One last meal in Istanbul, by the sea

And so it was that we were back in Istanbul, one final night before we re-dispersed to the winds. As we would all be heading to the airport the next day, we stayed not too far away, in the seaside community of Yesilkoy. It was a superb choice, much better than next-to-the-airport hotels. It gave us the chance to go for one last walk and choose our dinner from amongst the restaurants on nearby.

The area was buzzing, and we had a hard time getting a read on any of the places. At last, we saw a place that looked a bit busier and a bit better than all the rest. Jenika and I had a quick chat with the host, and he assured us we would be delighted with the meal, that it would be inexpensive, or else it would be on him. We sat down.

Then we got back up. Jenika and I had to pick out the meze from the display case.

One selection was eggplant salad with red peppers. This was quite tasty, as the big chunks of eggplant had been cooked long enough to get all the way to delicious.

Number two was a big plate of fava bean paste. Though we desperately wanted some more hummus, none was to be had. So we went for the hummus backup, a pleasing plate of mashed favas.

Third was a wildcard, marinated octopus salad with pickles and green olives. We had to go for it after seeing the odd combination of ingredients. It turned out to be very good. The long pieces of octopus managed to taste a little bit like tuna. The green olive that would pop up every now and then was a scrumptious change of pace.

The final meze was yogurt with some kind of vegetable. I didn't catch the name, but this was a pretty good plate of yogurt.

Then came the salad course, fulfilled by the ever-present shepherd's salad. A good rendition with excellent knife skills on display.

Seafood was up next. First some fried calamari, a nicely done version with freshly fried calamari still meaty and not too bready.

More seafood would follow. A dramatic dish of a fish stew wrapped in foil, opened at the table, brought sea bass with tomatoes and herbs to our plates. This was excellent, with the fish having pulled in some of the steam from the cooking. All the pieces left the foil and went to our bellies quickly.

While we were eating, a gentleman was walking around peddling nut plates. On seeing many other tables with them, we got one ourselves, a plate of walnuts and almonds on ice. The nuts were a refreshing and fresh contrast to the prepared food we had during the meal, as well as a nice meal cap.

As the meal was winding down, the table next to us began to celebrate a birthday. Out came the cake, a quick little song, and the birthday was celebrated. Then, surprisingly and nicely, the table, composed of young men in their twenties, offered Sahana a slice of cake. She was initially shy but then saw the cake and took it with relish. This capped off two weeks for her where her cheeks were continually pinched without warning by strange people, all done in good humor.

It was a great last meal to end a great time in Turkey.