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.
This is my first Ramazan (Ramadan) in Adana. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I recalled from Dhaka, that during Ramadan month, those observing Ramadan did not eat or drink during daylight hours. Every evening, the breaking of the fast, iftar, was a celebration. There were celebrations with family and gifts given. It was a festive time.
Ramadan follows the moon so this year is in the winter (February 18 to March 19). This year is the year 1447 in the muslim calendar.
So what is different her in Adana? Adana is a fairly open minded place. When I got to Adana, the locals told me that I should expect to see restaurants open during Ramazan and that people would also be drinking alcohol. This is so. Also, many restaurants closed for the first week of Ramadan but then opened up again.
Mini pide with mozzarella, potato, white cheese, sausage, and kale.
What was great interest to me was the food. Apparently eating “pide” is a Ramadan thing. It’s also an every day thing, but more so at this time. I noticed a different kind of mini pide and I have a feeling that these are only available during Ramadan. Today, March 14, is international pi/pie day (3.14) and pide is a kind of pie so quite appropriate.
Many bakeries are open around the clock so that was something to try out during this time. I discovered some lovely bakeries and almost all gave me samples, tried to serve me tea, and gave me freebies. Very hospitable.
Croma, is a farm to table place styled sort of like a French bistro.
Let’s talk best restaurants for expats in this city of no expats. I realize that not everyone wants a “bizarre food” experience all the time. Or even most of the time. If you want to stick with the familiar, then rest easy that Adana has chain places here like Starbucks, Popeyes, Little Caesars, McDonalds, but just remember that they will not have pork products. Otherwise, a translator app will help you in most places. Here are my recommendations for expat-friendly places. These places serve good food. I do not mention the many shiny places that serve bad food.
Okay, with all those caveats, let’s begin. I have been to over 90 eateries in Adana. The list is in descending order from best to worst food, sort of.
Croma’s shrimp with fresh pasta (they only do shrimp on Wednesdays).
Croma, Sayhan Apt, Cemalpaşa, 63005. Sk. 17/D, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, in the Gazipasa neighborhood. Parking is awful so take an uber (just type in the name of the restaurant in uber and it will pull it up) or walk. The food is farm to table, the waiters speak English, and the place makes their own pasta. Avoid the rice and chicken dishes. Excellent salads. Beer and wine are available as well. You will feel like you are not in Adana. So far, this is my top pick for best restaurant in Adana. I have now eaten there quite a few times and I still like it.
Vill Kitchen, Güzelyalı Mah. Uğur mumcu Blv, 81151. Sk. Enver Özkan Apt No:2 / E, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, in north Adana, has a nice vibe, excellent creamy desserts, Turkish breakfast, and other trendy items like avocado toast. Eggs are good here. Staff speak some English.
Güneşer Bakery, Güzelyalı, 81161. Sk. VELİ İŞLEK APT SİT. 5A, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, is an organic, gluten free famous, mom and daughter bakery that would not be out of place in Berkeley, California. If it was there, the line would go out the door and around the corner. Sunday Turkish breakfast requires a reservation. The mom makes all the food from the jams to the purple colored gluten free bread.
Pizzeria Povera, Turgut Özal Bulvarı Doğal Park Karşısı G4 Nest Altı, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, in north Adana, is run by a chef who ferments his pizza dough for 72 hours. He also has tiramisu but it’s best to ask him via direct message on Instagram, if there is any that day or you will be disappointed. The chef speaks English. Limited menu.
Pizzeria Regna, Kurtuluş, 64009. Sk. No:8, 01130 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, ferments their pizza dough for 48 hours. Chef speaks English. Limited menu.
Maki Uğur Mumcu, Bayram Apt, Güzelyalı, Uğur Mumcu Blv. 30/A, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, in north Adana, serves sushi, cocktails, salads, and everything in between. Staff speak English. I like the stuffed potato skins.
Maki Gazipasa, Vali Yolu Caddesi, Cemalpaşa, Ethem Ekin Sk. No:2/A, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, has excellent salads and everything else. Also sushi. Staff also speak English. I like their salads. Salad! The other Maki restaurants have more limited menus.
Sipsters, Reşatbey, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, is a healthy bar with a San Fran feel. Run by two sisters who both speak good English. Excellent French style creamy scrambled eggs. The place feels a bit hippy and the sisters also sell produce, including from their farm.
Bobo Franco, Cemalpaşa, Bahar Cd. Topaloğlu Apt No: 17/1, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, has a wide variety of dishes from pasta, steak, salads, fish carpaccio, and so on. Also has theme nights like Mexican or movie night. I don’t think their food is beyond good but it’s got a glam vibe. Even if the music is too loud. Almost no English spoken so use a translator app.
