Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu

 


I almost made the mistake of not wanting to give any thought to having lunch at the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar is a tourist attraction so eateries there must be tourist traps, right? Well, apparently not so. At least, not every restaurant there is a tourist trap. After lunch at Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu (thanks to the recommendation from IstanbulEats), I am a believer that excellent food can be found at the Grand Bazaar. Yes, there are sub-par restaurants at the bazaar that cater to the millions of tourists that visit daily. But, the bazaar is not only a place for tourists. It is a place where shopkeepers from the 4000+ shops gather to spend their working days everyday throughout the year. Surely they have to eat and they eat at the bazaar too. They just know the right place to eat at the bazaar. Forget about the hustle and bustle of the bazaar for a moment and escape into an oasis of calm. We veered off the main shopping area into Cebeci Han where a quiet courtyard awaited. At the courtyard were several small shops either doing carpet repair, serving tea, or food.

We walked into a cosy interior where the room only seated two tables. It was a hole-in-the-wall but a very lovely and warm place which we did not mind being at while surrounded by bamboo walls, Turkish patterned table cloth and cushions on the seats. Kara Mehmet seats most of the customers at the outdoor tables facing the courtyard but it was a cold and wet day so the obvious choice for us then was to sit inside. We arrived just after lunch hour and hence missed the lunch crowd so we had the entire room to ourselves after a young Turkish man was finished with his meal shortly after we placed our lunch order. Our server barely spoke English but he tried his very best to understand us in his most friendly manner. With some gestures and basic Turkish words we learned for this trip (which by the way, learning some Turkish words helped us go a long way), we managed the interaction well. For drinks, you can order tea/çay [chai] or Turkish coffee/kahve [kah-vay] and the drinks will be brought over from the tea house next door. We both got kahve for after our meal-- I like mine as az şekerli [ahz-sheh-kehr-li], with little sugar; T likes his as orta şekerli [or-tah-sheh-kehr-li], with medium sugar.

Shortly after we placed our order with the server, the owner of Kara Mehmet returned to the restaurant probably from his short break earlier. The pleasant and older man generously brought a plate of ground aubergine to our table with compliments of the house. Right after he placed the aubergine on our table, with his bare hands he picked up the pieces of flatbread inside the basket that was served to us previously by his employee and then replaced them with warm flatbread which he held in his other hand. What a lovely, lovely gesture that we appreciated very much. It was a cold and wet day but this place was warm all around to the heart and stomach. The lentil soup definitely played a part in warming our stomachs while we waited for our kebap.

The spicy adana kebap, which is what this place is known for, was worth savoring during every bite. They have a non-spicy kebap but we recommend the adana kebap which is really not all that spicy. Every part of the meat was moist, juicy, and flavorful with a very slight hint of lemon squeezed over it during the grilling process.  The resulting taste was excellent without a heavy meatiness. The side of fresh vegetables was light and fresh with a citrus dressing. We noticed that Kara Mehmet loves incorporating lemon in their food as the lentil soup too had a very slight hint of lemon. What a refreshing difference it made to the soup. At the end of the meal, we were satisfied travelers without the sluggish feeling after a full lunch.

Just when we were about to finish with our meal, our kahve were brought over from next door. We sipped it slowly and popped into our mouths the piece of Turkish delight that came with each of our drinks. What a lovely way to finish up our equally lovely lunch.

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Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu
Iç Cebeci Han No: 92, Grand Bazaar
Istanbul 



 
 

Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

If there are two quintessential tips for anyone visiting the Grand Bazaar or Kapalı Çarşı (kah-pah-luh char-shuh), it would be to (1) Master the art of price haggling, and (2) Be prepared to walk away if the seller does not agree with your asking price (and watch what will happen next!).

One of the world's oldest and largest covered bazaar, there are over 4000 shops selling items you would possibly want to take home with so that you have a piece of Istanbul or Turkey with you. Touristy? Yes. But locals frequent this place too.

