Of course I tried the specialties of Antalya. At first the hotel person told me to go to a place called Seven Sultans, or something like that. But I told him that I wanted to go somewhere that locals would go to, not tourists.
Just a two minute away from the mega tourism of Hadrian’s Gate, one finds local Antalya. I walked past the touristy juice bar and found, around a corner, Arabin Yeri.
The menu.
They were friendly in there even if they spoke no English and I spoke no Turkish. They conveyed to me that they only had the two top items on their menu. I managed to convey that I was dying of heat and thirst and they immediately brought me a bottle of cold water. Then I said that I only wanted a single shish kebab. They said that the portion was six kebabs of kofte (meatball) kebab. So I got a half portion.
The lamb kebabs.
I asked if they had “cag kebab” as I was told that this was the specialty. They only had the two items on their menu… More about cag kebab another time.
Arabin Yeri.
So I got the “piyaz” which is a cannelloni bean salad. It has tahini dressing, olive oil, onions, tomatoes, and hard boiled egg. And parsley. Always parsley. One is supposed to drizzle lemon juice on it and more olive oil to taste while stirring it all up. Then eat with spoon.
I wrote that I would return to Antalya. I would go back for the Korean ribs and food and Kore Dimibang. Maybe it’s shallow of me, but as my friend says, “You do you, and I’ll do me.” And me is going back for those ridiculously delicious beef ribs.
Part of the menu.
On the last day I was in Antalya, I had enough of eating lamb/mutton. I found this newly opened Korean restaurant. The beef ribs are marinated for 72 hours so one has to order ahead. But lucky for me, they had some already marinated. I had one bite and ordered a second portion to go. I almost missed my flight…
Cold rice noodles with spicy sauce.
The cool noodle dish was also perfection on a sizzling hot day. The cool slippery noodles and the spicy sauce were refreshing together. The drink of the day was a tomato and basil spritzer. No alcohol. The tomatoes were peeled and sweetened so they tasted almost like jujubes. To Koreans, the tomato is a fruit (it is) so they treat it like a fruit in drinks like this one.
Tomato and basil spritzer.
Now, why would this Korean couple open a Korean place in Antalya. Through their staff, who speaks Turkish, Korean, and English, I found out that it is because this couple honeymooned in Turkey many years ago and had this dream of opening an authentic Korean palace cuisine inspired place. I wish them good luck. I do not know how they will survive with adaption their recipes even more. Note the grilled pepper on the ribs… that is very Turkish. The chef even makes his own noodles. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that Turks like their pasta soft… not al dente… so they might appreciate the chew on his hand crafted noodles.
Open kitchen with hand made noodles.
But, the name of the restaurant and the flavors were Korean. The name is taken from the famous Korean cookbook from 400 years ago. This harks back to my favorite place in Dhaka.
Where the names comes from.
I told them that I wished they were in Adana and they said that if they had success, then maybe they would be some day. Sigh. One can hope.
Kore Dimibang is on a one way street near the coast in Antalya.
At Kebapci Euup Usta, this is the standard free salads/mezze with a kabob meal.
When you order Adana kebab, or any kind of kebab, you will be given some free dishes. This is how it is supposed to be. If a place charges you for these salads that they bring to you, don’t go there again. Also, don’t go back if the place charges you too much (Recently I was charged 3,000 Turkish Lira for a mixed grill for two people — that is too much!).
These free salads or appetizers will arrive before your meal but you can continue to eat them during your meal to use in your sandwich. Most kabobs are eaten as a handheld wrap. There will usually be salt and red pepper powder on the table as well. Some places include grape molasses which alongside the lemons allow you to create your own dressing for the sandwich or salads. Most of the salads area already dressed with grape molasses or sumac. Most places will include a plate of herbs and lemons. Always parsley, often mint, and sometimes dill too. Many Turks will eat parsley straight up while waiting for the rest of the food. Sort of treating parsley like a breadstick.
At Han Kebap, they give you individual salads and “cig kofte” wraps.
Really basic places will give you smaller portions or simply the herbs and the onion salad. And large places will give you lots of salads including the basics, some with shallots only, cooked onion salads, and some even include baked “pizza” items like pide or lahmacun.
At Han Kebap, their spicy wet salad is excellent.
