Yali Hatun Restaurant, Hotel Les Ottomans
There could be no more perfect setting for a restaurant than this, a Sultan’s palace on the water’s edge of the Bosphorus, overlooking that historic strait where, day and night, ships and boats of all sizes leisurely glide by. Former hotel management expert Ahu Kerimoglu Aysal, a woman of tireless energy and indomitable spirit, has succeeded in re-creating and, indeed surpassing, the vibrant, opulent feel and breathtaking ambience of a Sultan’s private residence. Madam Aysal’s ten-suite boutique Hotel Les Ottomans, within which is the Yali Hatun restaurant, provides the guest with a once-in-a-lifetime sensation of being ushered into the midst of paradise itself. No trip to historic and romantic Istanbul would be complete without a visit to this spectacular oasis.
Our dining experience at the Yali Hatun restaurant began with our being seated next to a window overlooking the spectacular Bosphorus, a table with a million-dollar view. As we perused our menus laden with choices that made decisions agonizing, our eyes also drifted about the room to drink in the stunning décor—glorious chandeliers overhanging a very posh, arrangement of furnishings that were a delight to the senses. Our attentive servers took turns offering suggestions and explaining the preparation of several menu items.
For our choice of wine, our
server suggested a Turkish vintage, Salendi, Akhisar 2005 (Kimizi
Sek-Sarap), a lovely blend of Merlot, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon
grapes. We savored this very mellow, aromatic concoction throughout
each course, finding its artfully-crafted complexity increasingly
enjoyable with each flavorful sip.
Our next course offering was listed on the menu under the heading, “Hot Starters.” We sampled two of them. I ordered “Manti,” boiled Turkish meat dumplings with tomato sauce, yogurt, sumac and dried mint. I found the dumplings to have almost a tart, lemony flavor that was quite enjoyable. Our second starter item was called the “Borek” Trio, a combination of three items on one plate. The three portions of this unique presentation consisted of: 1) wafer thin dough with raw minced meat; 2) multi-layered phyllo pastry with spinach; and 3) deep fried puff pastry filled with cheese. We particularly liked the spinach portion which tasted very fresh and a little spicy.
Several delightful main course offerings were available to us on this particular evening: Chicken breast, duck breast, meatball combination, rack of lamb, and a creative “spaghetti en papillote” –served with shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and calamari, in tomato, basil and garlic sauce. There was also grouper and a shrimp casserole. The fresh catch of the day in this coastal paradise was grilled Sea bass.
Our son ordered the grilled beef fillet accompanied by cabernet risotto cake and asparagus with red wine and porcini mushroom sauce. He found it cooked to perfection and thoroughly enjoyed the vegetable accompaniment.
Baffled by such a wide array of choices, I asked our server for his recommendations. He suggested the beef cheek, a delicacy that was braised for three hours in red wine, onions and winter vegetables served on a bed of creamy Roquefort polenta. This was truly a spectacular dish. I particularly enjoyed the strong Roquefort cheese taste in my polenta that did not overpower the succulent beef that was so tender if flaked easily with just a touch of my fork. My wife order the Lamb Tandoori accompanied by mashed wheat served with thyme sauce. As the rest of us, she found her portion much to her liking, appreciating the subtle nuances of flavor within the lamb cooked in this authentic Asian style.
Our servers were kind enough to
allow me to sample a combination of two desserts offered on the
restaurant menu: Oven-baked quince soaked in simple syrup served
with clotted cream along with oven baked sweet pumpkin accompanied
by tahini and grape molasses served with walnuts on top. The
sweetened quince—an unfamiliar dessert option for me, was probably
not something I’d order often, although here it was quite
enjoyable. The pumpkin dish was more mild and, frankly, by the end
of this very filling meal, was more than I had room to handle.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the local specialties and
appreciated the willingness of our hosts to indulge my curiosity.
My son ordered the white chocolate mud cake served with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce, an absolute home run for this all-American teenager. My wife found out what a taste of heaven was like when she saw that her favorite dessert—Crème Brule—was offered here in triplicate, the Yali Hatun Crème Brule Trio. Collectively, we were overwhelmed when our served brought out this spectacular presentation of three tasty treats featuring: 1) strawberry and ginger; 2) dark chocolate and Bailey’s; and 3) white chocolate and passion fruit. Mere words could never express the sheer delight of this fabulous climax to such a magnificent dining experience.
During the construction period of the hotel, we learned Madame Aysal lived daily with the passionate question, “What would the Pasha Muhsinzade like to see in this place if he were able to come back to this time?” Inspired by a yearning to share with people from all over the world, Madame Aysal became consumed by her vision of creating a sumptuous, inviting palace environment like no other. Since opening in June 2006, the hotel has played host to celebrities such as Kevin Costner, Daniel Day Lewis, Ben Kingsley, Julio Iglesias , and many more. Based upon our stay in this incredible place we can guarantee that your visit to the Yali Hatun restaurant and the Hotel Les Ottomans will truly be a memorable experience beyond comparison.
Yali Hatun Restaurant--Hotel
Les Ottomans |