Wispy Pizza, Kurtuluş, 64003. Sk., 01010 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, on a side street from the main food drags. It is a casual place with only one table indoors. The owner speaks a bit of English and he will use an app to communicate. Good pizza in the Boston Upper Crust style. The advantage of this place is that there is lots of parking. Limited menu.
Focawich, Reşatbey, Gazipaşa Blv. Yunus Bey Apt Altı. No:9, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, is like any brand chain upmarket sandwich place in London, New York, so on, but it is not a chain — yet. Staff speak English. Limited menu.
Bark’s Burgers, Cemalpaşa, Toros Cd. Çiğdem Apt No: 6/B, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, on the famous Toros street in Gazipasa, has possibly the best burger and fries (for expats) in Adana. Fairly sure the staff speak English. Limited menu but they have beef burgers and fried chicken.
Pizza Locale, Kurtuluş Mh. Şinasi Efendi Cd. No:8A, Şinasi Efendi Cd. 8A, 01130 Seyhan/Adana, a chain outpost in Gazipasa, has thin crust pizza in three sizes, large salads, beer and wine, and English speaking staff. Brand new so very clean looking and lots of outlets for charging your phone…
Nas Kitchen, Reşatbey, Stadyum Cd Reşatbey Concept Apt D:41/C, 01120 Seyhan/Adana, (it is not located in the intersection as Google maps indicates but one block west, on the south side of Stadyum, across from a grocery store, Better to look for Elif Çiçekçilik, a florist, at Reşatbey, 62024. Sk., 01120 Seyhan/Adana), in Gazipasa, has excellent croissants. Also Turkish breakfast. Elegant bakery.
Quick China, Kurtuluş, Mithat Saraçoğlu Cd. No:3 D:3, 01130 Seyhan/Adana, in Gazipasa, is an all-round Asian restaurant for when you want Asian food. Staff speak a bit of English. Oddly, the kimchi here is the best in the city. This place looks the part with its imitation statues and red walls.
SushiCo, 1Z M1 AVM Adana, Yeni, 87071. Sk. No: 15 K Blok, 01200 Seyhan/Adana, in (front of) the M1 mall, is also an all-round Asian place. Staff speak a bit of English.
In addition to these places, there are many coffee shops and cafes that are much like places one would find in London or San Francisco. Too many to mention actually but I’ll try: Blumind, Fein, The Mia-Glamm (Glamm has multiple locations), La Patte, Proper Coffee, Mingogo, Bonn in the Garden,…
Chocolate, matcha, and classic bubble/boba tea.
Korean Cultural Center, Koreliler Cafe Kore Kültür Merkezi, Toros, 78178. Sk. NO:3 A, 01170 Çukurova/Adana, in north Adana. I include this place because one of the staff speaks excellent English (she is a English teacher) and this place has the only authentic bubble tea that I know of in Adana (Most of the bubble tea stands use juice pearls). Excellent tapioca pearls here! I have been to all the Korean restaurants in Adana and do not think much of the food served in them. They mainly serve fast food so pasta and fried things. But this place is probably one of the better places.
Muze Kebab Hestat. Yeşiloba, 46253 sok No.21, 01100 Seyhan/Adana, in west Adana (try not to be put off by the industrial neighborhood), serves Turkish food. I do not know if their staff speaks English but this is worth a visit because the decor is that of a museum. It is like eating inside a museum. The decor is all faux archeology, but the experience is real.
The interior of the Museum style restaurant.
In terms of price, most of these places are on the more expensive side for Adana. But not too pricey for an expat.
Royal’s menu is in English and in dollars. You can pay by credit card or Turkish Lira.
Finally, as an expat, you may be longing for some of the international foods that you are accustomed to such as Thai food, Indian food, Chinese American food, or the ever popular Mexican food. While there are a few places to get a semblance of Chinese American food, most of the other flavors are not here. While most menus offer curry sauce, Korean sauce, Mexican sauce, these are not what you expect. Except maybe in color?
But, there is a solution. Although you will have to leave the fancy expat part of town and go over to the “village” outside the front gate of the air force base. Over there, you will find places that grew up because of the military folk posted to Incirlik. The two places I want to mention are RoyalRestaurant and Bar (as I like to say about Royal, “They will try to make you whatever you want, however you want it) and Moonlight (best fries in town). These two places have catered to English-only-speaking American service men and women for the past 30 years… so the staff speak English. The menus are in English and the prices are in dollars, although you can pay in Turkish Lira (and, of course, by credit card).
These are the places to go if you are desperate for American tasting food (like sweet and sour chicken, curry, etc. BUT with a more gringo taste), then be daring and ignore the grubby worn out decor of these two places. I repeat, they can make you what you want and how you want it, whether it be Turkish food or something else.
