THE BULLETIN  September 2010
74 travel
For a watery break away from Brussels, Anna Jenkinson
recommends a trip to the shores of Istanbul
Bosphorus bound:
this page, Ortaköy
A
mosque; opposite,
left, ceiling of the s one of the few
Blue Mosque, right, cities in the world
pomegranates to straddle two
continents, with
the Bosphorus
waters dividing its Asian and
European parts, Istanbul is quite
literally the meeting point of
East and West. The fascinating
contrasts that this throws up are
best viewed, as I discovered on a
trip to the city in the spring, from
a cruise along the Bosphorus.
On board, as I sipped on a glass
of Turkish black tea, my eye was
074_077_istanbul.indd 74
Sailing t
caught by the many yalis, or villas,
dotted along the waterside. Their
traditional wooden overhanging
balconies vie for attention with
the luxury boats moored in the
private jetties. Such is the nature
of this city’s mix of ancient and
modern. Domed roofs and tall,
slender minarets of mosques
dominate the skyline on both
sides of the strait. Down at street
level, however, this metropolis is
also renowned for its pulsating
nightlife, where alcohol flows
freely.
shutterstock
Over the centuries Istanbul
has been influenced both by
Christianity and Islam as its
rulers changed. Originally known
as Byzantium, the city switched
its name to Constantinople,
when it became the capital of the
Roman Empire. In 1453, the city
was absorbed into the Ottoman
Empire; its name was changed
officially to Istanbul in 1930
following the establishment of
modern Turkey.
If you want to get a sense of
the city’s colourful history,
16/08/2010 15:04:10

g to Byzantium
head straight to the imposing
Hagia Sophia, or Holy Wisdom,
which dates back to the 6th cen-
tury. Built as a church, it later
became a mosque and in today’s
secular Turkey is a museum
housing Christian and Islamic
marvels. Inside the architectural
wonder rises a breathtaking cen-
tral dome some 56 metres high.
Surrounding it are smaller domes,
alcoves and galleries adorned with
Islamic scripts, motifs and tiles as
well as Christian mosaics in bril-
liant gold, blue and red depicting
Biblical figures that were hidden
from view while the building was
used as a mosque.
Opposite the Hagia Sophia,
across a grass square that once
boasted a hippodrome for chariot
racing, is the Blue Mosque. Equally
deserving of a visit, it is open to the
public outside of prayer times. Be
warned: there is an overwhelming
stench of smelly feet on entering,
074_077_istanbul.indd 75
Where to eat
One advantage of visiting
a city with a local friend
is being taken to their
favourite places to eat and
drink. Thanks to my friend
Seda, that is exactly what I
was able to enjoy. Here’s a
taster of some of the best.
Turkish cuisine
Antiochia offers specialities
from the area around
Antakya, a Turkish town
close to the Syrian border
from which the restaurant
takes its name. The
highlight was the mezze
which included walnut
paste, aubergine salad and
pomegranate marinade,
all made from the freshest
of ingredients and whose
flavours were mouth-
watering. Beyoglu district.
21 Minare Sokak, Asmali
Mesict.
anna jenkinson
Fish restaurant Doga Balik
offers fantastic views out over
the city’s hills, dotted at night
with lights from apartments
and mosques. Select the
fish you’d like to eat from a
display cabinet and let the
chef know whether you’d
prefer it grilled, baked or
fried. To be accompanied by a
glass or two of raki. Cihangir
district. 46 Akarsu Yokusu.
Meshur Sultanahmet
Koftecisi is famous for its
meatballs. Other specialities
to be sampled are the white
bean and tomato salads.
Wash it all down with
a glass of ayran, a salty
yoghurt drink. For dessert,
I recommend the semolina
helva sprinkled with pine
nuts. Sultanahmet district,
opposite the Blue Mosque. 12
Divanyolu Cad.
75
anna jenkinson
Western-style cuisine a local touch’. Among
its tempting desserts is
Within Istanbul’s
Nostalgic Mosaic cake, a
modern art museum is
hit with Turks who recall
the Istanbul Modern
baking this as children,
Cafe. On the waterfront
and rice pudding with
with views of the
pomegranate. Across
Bosphorus from both
Istanbul,
indoor and outdoor
including at Ortaköy
seating, the café’s
waterfront.
setting is enchanting.
Some of the dishes are Otto Santral stands
dubbed ‘Turkish style’,
but the emphasis is
in the green grounds
of santralistanbul, an
on pasta, risotto and Ottoman power station
converted into an
other western dishes.
Beyoglu district. Istanbul energy museum and a
Museum of Modern Art, contemporary art space.
Meclis-i Mebusan Cad., The menu is western
Liman Isletmeleri Sahasi, – as are the prices -
Antrepo 4, Karaköy. with a wide choice of
pizzas in particular.
The House Café is a chic
Santralistanbul in the
Turkish chain serving all
north, best reached by
types of coffee, tea and
cocktails. Its waterfront
shuttle bus from Taksim
café at Ortaköy is a
Square. Eski Silahtaraga
Elektrik Santrali, 1
particularly lovely spot,
Kazim Karabekir Cad.,
with the large terrace
Eyup.
jutting out into the
Bosphorus. There’s also
a food menu, described
as ‘international with
shutterstock
16/08/2010 15:04:12
 THE BULLETIN  September 2010