The thing with kabobs is that they are customizable and completely up to you how you want to eat it. I usually use a fork and knife. Many places will give you a fork and a spoon only. Many Turks use a spoon to eat the salads. I personally quite like eating things that only require a spoon.
At Hand Kebap, they serve mini pide with cheese. Yummy.
If you order a kabob, it will be served with bread, usually a flat or flatter bread like pita/pide, or a lavash/tortilla style bread. Some places have rice that you can order as well.
Chicken kabob.
Another thing is that all kabobs are served with a grilled chili pepper and a bit of tomato. This chicken kabob meal including the salads, an ayran yogurt drink, and tea cost me 540 Turkish lira. I’m told that it was a bit pricey but that I was paying for the view of the hospital… and the English speaking waiter.
Simit is the “Turkish bagel” or so they say. I did not think so until I had the kind that sort of reminded me of a bagel. There are subtleties to simit that I have not yet fully comprehended. Some are coated in butter, some are coated in sesame seeds, some are baked harder, and some are coated in molasses. These are the five types that I have discovered in Adana. Apparently the molasses one is special to Adana. (Scroll down to see it)
Fluffy sesame simitTwisted slightly chewy simitBaked like pizza simit – also chewy — pizza bottom crust.Dipped in molasses simit – crunchy and sweet.Kazan, I think. These are twisted, chewy, and basted in molasses.
There is an old simit shop that has been around for more than 100 years, supposedly. They do one kind of simit. The kazan. Each simit costs around 10 lira. Bread prices are controlled by the government.
Generally, simit is a breakfast item, or a tea item. There are simit vendors who roam the streets and usually the simit they sell is the kazan simit. Simit is often paired with a processed cheese product sort of like the pie shaped Laughing Cow. The Turkish variety is funkier and takes getting used to. I am now digging it.
I have my favorite places and those usually bake fresh simit all the time. It is wonderful to smell fresh baked simit and even better to chew into it.
Many years ago, I went to a fabulous hammam (the idea of it being a “Turkish bath” was introduced in 1644 even though the tradition is more than 2,000 years old and started as “thermae” in Rome) in Istanbul. Now that I live in Adana, I wanted to find the experience again.
I asked some colleagues if they went to the hammam. As one man said to me, “No, I do not like strange men touching me… and especially when I have no clothes on.” Fair comment, fair comment. I asked others who told me that they did not go the hammam. No tradition of it now that everyone has a bathroom in their own home. In the old days, people had no running hot water in the home so they went to the bathhouse.
The hamman tradition is a remnant of the Romans (again, it’s all about those roads leading to Rome). The Romans also had no baths at home. The bath houses were a place to do more than bath. One went there to exercise, eat, and socialize. Everywhere the Romans went, they built baths (and roads). Even after the “fall of Rome” the Roman empire continued as the Byzantine Empire, then as the Ottoman Empire. Fast forward a century, and the hammam still exists.
Recently I learned that in olden times (I assume Ottoman times), mothers would go to the hammam to find a wife for their sons… well, I guess that is a sure way to do a visual inspection. I cannot speak to the visual inspection thing, but what I do know is that most young people and many others do not use the public hammams anymore. On top of which at many of the hammams, they have private rooms.
A hammam in Adana which is easy to identify by the skylights.
Despite what the modern Turks prefer, I was looking forward to getting regular Turkish baths. So I went searching. Most of the hotels have Turkish bathhouses. So far, I can see that they are staffed with Balinese women. One hotel had Balinese women for the English speakers and Turkmen women for the Turkish speakers. Generally the price is around 2,000 to 2,500 for a Turkish bath at a hotel. You do not need to be staying at the hotel to use the hammam.
It may seem a mystery for many so I will explain the basics of the Turkish bath. The men and women are separated either by location or time (some days or parts of the days for women and others for men). You can make an appointment or walk in and see if they have someone available.
This is one of the hammams in Adana. They have a plunge pool. Note the Turkish towels on the shelves.
Some places will have blue “shower caps” for your shoes for you to put on before you enter the spa area.
Some of the shoe cover machines do not use blue shower caps.
