"Even on the foggiest of days in the Richmond, you can follow the warm glow of this Turkish restaurant like a lighthouse. Inside there won’t be a keeper, rather tables filled with couples fawning under a candelabra chandelier surrounded by esoteric movie posters. Kitchen Istanbul is the kind of place where someone dramatically confesses their love over a plate of moussaka—or any of the other fantastic Mediterranean dishes on the menu. Order the juicy lamb chops that come dressed in blue cheese and tomato confit, and the havuc tarator that’s creamy enough to be used as a moisturizer. Grab the table at the back of the main room (and a bottle of Syrah) for a bit more intimacy, or set up next to everyone else to witness couples living out their rom-com moments. photo credit: Erin Ng Food Rundown photo credit: Erin Ng Muhammara & Havuc Tarator Start your night with these meze and some soft pita. The creamy muhammara is a tad sweet from the pomegranate molasses, and the havuc carrot dip is pleasantly minty. photo credit: Erin Ng Pistachio Salad A totally fine salad with sweet oranges that balance out the meat-heavy dishes. photo credit: Erin Ng Kebap There are no wrong choices when deciding between lamb, beef, or chicken—they all arrive delicious. photo credit: Erin Ng Lamb Chops We could write a thousand poems about how much we love these lamb chops. Whether it's because of the pink interior, the fall-apart cipollini onion, confit tomatoes, or the potato purée, this is a perfect dish. photo credit: Erin Ng Moussaka The richest moussaka you’ll likely ever have. Now, excuse us, we have some more béchamel to get back to. photo credit: Erin Ng Wine They take their wine seriously here, and with an imported list about as long as a CVS receipt you'd be remiss to skip out." - Ricky Rodriguez