Royal made me a chicken curry that satisfied my craving.
End of part one about expat-friendly places.
In the future, I will also write a list of places that I recommend in Adana, even if they are not expat friendly. There might be a few from this list…
One thing that I didn’t expect to stumble upon here was an organic/Italian bakery. But I did, right on the main street. They even have a grinder for fresh almond butter. It’s not a shop that I expected to find here.
Sadly, I didn’t actually like their cake or gluten free cake, but I have to give them credit for trying. They also have other items so maybe those are better.
Located on the Panamerican highway at kilometer marker 52 on the road south of Lima, this bakery is a great pit stop for breakfast. It’s called Tambo Rural (tambo is the indigenous word for kiosk) and there is no sign so you just have to pay attention and turn in at marker 52. They now have a real dirt driveway and expanded parking lot so it’s much easier to stop off the highway.
The coffee is amazingly creamy.
Speaking of breakfast, they sell chicharron which they cook in the wood fired oven (how is that for mind blowing!?), a breakfast item in Peru.
They sell bread that you can buy to take with you including photogenic focaccia.
They have toilets which work on a “bucket of water” flush system.
This place is not super fancy but it is good and covers all the bases. It’s not a secret either but TripAdvisor reviews are only in Spanish.
I enjoyed the fresh warm rolls, some filled with ham (turkey ham) and cheese, and some with olives and oregano. Plus that locally sources coffee. Yum. Great way to start a day and a trip. Go! Enjoy!
I try not to discriminate. So when invited to a vegan’s birthday, I do my research online, mostly yelp and google, to find a place where I can buy some vegan cupcakes. This particular birthday party was northwest of Miami, so I went to a vegan bakery called Parlour, in Plantation, Florida. Those cupcakes cost $4 each. The shop is hidden in a strip mall, but it’s a cute store once you get there.
My verdict on the cupcakes was that they were dry. I was told that this is not usually the case. No fear, I still licked the frosting off them.
In Danish, a danish is a “viennese bread” because it was brought to Denmark in the 19th century by immigrants from Vienna. There are many names and many types of pastry sold in Denmark and the bakeries, although no longer on every corner, are still to be had (today, 7-11 bakes fresh every few hours).
My favorites are actually not the well-known pretzel shaped “kringle” or the “duck breast” or “snail” but, one that is hard to find and the other that is more common. My favorite one is so popular that it’s sold at the airport. It’s called a “tebirkes” or “tea poppy seed” and it’s a rectangular shape with a covering of poppy seeds. Inside, the bottom layers are held down by a thin layer of almond paste mixed with sugar. The tebirkes isn’t overly sweet and I like to splice it open, slather it with Lurpack butter and a slice of smelly strong cheese. The second pastry that I always get, if I can, is called a “rosenbroed” or “rose bread”and it’s made from the basic kringle puff pastry but in a long plank shape. It’s covered with a thick layer of icing and sliced into long strips. Pure sugar, butter, and puff pastry!
Denmark is known for its Danish and in the U.S., there are a few places that claim to do the original kringle or Danish. But, Danish pastry is like New York pizza… it’s something in the water… if you can, go to the source.
I can’t leave Bogota without mentioning coffee. Coffee shops are very popular here. Some of the famous brands of coffee are Juan Valdez, Oma, Amor Perfecto, and lesser know is Bourbon, but it gets confusing because some of the coffee shops use other brands but make the coffee so well that your experience will be changed! One of those places is in the Hilton on 7th Avenue. The barista certainly takes a long time to make your coffee (including asking you how you want it – percolated, drip, etc. etc.) and it is nice. But not good if you actually just need a cup of coffee. The cafe looks like a 1920s location so the decor is appealing as well. I like Bourbon, both for their coffee and their cafe. And the fact that they make coffee with almond milk, for those who care about that sort of thing.
But, the best bakery is Arbol del Pan (Calle 66 Bis, #4-63: they are located up near Gordo and La Fama, on a street parallel to La Fama). Their coffee is okay but it’s their breads that are the best. Plus, they are open for breakfast. They make a poached egg, asparagus and prosciutto croissant that is delectable. This is not to say that I don’t still enjoy Eric Kaiser and Masa’s products. But, I think I like Arbol’s almond croissant best. On top of which, the staff speak English and the owner has one of those great back stories (architect decides to become baker… and it’s a woman-owned business, for those who care about that sort of thing!).
Lima, Lima, Lima! My friends are probably tired of hearing me rave about the food in Lima… turn away now then.