76 travel

where small art galleries are spring-

shutterstock
ing up daily in narrow side streets
and where the shops tend more
towards upmarket ceramics and
local designer labels.
6 Istanbul’s many facets make it
5 an invigorating city filled with the
hubbub that comes with a place
8
that is home to more than 10
3 million people. And yet it’s also
4 a city which affords relaxation.
To wind down, treat yourself to a
1 scrub and massage in a hammam
2 or amble along the waterfront
and watch the ships come in. In
7 this metropolis, water is never far
away, be it the inlet of the Golden
Istanbul Horn or the Bosphorus Strait, cre-
1. Hagia Sophia as everyone must remove their ating a sense of unexpected space
2. Blue Mosque shoes before going in. Still, this and spectacular views. Thanks to
3. Galata Bridge is a minor price to pay to see the Emperor Constantine establish-
4. Spice Market stunning interior filled with gor- ing his New Rome on the seven
5. Galata Tower geous blue tiles, marble walls and hills of ancient Byzantium, there
6. Golden Horn stained-glass windows. are impressive lookouts from the
7. Sea of Both sights are on Istanbul’s top of most streets. For truly pan-
Marmara European side, in Sultanahmet, oramic views, Galata Tower or
8. Bosphorus the southern part of the city. the bar and restaurant at the top
Strait
Dutch writer Geert Mak of Misir Apartmani art galleries,
describes the area in his 2008 both in Beyoglu, are the places to
travelogue The Bridge as ‘the go.
conservative, Eastward-looking Of course the ultimate way
shore’. This district is in contrast to enjoy this city of contrasts is
with that to the north, which, to indulge in one of the favour-
Mak writes, “is permeated with ite pastimes of the Istanbulites
the mentality of the West and the themselves, a boat trip along the
lightness of modern life”. The two Bosphorus – an experience the
areas are connected by Galata Turkish author Orhan Pamuk
Bridge, where fishermen, mer- describes in his book Istanbul:
chants and tourists gather daily. Memories of a City as: “To be
According to Mak, the bridge’s travelling through the middle of
Haircuts that match your personal style way of life represents a microcosm a city as great, historic and forlorn
and features - him and her
both of the city and Turkey. as Istanbul, and yet to feel the
Well-executed cuts, creative styles and On the southern side of Galata freedom of the open sea – that
latest trends
Bridge is the noisy, crowded spice is the thrill of a trip along the
Utmost professionalism and great service market where dried chillies hang Bosphorus.” 
to enhance your well-being from the stalls’ rafters and the
Special silver foil treatment to restore counters are piled high with car-
shine and gloss to dull hair damom, almonds and every sort of
BIOSTHETIQUE colouring & care curry powder and spice imagina- Getting there
range available ble. Down nearby steep and wind- Turkish Airlines operates
In-house certified beautician for ing streets are stores selling plastic regular direct flights from
manicures, hair removal and much more Brussels Airport to Istanbul.
buckets and drying racks that spill www.turkishairlines.com
out onto the pavement and shop
Ann Karin Jetairfly runs regular direct
1505 Chaussée de Waterloo - 1180 Brussels windows displaying cheap wed- flights from Brussels-South
Tel: 02.375.40.04 ding dresses. To the north sprawls Charleroi Airport to Istanbul.
the burgeoning district of Beyoglu, www.jetairfly.com

Ann Karin pub.indd 1

074_077_istanbul.indd 76 19/10/2009 12:55:05 16/08/2010 15:04:13
 dining out 77

Gourmet outings
Some of Brussels’ top restaurants lie outside the city
limits. Paul Ames hops on a bus to epicurean heaven

