Istanbul’lu is a turkish joint in somerville. im so behind on my posts and i have already been here twice before writing up this reviews.
i have mixed feelings about this place. the first time i went, EVERYTHING WAS SO AWESOME. i LOVED this homemade bread with the red peper sauce. the bread was WARM, so yummmmm with the dipping sauce. the 2nd time i went, the bread was still good but COLD which made such a big difference.
famous for their yogurt drink. pretty tasteless and a lil salty but i guess thats how it is supposed to be.
its been so long and i forgot what this was.
sigara borek – pan fried special dough filled with feta cheese, parsley, and egg yolk mix. crispy and cheesy, i like.
imam bayildi – baby eggplant stuffed with sauteed vegetables like green pepper, onion.
beyti kebab – famous traditional turkish village style kebab, ground lamb mixed with bell pepper, garlic, and turkish spices. cooked in the oven and wrapped in lavas bread, topped with special tomato sauce and yogurt. served with coban salad.
very flavorful but kinda salty. im not a big fan of ground meat.
yogurt kebab- adana kebab over sauteed cubed buttered turkish bread. topped with special tomato sauce and yogurt.
kofte plate – kofte is a very famous dish in the region. ground meat, mixed with chopped onions and spices, bread crumbs, served with roasted veggies, rice, potatoes, and yogurt.
kuru fasuyle – turkish white beans cooked with lams and tomato sauce. very popular in turkish households, rich and poor, everyone’s favorite. served with rice and yogurt.
veggie delight – eggplant puree prepared in a turkish style. topped with sauteed vegetables
i still liked this place a lot despite the little disappointment from the second visit. food is good in general, i would avoid the ground meat if you are not a big fan of salty meat. i really wanted to try patates kofte which is cooked potatoes mixed with garlic feta cheese and spices stuffed with sauteed ground meat, onions, pan cooked and topped with yogurt, but they were out of it BOTH TIMES. umm maybe its a indication of amazingness.
Category: Turkish
237 Holland St
Somerville, MA 02144
Neighborhood: Teele Square
(617) 440-7387
looks fab, I love this way of eating and I can smell the food from here!
I love the way the place looks! Looks so cozy and comforting. Turkish food now interest me. I wonder if they’d please my palate!
You made me hungry again!
Never had Turkish food, but I want to try it now!
jealous with all the colorful, tasty food!! The food looks authentic.
Wow, my stomach is roaring!
Wow. Great pictures. My youngest son lives in Somerville. I have to tell him to check this out.
I know I wanna come eat here. This red pepper sauce looks amazing.
Yayy! Yes you have to go back for potatas kofte!!!!
Great photos! I visited Turkey last year and tried the yogurt drink but don’t know what the fuss is about.
Humm … looks yummy!
one word “YUM!”
Bunny it’s fun to go to dinner with you. Your photos capture the day/ night of eating well. Jean-Bernard.
You always take such wonderful pictures and leave my mouth watering!
i gasped when i saw your photos! took me straight back to sitting in a random alley in istanbul, scoffing these delights! great post!
Love your reviews and the radiance of your photos. Have you ever considered putting a book together? or have you done so already and we just don’t know?
Your photos are really exceptional. What camera are you using? I’d eat any one of those dishes based on your pictures alone.
Beautifully vibrant colours! Hungry now, thanks!
Beautiful pictures. Love the rug.
Your food photography ALWAYS makes me hungry! I only read your blog when I know I can snack on something!