Istanbul Trip: Part 4

Date: 2024-12-04

After the Cruise: Lamb Kebab in Old Istanbul

After disembarking from the Bosphorus cruise, we headed for an early dinner — another recommendation: Şehzade Cağ Kebap, a restaurant specialising in eastern Turkish lamb kebab (cağ kebap, also called jar kebap) in Old Istanbul. A local favourite — packed with Istanbullus.

Cağ kebap is lamb roasted on a horizontal spit over charcoal, sliced off in thin strips — the lamb's natural richness mellowed and lifted by the smoke. Even those who normally find lamb too strong usually find this version very approachable. The restaurant has tables set out in a market arcade, giving it an authentic, street-food feel.

A line illustration imagining horizontally-roasted cağ kebap over charcoal, with tables set out in the market arcade.

The drill when you sit down: a waiter brings trays of various salads and sauces; you point at what you want. The kebab follows once it's carved. We had lamb kebab, salads, a sweet dessert — and of course ayran.

One condiment appeared on every salad: a dark-red powder called sumac. Made from dried ground berries of the sumac bush, it has a tart, slightly fruity flavour — remarkably similar to the Japanese dried shiso seasoning yukari. It's used across Turkey and the wider Middle East and has well-documented health benefits. We found it outstanding sprinkled over everything.

The restaurant is near Sirkeci Station — formerly the legendary terminus of the Orient Express. The station building itself now houses a restaurant and a small museum, preserving the atmosphere of those romantic railway days. Well worth a look for anyone interested in vintage rail travel. The surrounding streets have plenty of shops and restaurants.

A line illustration imagining Sirkeci Station's historic building — once the terminus of the Orient Express.

Sumac: Worth Knowing

Sumac (スマック in Japanese) is widely available online and in Middle Eastern shops. It's worth bringing home — the flavour works on rice, salads, grilled meat, and fish in the same way yukari does. Genuinely good for you too.