T
he suburbs are filled with exotic species: the grape growers of
Hoeilaart, the angst-ridden voters of Halle-Vilvoorde and those
hardy commuters who arrive ashen-faced in the city each morn-
ing after their daily battle through the notorious Léonard junc-
tion. But there are many pleasures to be enjoyed out beyond the
Ring: notably, culinary delights served up in idyllic settings. City residents
owe it to themselves to experience these. The TEC or De Lijn will take you
there, cheaply and easily.
Technically, Linkebeek isn’t even outside the Ring, and if it weren’t for the
occasional defaced French street sign, you’d hardly know you had left Uccle
for Flanders. But on warm summer nights on the terrace behind Noï, a won-
derful Thai restaurant, it’s easy to imagine that you’ve travelled far, far away
to the peripheries of Chiang Mai or Lampang rather than to this leafy corner
of Flemish Brabant. The deck juts out over a steep hillside, giving diners lucky
enough to get a table the impression of sitting perched in a jungle tree-house,
surrounded by luxuriant pots of bamboo and natural foliage all around.
Noï Dokdaeng has overseen the kitchens here since 1989 and has turned the
restaurant into what is arguably the top Thai in the kingdom, renowned for
the quality of its ingredients and subtle blends of flavours. Menus vary with the
seasons, but on our recent visit, starters included a salad topped with fish nuggets
garnished with crunchy chopped peanuts, chilli, mint, lemongrass and ginger;
crispy deep-fried ravioli; and brittle noodles served with meaty, splayed shrimp. Fresh Thai
Encouraged by the lime and lychee tang of a bottle of Hunter Valley cuisine, within
Verdelho, I went for a fishy main course – Victoria bar perfumed with basil, easy reach of
lime and chilli. It was fabulous. One of Noï’s signature dishes is the five-curry Brussels at Noï,
assortment – an artist’s pallet of pots filled in Linkebeek fennel and vinegar, inspired
with yellow chicken; red duck, green shrimp, by a shepherd’s snack in the
more chicken in a white coconut and lemon- Noï countryside around Bari. Be
6 Gemeenteplein
grass sauce, and the dark and sour beef mat- Linkebeek
sure to ask for it, because on our visit, Mr Romano was
saman. Glorious! Don’t forget to have some Tel 02.380.68.60 unsure whether he dared serve such an earthy oddity to
jasmine cake, and don’t worry if you can’t get www.noi.be customers seeking his refined cooking. He should have
a garden table, because the restaurant’s inte- Dinner for two €85 no doubts: it was daringly delicious.
rior is a treasure trove of tropical bric-à-brac. Pierre Romano Like raw meat, eels are an ingredient that makes some
Restaurant Pierre Romano is also named 28 Rue de la Station, people queasy. Nevertheless, these slimy beasts are the
after its chef, produces excellent cuisine and Waterloo main attraction at Tissens in verdant Hoeilaart. Run
has a charming garden terrace out back. Tel 02.353.27.90 by the same family for three generations, this stalwart of
Beyond that, it has nothing in common Dinner for two €135 well-heeled suburbia serves just two main dishes – eels
with Noï. A veteran of 30 years of service Tissens and steak.
in Brussels’ haute cuisine scene, Pierre from 105 Groenendaalsesteenweg Paling in het groen, eels in green sauce, is a mainstay
Puglia worked at some of the capital’s starred Hoeilaart of Belgian cuisine, and Tissens is reputed to serve the
Tel 02.657.04.09
eateries before setting up on his own in the www.tissens.be best in the land. Chunks of the serpentine creatures are
heart of Waterloo a couple of years ago. Dinner for two €132 served swimming in a mysterious melange of chopped
The food here is classical French with a herbs. You can have it as a main or a starter, leaving space
light Mediterranean touch; creamy smoked for one of their superlative côte à l’os steaks served with
duck liver on a salad dressed with a hint of vanilla; fried langoustines tossed home-made Béarnaise. You’re in the forest, so finish up
with asparagus tips; baby lamb roast with fresh tarragon; and text-book profit- with walnut ice-cream served with chestnut cream and
eroles. All perfectly prepared, this is serious cooking, if a little unadventurous. caramel, or green apple sorbet doused with Calvados.
The most intriguing dish was the appetizer: cubes of raw lamb marinated with Well worth the bus fare. 

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