It’s rare to find anything as simple as a lamb kebab on the menu at Turk, one of the most talked-about fine dining restaurants in Istanbul. But tonight chef (and owner) Fatih Tutak is making one just for me. As my guide to the city’s evolving food scene, he’s been keen to get past the stereotypes. “Turkish food is not just kebabs,” he tells me. Yet here he is, with a mezzaluna as big as a machete, chopping up lamb mince, mixing in herbs and pistachios and moulding meat onto skewers to grill over hot coals. Call it civic pride, but if I’m going to have a kebab during my stay in Istanbul he insists on making it himself. Dressed in onions, parsley and sweet chilli oil, his meaty creations are fine ambassadors for the dish.
Turk是伊斯坦布尔最受欢迎的高档餐厅之一，在这里，你很难在菜单上找到像羊肉串这样简单的东西。但今晚大厨(兼老板)法提赫·图塔克(Fatih Tutak)要专门为我做一道这样的菜。作为我的向导，他带领我领略这座城市不断变化的美食景象，他渴望打破刻板印象。“土耳其美食不只有烤肉串，”他告诉我。然而，他却在这里，拿着一把大砍刀，切着羊肉碎，混合香草和开心果，把肉串在烤肉签上，放在热炭上烤。他说这是土耳其人的骄傲，但如果我在伊斯坦布尔逗留期间要吃烤羊肉串，他坚持要自己做。在洋葱、欧芹和甜辣椒油的装饰下，他的肉质品质是这道菜的最佳代言人。