Araka
Restaurant · Yenikoy ·
Chef-driven Aegean-influenced menu with seasonal vegetables
Chef-driven Aegean-influenced menu with seasonal vegetables
"Here you’ll find it's easy to forget you're in the metropolis of Istanbul. You’re actually in the Yeniköy district, in the north of the city, just beyond the exclusive marina you pass on the way (taking the Bosphorus ferry over is a must). Behind its charming façade, this rural-style restaurant awaits with its cosy, romantic interior and a terrace to the rear where you feel cut off from the world. This enchanting spot perfectly suits Zeynep Pınar Taşdemir's highly individual style. Seasonal ingredients are showcased on the menu. The young chef likes to express her creativity with vegetables and herbs. Pumpkin puree is imbued with the potent freshness of za'atar and combined with pickled vegetables and warm olives in a spicy sauce. A robust dish that is full of character and pleasingly harmonious thanks to its subtle acidity. This chef is adept at balancing spicy, savoury flavours with tangy aromas. She creates exciting dishes that let the regional produce do the talking." - Michelin Inspector
"Spring and early summer are when Chef Pınar Taşdemir’s cooking bursts to life, with plates and the room itself adorned in every shade of green and strewn with daisies, poppies, and wildflowers that make me want to savour the scene and every bite. Each dish is designed around colour—flamboyant, bright, yet light—reflecting the electricity of the bazaar and nature outside, while ingredients speak not only on the plate but later in the jar as condiments and preserves. Taşdemir pickles green almonds, plums, peas, and broccoli flowers; gathers lilacs each morning in season to turn into jams, gin, vinegar, and more; and even dresses the tables with poppies as she turns them into liquor. The menu celebrates veggies, fruits, mushrooms, mutton, fish, and duck, and the cocktails are spruced up with blackberries, watercress, plums, lilacs, sorrel, and green almonds. Artichoke hearts braised in olive oil come with fresh sorrel sauce, sorrel salad and herbs, tabbouleh infused with the artichoke’s cooking water, and pickled green almonds; strawberries, sorrel, araka pea paste, sultani peas, and rose vinegar are woven into a pink symphony of sour, sweet, fragrant, and crunchy with cherry blossoms on top. Purslane anchors salads that shift with the seasons—beans, tulum cheese, and almonds—dressed with her beloved bittersweet signature, bitter orange preserve; flavours joust between sweet and sour with surprises like fragrant lemon peel, flower comfiture, cherry and orange blossoms, robinia, and lilacs. Here, borage and pumpkin wed two seasons, with asparagus, pastrami, and cauliflower marching them down the aisle, stinging nettle and blue cheese bearing the rings, and eggs summoning the congregation—long beans stewed in citron juice, watercress bud humus, shrimp, and all—because there’s no such thing as a forgettable dish, or a forgettable spring and summer." - MICHELIN Guide
"A stylish and unique MICHELIN-Starred spot in Yeniköy, this true chef’s restaurant channels Greek, Armenian, and Turkish flavors while blending the culinary codes of Crete, Istanbul, and Malatya into dishes the chef herself loves to eat. The frequently changing menu always features favorite root vegetables such as beets and celery, presented in new forms each time, and it highlights principles like avoiding imported products and showcasing rarely found, high-quality Karaburun squid. A small, youthful team collaborates closely with the chef, who differentiates the experience through specially designed plates and a waste-free ethos that includes making her own compost." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Located in the neighborhood of Yeniköy, Araka proposes an escapade away from the hustle and bustle of the city. On the menu, chef Zeynep Pınar Taşdemir creates a highly personal and audacious cuisine with a focus on seasonal vegetables and herbs. The hot, sour and spicy flavors combine and balance one another wonderfully, like the pumpkin purée seasoned with za'atar and served with marinated vegetables and warm olives in a spicy sauce." - The MICHELIN Guide
"After the popular Müzedechanga closed, the restaurant’s chef, Pınar Taşdemir, opened her own simple, eloquent restaurant at the end of 2018. Araka was a hit from day one thanks to Taşdemir’s contemporary, refreshing cooking, both in her a la carte and tasting menus. She shows off her skills in signature vegetable dishes (“araka” translates to “pea” in Turkish) like beetroots braised in olive oil topped with cheese mousse, or purslane salad with mashed fava beans. She also has a knack for building complementary flavors across different dishes, like sea bass ceviche, smoked bonito with collard greens, and lamb with onions. Dining here is like visiting a peaceful, tasteful home full of amazing food and ambiance." - Tuba Şatana