Authentic luxury
Deraliye opened a few months ago. It is one of the three restaurants in Istanbul specialized in Ottoman palace cuisine, where the chefs re-create dishes which were concocted at various times in the kitchens of the seraglios, and particularly at the golden age of the empire, the 15th and 16th centuries, in the kitchens of Topkapi palace. I know a bit of that cuisine since I have had dinner in the other two venues, and I consider it a must for gourmet visitors to Istanbul. So last December I went to try Deraliye.
Their winter menu mainly consists of a choice of dishes from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent, prepared on the occasion of feasts at the palaces of Topkapi and Andrinople.
After a glass of homemade sherbet, on the house, I had lamb medallions with plum sauce, then cauliflower salad with tahini, and as main course I had baked quince stuffed with minced meat, rice and dried fruit. For dessert, I wanted to try the almond halva but my waiter told me that it was not the best time of the year for almonds, and he recommended me to taste the pistachio ice cream instead. I drank a glass of house wine, a Shiraz, and coffee, on the house.
Ottoman sherbets are soft drinks made of fruit and spices. It is always a pleasant surprise for visitors to Turkey who try them for the first time. The sherbet they served me as a welcome gift was a pomegranate flower sherbet. Not fit for my palate, but incontestably well made.
The lamb medallions at Deraliye are a mix of neck and brain flavoured with thyme and other herbs, served cold. They have a subtle taste, well balanced by the sweetness of the plum sauce. The Ottomans loved offals as much as gourmets in Western countries do today and restaurants that serve tripe soup are still very popular in Turkey.
The cauliflower salad with tahini is one of the most enthusing combination of flavours I have tasted in Istanbul. It may look extremely simple, but it is a little wonder. My waiter was happy to hear my praises, so he revealed me a part of the secret: one single drop of rose water to sweeten the tahini sauce...
The quince was masterly cooked ; its consistency was preserved but I could easily cut it with the knife. The minced meat, a mix of lamb and veal, was as succulent as the best kebabs. With the herbs, the pine nuts, the currants, the dish is a rich combination of sour, sweet and spicy flavours. In summer, it is prepared with melon instead of quince. I cannot wait to try it.
Since my childhood, pistachio ice cream has always been my favourite. The manager of Deraliye traveled all the way down to Gaziantep, in southeastern Anatolia, to find a supplier of ice cream made from the freshest, greenest and most delicate pistachios in the country. I don't need to say that it is superior to any pistachio ice cream I have ever had.
I am not a wine specialist, but among the moderately priced Turkish wines I have tasted, the Shiraz I had here is not my favourite. Connoisseurs should pick a bottle of higher quality wine in the list.
My meal at Deraliye cost me 120 Turkish liras, that is less than 50 dollars. Some kebab restaurants in Istanbul would charge more, and fish restaurants on the Bosphorus or faux fine dining venues that sell poor imitations of French or Italian specialties are much more expensive.
When the Ottoman emperor entertained a sovereign or an ambassador, diners were sitting on the terrace of a lavishly furnished palace commanding the Bosphorus strait, and food was served in solid gold dishes, while an orchestra was playing Ottoman classical music. At Deraliye, furniture is not ostentatious, there is no seascape to gaze at, the plates are made of ceramic or copper and the music comes from loudspeakers. Luxury, here, is in the food and the service. Every dish is surprising, prepared by specialist cooks with the best seasonal ingredients available in the country, and served by knowledgeable staff who keep the word of the restaurant to treat you as a sultan.
I highly recommend Deraliye to any traveler eager to taste authentic local delicacies.
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