By YIGAL SCHLEIFER
The elegant Mimolett, Istanbul’s newest big-night-out restaurant, has a made-for-television back story: local boy eschews the family textile business, goes abroad and (without his parents knowing it) learns to cook by working with renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Joël Robuchon, then triumphantly returns home with the intention of opening Turkey’s first Michelin-starred restaurant. 

Mimolett (named after an orange-colored French cheese, which is spelled with an additional “e”) opened only in December, so the ending of the chef Murat Bozok’s tale is still something of a cliffhanger. For now, though, diners are able to play a role in his nightly effort to raise Istanbul’s culinary bar. 

“Because we’ve never had a Michelin-starred restaurant here, it has become something like a national ambition,” Mr. Bozok said. “I am using mostly Turkish ingredients with French techniques. I want to put the standards of a good gastronomic restaurant in place here.” 

So far, he is mostly succeeding. The seasonal menu at Mimolett, in the heart of the bustling Beyoglu district, is concise, the dishes unfussy. During a recent visit, a soup combining celeriac and apple nicely pitted the earthiness of the celeriac against the tartness of the apple. Slices of aged veal chops, served in a mellow red wine sauce, were wonderfully tender and satisfying. The restaurant’s wine list, meanwhile, is a good place to get acquainted with some of more exciting developments in the rapidly improving Turkish wine scene, with several bottles from some of the country’s up-and-coming small wineries. 

For now, Mr. Bozok not only has the hoped-for Michelin inspectors to win over, but also his local clientele. Turks readily admit that they have a conservative, close-to-home palate, with mother’s kitchen often remaining their favorite place to eat. Indeed, the chef acknowledged that he’s had to dial down the sweetness in some sauces and reductions he was serving after receiving complaints from Turkish diners. A few months in, he said, the restaurant is still a work in progress. Stay tuned. 

Mimolett, Siraselviler Caddesi No: 55/A; (90-212) 245-9858; mimolett.com.tr. An average meal, not including beverages or tip, is about 110 Turkish lira, or $73 at 1.50 lira to the dollar. 

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The cuisine of Antakya, a city in southern Turkey wedged between the Syrian border and the Mediterranean Sea, is not easy to find in Istanbul. At least one restaurant aims to change that. For the last two years, Antiochia, a small and stylish restaurant on a quiet backstreet in Beyoglu, has made it its mission to bring a taste of Antakya’s food culture, which boasts Syrian and regional Turkish influences (among others), to the city. 

“Antakya is not a typical place. Many cultures and people have lived there together. This is why our food is so good — because we are so culturally mixed,” said Suleyman Gulum, an Antakya native who opened Antiochia with his brother and a crew of friends from the city (they now staff the restaurant). “Our first order of business is to explain the culture of Antakya, with good, fresh ingredients.” 

Mr. Gulum brings most of ingredients from his hometown: the full-bodied olive oil and tart pomegranate molasses used in several appetizer spreads, the brined thyme and cracked green olives tossed together to make a delightful salad, the superb beef used in the sis kebab — large morsels of skewered meat cooked over coals. 

In a winning dish called durum, minced meat kebabs are wrapped with chopped onions and tomatoes in a flatbread that has been rubbed with red pepper paste. The whole thing is then put on the grill until it is slightly charred, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and altogether delicious. 

Meals at Antiochia end with a bowl of vanilla ice cream served alongside a tiny baby eggplant and a hulled, unripe walnut, which had both been stewed in a sugary syrup, creating a mix of sweetness and texture that’s both an edible and visual treat. In another part of the world, it’s a dessert that might be passed off as something avant-garde. Here it’s just another part of Antakya culture. 

Antiochia, Minare Sok: 21/A; (90-212) 292-1100; antiochiaconcept.com. An average meal, not including beverages and tip, is about 27 lira.

Source: NY Times