Once you enter, you will be taken to a locker room where you put your belongings in a locker (including your underwear although I’m told that some people keep it on). Then put on the robe or cotton wrap and paper slippers. Some places will make you shower before, but some do not have showers at the beginning. Then someone will guide you to the sauna, then the steam room (the sauna and steam room are optional), and then to the room with the golden taps and golden dish to rinse yourself. The person bathing you will be wearing a Turkish towel as well or maybe that and a top (if a woman). After you, and they, have rinsed you enough, they will indicate that you lie down on the warm marble slab (which is usually octagonal and in the center of the room) where they have placed a Turkish cotton towel.
Then, the person will take a special scrubbing brush and scrub a few layers of skin off you. This will be all over you, except for the genitalia. But very close. They will indicate when you need to roll over, when you need to sit up, and so on. They will scrub your face and wash your hair as well. They will massage you a bit. Then you will be rinsed off again.
Then you lie down on the warm wet towel again. And the best part happens… they take a cotton “pillow case” and suds it up in a cauldron. From there, they squeeze the suds and bubbles over you. It is marvelous. The warm bubbles effervesce on you like giddy bubble bath champagne. It is bliss.
A view showing the marble bench where you would sit and rinse yourself (also from the fancy place in Istanbul).
After the hammam is over, you may be covered in more towels and taken out to a rest area. There you may be offered tea or other restoratives.
Typical rest area in a hotel spa.
And then you pay. You can tip if you want to. Some places want cash payment which I find a bit…
I have now been in Adana for almost a year. These are recommendations I got from a local (and their comments) before I got here. I have been to almost all these places. In a way, this is a recommendation list of Adana specialities. I wrote about those earlier.
The “milk shake” at Kazim’s Buffet is more like a banana smoothie.
Of course, I now have my own recommendations. And it doesn’t mention most of these places. But then again, I’m not local. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that these recommendations were made for me as a foreigner. I made my own list of expat friendly places.
Okay, there is only one. There are a few by name, more on that below. But, this one may be the only one that will, perhaps, scratch that itch if you are desperate. Otherwise, go to Ankara or Istanbul. But, the one that is here in Adana is quite pretty and has a nice vibe. The decorations were done by a Persian artist and the owner of the restaurant is from Georgia (the country next to Turkiye).
There are all the elements, except for pork, that could make for good Mexican or Tex-Mex food here in Adana. But the local tastes are not really into it. While there is chile spice, it’s not quite like the ones in Mexico. While there is grilled meat, the seasonings are not the same.
Like anywhere, the food will get adapted to fit the local tastes. I say, deal with it. Enjoy a drink or two. Enjoy the music. Enjoy the vibe. And go to Mexico for your Mexican food.
Oh, sure, at other places there are things like burritos listed on the menu. It will be a wrap. It will not scratch the Mexican food need in your soul.
So, sit back and enjoy the place.
Oh, and if you smoke, you can smoke indoors. That might be a plus for some people.
There are few other places with nachos on the menu or available. There are two others in name, By Taco, and Mex Casa. Mex Casa has a Mexican themed artwork on one wall. That’s it for Mexican.
By Taco is a food stand on the side of a big road. They do well because their prices are so low. They are also friendly. But the “taco” is not Mexican in any way other than it is a flat bread stuffed with stuff. At 75 Turkish Lira or $1.78, it is a cheap eat.
Still, it tasted fine. It tasted Turkish. I predict that “Tex Mex” food is the next big way after sushi so watch this space…
Hey, before ya come at me with your ‘tude, keep in mind that I cannot taste all the burgers in Adana. I tried. I ate a burger and fries for dinner for seven days in a row… my conclusion is that I cannot try them all.
Some of the best burgers I’ve had were in the United States. American beef is famous for being delicious. It is the land of the burger. The cattle are different here.
But Adana is the land of meat. They have “kofte” which are meatballs and they have them all over. They even have the kind that are not made of meat. But I digress. Which burger did I like the best?
Los Brunos: The meat tastes the best. They have nachos. Their fries are fine.
Barks Burgers: Famously the most popular with the expats. Good burger. Good fries.
Grill Lab: Best fries — hand cut and awesome. Homemade aioli (mayonnaise). Other sauces homemade. AND, the best pickled jalepeno I have tasted, ever. Also house made. I did find gristle in my burger but the chef says that he will soon grind his own meat.
Grill Lab’s fries and sauces are handmade and delicious.
