A rainbow kitchen!
AsmaYaprağı is one of the names that pop up when I think about Alaçatı. This adventure of this restaurant started as a small restaurant, is still carrying on with their new garden. Managed by a woman, this restaurant almost full during summer creates impressive dishes from a humble kitchen. Another reason why you should appreciate the work of a woman…
I’d recommend you to wander around the streets of Alaçatı in a quiet season. To lose yourself in antique shops and escape from the chaos of city life. If you feel you’re getting hungry in the meantime, please avoid ordinariness. Satisfy your stomach and your eyes with varieties of food prepared in the sweetest kitchen in the world. That’s how I’ve encountered AsmaYaprağı in the first place. The first time I’ve entered their kitchen I exclaimed “Oh my god, they broughtrainbow into their kitchen!” Those colourful and lively vegetables and fruits resembling Van Gogh artworks enchant you right away. Women do wonders…
The back garden of AsmaYaprağı remains unique, and is similar to an outside wedding hall with its blue, humble chairs and white tables. Everything looks clean and neat, and most of all, natural. Firstly, they invite you to their kitchen, for you to see how the food is made by the hands of Anatolian women. Inside, there are various meat safes, vast counters, young female cooks… This is a simple beauty that we urban people are distant to.
Have you ever tasted rainbow? I have!
I don’t want to mess up the arrangement, but I’m starving! I start with tasting couscous with pumpkin. I find the taste of olive oil too much in this dish. As the pumpkin is slightly burnt, the sweet and burnt taste boosts the taste of couscous. I’ve always seen couscous as a simple dish. Therefore, this meze is not very impressive for me. Stuffed vine leaf with cranberry is prepared and cooked well. The rice inside is neither too hard nor soft. It’s perfect. I think I prefer the sour taste of cranberry better than lemon. Whoever thought about this initially, well done!
Green tomato dish is made of wheat and has a spicy hot taste beside the sourness that comes form tomatoes. It’s a bit too sweet for me. I believe thispartly results from the grilled red peppers. It highlights the dominant sweet taste.
The Unknown gems of the Aagean
Çalkama is one of the favourite specials at AsmaYaprağı. It’s one of those peculiar tastes from the Aegean. I find this dish consisting of chard and a sort of white sauce a little bit ordinary again.
Sinkonta: Another Aegean taste… This dish with pumpkin and onion is my favourite one at AsmaYaprağı. The harmony of yogurt with this is absolutely amazing. The level of sugar and salt is much better than the other dishes I’ve tried. Again, I find the sweet, burnt taste of pumpkin quite suitable in this dish. Often I don’t think the roasted vegetables are that suitable for meze, but this dish, sinkonta makes me reconsider my prejudice.
AsmaYaprağı is a successful place that remains intact with the calmness, history and in short, the identity of Alaçatı. It’s a peaceful corner; it’s a taste destination where creativity meets traditionalism.
Evaluation 7.5/10
Tokoglu Mahallesi 1005 Sokak
No:50 Alacati – Cesme Izmir
Tel: 0232 716 01 78
