Asia.

By ferry 😂

A short 20-minute trip from the harbour… and another form of transport added to my growing Istanbul collection (tram ✔ metro ✔ train ✔ and now ferry 😜).

As we pulled away from the dock the sun was setting behind us, casting a warm glow across the water. The gentle rocking of the boat and the calm of the evening almost sent me to sleep. I did attempt to take a photo… but mostly just captured reflections in the glass 😂

Soon we arrived on the Asian side of the city. It feels noticeably different here… a little newer, lively and full of energy.

We wandered through busy streets packed with restaurants, bars and people enjoying the nightlife before heading to a much quieter neighbourhood… Moda in Kadıköy.

Tucked away there we found a small but perfect little meze restaurant: Muutto Street Food, created by renowned chef Umut Karakuş.

I ordered the Anatolian Sli Meze Tabağı (Anatolian quintet meze), which lets you choose five different dishes - always a good idea when everything sounds delicious.

My choices were:
• Mantarli Humus — hummus with truffle oil and seasonal mushrooms
• Tabule — fine bulgur with red beet, zahter, fresh herbs and mulberry molasses topped with an orange cream
• Çerkes Tavuğu — chicken with bagel crumbs, walnuts and smoked paprika
• Fırında Kabak — baked zucchini with avocado, pear, ground pistachio and fresh herb cream topped with crispy chickpeas
• Hardallı Levrek — sea bass with mustard, cucumber, spring onion, truffle oil and sunflower seeds

Each dish had completely different flavours and textures…creamy, fresh, smoky and tangy, all served with warm toasted bread.

To drink I had a glass of homemade lemonade, which was the perfect fresh balance to all the rich flavours.

Another fantastic meal… and another reminder that some of the best places are the ones you find slightly off the beaten path 😋

And just like that we had dinner in Asia before heading back across the water to Europe again.

Not a bad way to spend an evening in Istanbul.Read more