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By Root 913 0

up these volumes and suddenly the prices were out of his reach. Still, by then he’d purchased enough (some dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s) to seriously begin his research. In an interview with writer Joanna Preuss for Food Arts, in 2003, Başaran noted that these cookbooks had never been translated, so the recipes and measurements were indecipherable. He had to teach himself the script and studied with one of the few remaining Ottoman scholars in Istanbul. He related that at Tuğra, “the Turks couldn’t understand what I was doing, especially since no one knew what palace foods really tasted like.” Neither restaurateurs nor diners were very sophisticated then, but after a few foreign food writers ate at Tuğra and praised the food, interest in Ottoman cooking suddenly took off, and other hotels noticed. By this time, Başaran had translated a large number of recipes, and he recognized there were clear distinctions between different Ottoman periods. He classified the collection by century, noting, “After years and years of study, I feel that I live in the present but sleep in the past.”

There is indoor and outdoor seating at Feriye, but to me the whole point is to eat outside. Even when I visited in January, clear panels had been erected over and around the outdoor terrace, and though this barrier existed between me and the water, it was still magnificent (there were small heaters installed in the tent as well). The menu is just extraordinary, like nothing else in Istanbul. Don’t forgo the rounds of bread with black sesame seeds that are brought to the table—they are divine. The cold fisherman’s platter I had was out of this world. The waitstaff is predictably attentive, but they didn’t hover annoyingly, and they relished the moment when they brought our main dishes (all hot) and lifted the silver domed lids from the plates simultaneously.

My three companions agreed that every dish we had left us rather stunned, and my friend Arlene proclaimed she was sure she would likely never have duck that delicious again in her life. There is one dessert, a chicken-breast pudding (tavuk goğsü), about which Arlene said, “I’m sure it’s delicious but it’s just too weird.” She was right about it being delicious, and it’s only a tiny bit odd. Başaran says, “My cooking is a reinterpretation, not a replica, and that itself is part of the Ottoman culinary tradition.”

5.Kat (Soğanci Sokak 7, Taksim/Cihangir / +90 212 293 3774 / 5kat.com). Kat means “floor,” and to reach that floor in this slightly dilapidated building you get in an elevator (also slightly dilapidated) and an attendant will take you up and into a dark, plush room with a bar and about ten tables. 5.Kat has been described as “velvety,” a word I think is perfect, though I’m told that in the summer the velvet is abandoned for the rooftop terrace, which I haven’t yet experienced, though I’m sure I will love it. I only had drinks here, so I can’t vouch for the food, but the people eating—and it was packed, and it was midnight—seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their meals. I did take a peek at the menu; it offers Turkish staples but also Asian and Italian dishes. My friend Maha tried to take a photo because the interior is hard to describe, but she was quickly and firmly asked to banish her camera from sight. Too bad, because 5.Kat is like nothing else—very bohemian, kitschy, yet definitely stylish.

The House Café (Asmalı Mescit Sümbül Sokak, Tünel Geçidi İsban 9/1, Beyoğlu / +90 212 245 9515; Atiye Sokak İskeçe Apt. 10/1, Nişantaşı / +90 212 259 2377; Yıldız Mahallesi, Salhane Sokak 1, Ortaköy / +90 212 227 2699). I wish the owners of this chain would set their sights on the States, because everything about this concept is so unchain-like, and perhaps it could become an inspiring model for entrepreneurs interested in good food that’s served up fast. The menu features mostly healthy, simple dishes, with plenty of vegetarian options, and many are good for sharing. Each dish is nicely presented—lots of towering things—and the salads are great. My glass of sparkling water