I went to other places (there are hundreds and hundreds of burger places in this town) but either the meat was too “animaly” or the meat was like a wool sweater.
One day when in Flushing, Queens, I felt the need to find a foot rub. Maybe Chinese reflexology. After all, I was in one of the largest Chinatowns in the world.
I looked at the map and there was a place nearby with a 5-star rating. I eventually found it in a high rise behind a bakery (to the left of the green awning in the photo).
The reflexologist was a gentle soul who bathed my feet first before working on my meridian lines. Luckily my Mandarin-speaking friend showed up so she could do some translating. Not that I remember very much as I was too busy feeling relaxed.
Ms. Annie Wong was a treasure. I wish I lived nearby. Because I was the first customer of the day, I got my 90-minute foot massage for around 50 bucks.
I highly recommend finding places like AW Spa when in Chinatown Flushing.
Maybe I’ve mentioned it before, but instead of collecting tangible things like racing cars or stamps, I collect Korean restaurant experiences. It is more fun in cities with fewer of them. I have now been to all the Korean restaurants in Adana. Here is my rundown of them from best to worst.
Korean Cultural Center, Toros, 78178. Sk. NO:3 A, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, closed on Sundays. Best (and maybe only tapioca boba tea in town) ramyun, ttokbokki, and their kimbap with tuna is okay. You can also dress up in Korean clothes for a photo op.
In Seoul, located in the north. Popular place for instant noodle ramen, seaweed rolls (kimbap), and fried chicken.
Kore A Cafe, is across from the train station. Owned by the In Seoul Koreans. Same menu.
Kimchi from Quick China.
Quick China, has a Korean menu. And the best kimchi in town. It’s odd that their kimchi is the best.
Sopung, no relation to Korea other than someone thought it would be a good idea. Costumes also available here for photo ops. Food is not Korean. But it’s a popular place.
So overall, there is only decent instant/student/fast Korean food here. It is weird that there is no decent Korean barbecue because, just as with Mexican food, all the elements are here.
The Korean wave is a real thing here and there is now one Korean shop that also sells instant noodles.
Since you can’t take an Adana kebab as a souvenir, one has to (has to) find a magnet or mug as a souvenir. Recently, I was at the women’s cooperative, Adana Kadın kooperatifleri Birliği, for brunch and it turns out that they also have a shop (one is sitting surrounded by things to buy) so that is my recommendation for where to buy souvenirs.
Adana is famous for its clock tower, orange festival, Roman bridge, and the kebab. This shop, located conveniently in old Adana (just down from the clock tower, on the side of a park, Ziyapaşa Parkı), is a nice reprieve from the heat and bustle. Or cold and wet.
The orange festival is the biggest event of the year in Adana.
Aside from souvenirs like magnets, they also have handmade items and food for sale. And as I mentioned, you can eat there. The staff are very nice. It is hard to not buy a basket or hammer pants (which is the baggy style that many people wear here).
The other place I would recommend for souvenirs is Starbucks. Sounds odd? The Adana mug is adorable.
There are also other places to find souvenirs but one has to search. Or stick to the main touristy street.
The trend in Adana is sushi rolls. Sushi restaurants are everywhere. Metro, the Costco-like store that supplies restaurants, carries everything you need to run a sushi roll, maki, restaurant. There is a popular chain of eateries called Maki. They serve everything but sushi rolls are a big part of the menu.
An assortment of sushi rolls including with fries on them…
I can’t figure it out, but I also saw it in Italy.
Korean rice rolls called kimbap.
The other thing, and sort of connected, is the rise of Korean places. Maybe it’s the rise of the “cute” culture? Kawaii is the Japanese word for “cutsie culture” and this infantilization is popular in many places. So far I have only seen one person dressed sort of in this way. But, Flying Tiger arrived in Adana. Flying Tiger is a Danish “dollar store” chain that sells many cute, and sometimes practical, things. (Flying Tiger is derived from the sound of a “tenner” in Danish sounding like the word for tiger).
Recently a Korean store opened up. Also filled with cutsie things.
Sushi with mayo…
Maybe the sushi roll is not so strange. Adana has rolls made with meat and flat bread.
Turkish flatbread rolls.
I predict that the next trend is tacos. You read it here!
