Winds of Change
I hate the crowded atmosphere of Taksim at weekends. There are no places to eat, and the renowned and popular places are full with reservations a month in advance. There’s a place where I’ve been having trouble finding a room and finally I have the chance to do so: Taksim Yeni
Lokanta.
Lately, there have been new steps being taken on the right path of gastronomy in Turkey; however, we witness more and more that Turkish cuisine is mercilessly being devoured. Our kebab has no fat anymore, and it’s the same with our döner and pilav. We avoid using butter and find it rather traditional. My fear is that, we won’t be able to find places where they cook karnıyarık, whereas there will be places making really good duck pate. Here, YeniLokanta has given me this message: “Don’t fear, there are places that still keep Turkish cuisine alive”.
On the right path
The first things that come with the tasting menu are: kısır with sour cherry, sea beans with greengage, string beans and carrot spread with ginger.They modernised the mezes we encounter at lots of other restaurants by having interesting touches and different contributions. I was attracted to carrot spread with ginger (I’ve thought about what to call it and decided to call it modern muhammara), and string beans served with the special yogurt of Denizli the most. The smoky taste in yogurt is really nice and contributes a lot to the taste.
I had a bit of disappointment in the sea bass and julienne courgette that came later. The redcurrants on top suit to the dish, yet the fish itself is rather boring. The fried courgette flower is very light. Light oil suits to this delicate vegetable, and most importantly, it needs to be taken out of oil in a short time. This one was done exactly that way. Shell beans with sucuk is the dish I ordered dreadingly, but it was a very good experience as the homemade sucuk leaves very pleasant taste in our mouth. I wish it were not that sour though. Paçanga börek in vine leafs is my second favourite after the carrot spread with ginger. I found the outside of the patties overcooked. You can’t taste the dough and it melts away. In fact, it would have been very successful if the dough tasted better. While tasting all these meals, I believe more and more that the chefs of YeniLokanta embrace new things openly. I think they are on the right path.
Desserts are the killers
Once for all, I will mention the enchanting desserts: Kadayıf garnished with smoky ice cream. With its orange taste, the smoky ice cream softens the dry, heavy structure of kadayıf. There’s no doubt that it’s a very good special. I’m holding myself back not to order it again. I wish the calories of the dessert were in the inverse proportion with its taste.
I hope YeniLokanta always stays open to new tastes.
Evaluation: 7/10
Address: İstiklal Cad./kumbaracıYokuşuSk No:66, Tünel/İstanbul
Telephone:(0212) 292 2550
www.lokantayeni.com