Lest someone thinks the Grand Bazaar is difficult to navigate with thousands of small stores closely packed together-- lucky us-- stores selling the same or similar items are grouped together. Silver, gold, leatherware, pashmina scarves, carpets, ceramics, watches. Right before our eyes. Before I could even decide how many pashmina scarves and in what colors I wanted to buy, the decision was to pick the store I wanted to spend my money at. Eager sellers wished us friendly hellos and touted their items with the invitation to "come in and just take a look". Choices. Decisions. Decisions. Choices.

Haggling for price is common at the bazaar. In fact, it is expected. When a seller gives you an opening price, it is set high as bargaining is expected. We have been to markets in Asia where there is a similar culture of price haggling that is expected from both the seller and buyer. This is the fun part. If your final price to the seller hovers around 40-50% of the originally quoted price by the seller, that is about right. If you are suave in haggling the price, I'd say more power to you. Generally, the seller is more willing to lower their prices if you buy more than 2 pieces of items from them. Cash gives you greater power over credit card. We have to pay the fee, the seller will tell you. If the seller does not agree to your price, be ready to walk away. After all, there are plenty of other shops selling what you want. And yes, the seller knows that indeed there are many other shops selling what you want. When you start to walk away, the seller will magically agree to your price or at least agree to a price that is pretty darn close to how much you are willing to pay for. More importantly, pay what you think is worth for the item you want. A person might see more value in owning a pashmina scarf and hence is willing to pay a higher price for it. Another person might value it differently.

To take a break from the hustle and bustle of the bazaar, the Cebeci Han area offers an excellent reprieve. In this quiet courtyard is where you will find carpet repair shops and restaurants. Kara Mehmet Kebap Salonu makes excellent kebaps.

The Grand Bazaar has 8 entrances; entrance is designed to face different historic monuments in the city. If you're coming to the Grand Bazaar from Sultanahmet (Old City) or if you're taking the the tram to the Beyazit stop, you will most likely enter through the Çarşıkapı Gate. To leave a different way, walk north on Yağlıkçılar Caddesi inside the bazaar and head to Örücüler Kapısı gate. After you exit, there are more shops on Çarşı Caddesi. The street then becomes Uzunçarşı Caddesi where more untouristy shops await along this cobblestone street. This direction is also towards the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Spice Market.

Istanbul's Old City Pt III: Yerebatan Cistern and Divan Yolu

We descended below ground into the Yerebatan Cistern, or otherwise known as the Basilica Cistern, and was greeted by a space devoid of sunlight except for the dim lights shining upon the marble pillars. Built during the Byzantine Empire, the cistern functioned as a water storage and supply to the palace and nearby government buildings. Today the structure of the cistern remains as it is, though its function now is merely to provide us with a glimpse of the water system in the distant past. The 300+ marble pillars with dim lights shining on them from below complement the stillness of the place.

In Istanbul, one can literally walk on history. That is when you walk on Divan Yolu Caddesi, once an imperial road from Constantinople to Rome. Restaurants and cafes are plenty here so that makes great eye candy but this street is also where you will find smaller mosques and tombs of Sultans from the Ottoman Empire including Sultan Mahmud II. It was prayer time during our stroll along Divan Yolu Caddesi and the ezan blared from nearby mosques. Male worshippers who did not make it inside the mosque laid their prayer rugs right outside the mosque, knelt, and bowed their heads in prayer. Welcome to beautiful Istanbul.

Every first timer in Istanbul visits the Sultanahmet area and the Grand Bazaar and there you go, convenience is laid out perfectly here: Divan Yolu Caddesi begins from the Sultanahmet area and leading to the Grand Bazaar. A pleasant 10-15 minutes walk along Divan Yolu Caddesi gets you to the bazaar. Otherwise, catch the tram from the Sultanahmet station and get off at the next stop, Beyazit to get to the bazaar. The tram travels on Divan Yolu Caddesi as well.

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Istanbul's Old City Pt 1: Hagia Sophia 
Istanbul's Old City Pt II: Sultanahmet Mosque