Tugra, Dinner in a Palace

There is something indulging about eating at a hotel restaurant as a non-resident. The feeling of grandeur like you are on holiday with all the other people in the lounge. It is not only dinner. It becomes an event. First drinks in the lounge, then dinner, then back to drinks in the lounge, all while observing the people around you and wondering where they are from and what they are doing in Istanbul.

Here I am having dinner at the Ciragan Palace Kempinsky on the Bosphorus in Istanbul. Once home to the last Sultans of the Ottoman empire. Voted as 'Top 25 Hotels in Turkey' for 2013, '100 Best Hotels of Europe' by Tripadvisor and 'Worlds Best Places go Stay' by Conde Naste Traveler. And you can see why! From the moment the valet opens the car door for you, you step into the splendor of this Grand hotel.

Everybody greets you like you are the most important person in the hotel and it feels like you can lift your chin, push out your chest and pretend for a minute that you are going upstairs to one of their suites.

I was in the fortunate position of having dinner at Tugra with the hotel's Executive chef, Sezai Erdogan and the Food and Beverage Director, Michael Braun. Tugra plays homage to the Ottoman cuisine. Appropriately, Tugra is the name of the calligraphic seal of the Ottoman Sultan. It is fine dining at its best but without any stuffiness. With a view over the Bosphorus you can for a moment loose yourself in the lights on the Asian side.

I was greeted with 'The sparkle of the Palace'. That is Pomegranate topped with Champagne and it was so good, I could have had that the whole night!

One of the many special touches to the evening was the hot towel that was given to wipe my hands before dinner. After which, a beautiful Mezze plate was served at the table with a scrumptious selection of Turkish finest ingredients. Broadbean(Fava) mousse, Hummus, Eggplant Salad, Artichokes in Olive Oil, Salted Shrimp and Yogurt with dill and garlic(Haydari). I particularly loved the Fava mousse. With this was served a lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Turkish winery, Kavaklidere and the Red wine was Prodom Aydin. A blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Both wines from Turkey complimented the dishes so well.   In between the delicious mouth full of flavours, Sezai, the executive chef told me that they researched back into history to find the old Ottoman recipes. The kitchen is specially equipped to do all the different styles of Ottoman cooking. Only the freshest ingredients are used in the Ottoman dishes, served to modern diners in this historic Palace setting   The mezzes was followed by starters of Icli Kofte, a bulgar wheat shell filled with ground meat, Lamb Mince wrapped in Cabbage leaves(Etli Lahana Sarmasi), Pastrami Boregi, stuffed Zucchini flowers and Vineleaves stuffed with rice(Dolma). The fish starters were Trout with Cream cheese, Mussels and Mackerel. It was really an impressive range of food and I loved every bite of it. I really enjoy eating this way, to taste a bit of everything. But I knew I had to save myself for the main course. Oh yes, all of this food was still followed by a main course!   And then my Main course arrived! Testi Kebabi! It is Lamb stew cooked over a fire in a individual claypot. What makes it so impressive is that they come to pop open the lid of the claypot at your table. Now that's a main course served in style…loved it! It is one of those dishes when you see another table order that, you want one too! It is “I want what they are having” moment! The Ciragan Palace Kempinsky has their own Baklava chef. He is from Gaziantep, the land of food and Baklava! This was the best baklava I've ever tasted. It almost melted in my mouth. Again, it was served at the table and these little touches made the meal extra special. Finishing the meal with great coffee and Turkish Delight was the cherry on the top of this already fabulous meal. With the Bosphorus as the backdrop, Tugra is an exquisite and romantic dining experience. If you want to dine in a palace, this is definitely the place to come. You will be treated like royalty! Thank you to Lara and Çiler for the special invitation and for spoiling me so fabulously!  

Ciragan Palace Kempinsky Hotel

Ciragan Caddesi 32 Besiktas Istanbul   Hotel Tel: +90 212 326 4646 Tugra Tel: +90 212 236 0733 Tugra reservations: diningreservations.ciraganpalace@kempinsky.com Website: www.kempinski.com Twitter: @CPKempinsky Facebook: Ciragan Palace Kempinsky Istanbul  

Also See my next post: An interview with Sezai Erdogan, Executive Chef at the Ciragan Palace Kempinsky

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