asitane opened its doors in 1991, together with the kariye hotel, now a restored 19th century traditional ottoman mansion. the restaurant, whose dishes reflect the eclectic nature of the turco-ottoman neighborhood, was named asitane which not only means "head gate" in farsi but was also one of the many names given to istanbul throughout the reign of the ottoman empire. well known as “food archeologists” they are constantly researching on lost recipes, re-inventing them to retain the original ottoman culture. you need a reservation to get a table here and they are very particular about their service.
welcomed warmly by lovely ‘jamal’, we were seated on our table; and he proved to be a really knowledgeable and a pleasurable person to converse with throughout the evening. within minutes we were served with warm freshly baked bread accompanied with rich umami flavored walnut hummus and olive oil made fragrant with fresh herbs and paprika. lost in those amazing flavors, we dived into the menu. here, wanting to try their mezze section we ordered;
asitane treats, comprising of four cold appetizers in the form of pates, beautifully quenelled on a single plate and each one with its own amazing distinctive flavor:
ottoman hums (1469)
crushed chickpeas lightly pureed with currants, pine nuts and cinnamon
“lor” cheese blend (1898)
fresh cottage cheese mixed with scallions, parsley, green peppers, tomatoes and seasoned with rosemary and paprika
fava
creamed broad beans, seasoned with dill and served with a drizzle of olive oil
pounded cucumber salad (1844)
with onions and pistachio
we also ordered a warm appetizer karidesli kalamar dolmasi, a whole calamari stuffed shrimps along with a blend of rice, pine nuts and currants flavored with cinnamon and fresh mint, baked in the oven to perfection
there is a huge amount of refinement here as compared to matbah and you can clearly see in the presentation, the international experience of the chefs working behind in the kitchen. the flavors are perfect leave you wanting for more with every bite.
with a good pause and slowly consuming the heavenly appetizers over wine and conversations, we decided to order two of their mains;
sea bass “biryan” (xv. c.): a roasted whole sea bass stuffed with walnuts and spices, served with a saffron and rose water dressing. the fish was absolutely fresh and cooked to perfection, walnuts added amazing sweet nuttiness to the salty sea flavor and everything well rounded by the saffron and rose water flavors complimenting the lovely fish as a wholesome dish
stuffed melon (1539): cored melon stuffed with a blend of minced meat, rice, herbs, almonds, currants and baked in the oven. their version of the stuffed melon as compared to matbah is sweeter, maybe due to the melon but, it shifted the balance more towards sweet rather than the right sweet savory balance that this kind of dish absolutely requires. i preferred the matbah version to this ultra-rich one where i felt the need for some acidity to cut through the rich fat that coated the palate with every bite, although both the versions looked exactly the same.
not at all disappointed and contemplating on the need for a dessert, we were suggested to try their peach “ka’a”; a cinnamon flavored walnut pastry topped with baked peaches and ice cream. a heavenly dessert after the rich food, peaches flavored with cinnamon are a match made in heaven, the walnut pastry was light and airy all of it complimented by that lovely thick chewy turkish ice cream that retains its form right through without becoming a gooey mess over the plate.
at the end of the meal which took more than two hours of our slowly relishing every bite we were given gifts of their home made quince jam jars to carry back home which we thought was a lovely expression of hospitality extended towards their out of country guests who made an effort to travel far to try their amazing food.