Yet another delicious place to eat in Miraflores is El Pan de la Chola. The atmosphere is a bit like being in San Francisco. Just not quite as expensive. The baker is a young man who started by selling bread on the beach. Now he teaches children to bake in the open-air bakery at the back of the restaurant.
The cheese used in the melted cheese sandwich is so locally sourced that it doesn’t even have a name! The juice drinks are refreshing, the yogurt home-made, and simple dish of “palta fuerte” avocado, oil, and bread is simplicity itself.
Even the cafe con leche is one of the best cups of coffee that I’ve had (the coffee is one found by the “coffee hunter” of TV fame).
Never mind the hype. Go for the melted cheese sandwich.
“Prepare to have your mind blown,” said Mr. X. I stepped into Afternoon Tea, a two-month old Taiwanese bakery and I was indeed bowled over to find such a delicious bakery. Their baked goods, especially the Taiwanese cream bun, were soft and sweet. They also make bubble tea (tapioca balls were pretty good with a bit of chew at the center) with fresh juices. I had passion fruit today but I’ll be back to try the others. Supposedly, soon, they will have the red bean paste buns as well. They are located on Carrera 15, No. 94-51 and they have plans to expand, including providing delivery (domicilio as it’s called here). Their cakes are delicious too. I ordered a cake to take to a birthday and for 45,000 Colombian pesos (about $22), I got a spongy delightful eight-inch white cake decorated with fruit. Their cheesecake is good. Not cloying but it does have fibers from the fresh mango and passion fruit (thanks for the roughage in my diet). They can also make a chocolate cake with alcohol, but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how it is. ***I was in for a chat when I picked up my cake and I commented that they should post photos on their Facebook page… and they did! I hope that they’ll soon post delicious food photos…
The front of the bakery.
It was a great day for finding Asian (or “oriental” as they call it here) grocery supplies. Earlier, I found the Global Gourmet on Carrera 14, No. 90-12, and nearly collapsed from joy at finding fresh tofu, edamame, fish sauce, wonton wrappers, sesame oil, sesame seeds, peanut oil, woks, chopsticks, mango chutney, seaweed, green curry paste, cookbooks, rice bowls, miso paste, tapioca flour, somen noodles, rice noodles, 10 kilo bags of rice, and so much more. Unfortunately, they do not have fresh vegetables. Not a cheap store but at least they have all sorts of hard to find items. They have been open for nine years so there must be someone buying the goods. The folks in Afternoon Tea didn’t even know about this store.
Global Gourmet on Calle 14 at 90.
Then, I found the Asian section at Jumbo, the mega supermarket near Calle 110, No. 9B – 4 (like a Walmart) located in the Santa Ana mall. This mall also has a taxi service in the basement so it’s easy to catch a cab home with one’s groceries.
The Asian section at Jumbo.
Fish sauce, rice sticks, and so on.
For kimchi, I bought some at the Casa de Coreana restaurant, Calle 104A, No. 11B-61. It cost 10,000 Colombian pesos ($5) for about a pint. It was acceptable, and according to the lady in the restaurant, the best in town. We’ll see.
Kimchi from Casa de Coreana.
Global Gourmet sells more than just food.
Carulla also sells some imported goods like sushi seaweed and rice.
Global Gourmet receives fresh tofu several times per week.
Now, the most difficult part of shopping for Asian food is finding vegetables. I found out from the folks at the Taiwanese bakery that Paloquemao market sells Asian vegetables on Tuesday mornings.
Sriracha, French mustard, and other global foods in Global Gourmet.
I’ll update this as I find more sources. Later, I’ll blog about the Asian restaurants… as I taste test them.
If anybody knows of more sources of Asian food or good Asian restaurants in Bogota, please share this with me by commenting or sending me an email at m@madventures.me. Thanks!
Someone told me that Maki Roll, a restaurant, was also an Asian grocery store. I went to investigate. The restaurant smelled of bulgogi and sesame oil. They had a few items for sale in the glass counter and on the shelf between the kitchen and the cash register. They sell Korean spicy ramen (which makes them the only place to carry this brand so far). They also sell kimchi (not as good as Casa de Coreana’s), individually prepped seaweed, and kochikang, the spicy Korean red paste.
Bubble tea at Afternoon Tea.
All in all, between these stores, it is possible to almost find everything I’d need to make the basics of Korean food. Tonight, there’s a bag of bulgogi beef happily marinating away.
As someone who loves good bread, I find it hard to find European-style yeasty bread in Dhaka. There is plenty of pillowy naan, stretchy rhumali, chewy paratha, and flaky dhosa. When I want European style bread, I go to the following places:
Kings Confectionary: This is where to get long baguette-like hoagie or subway rolls. Plus, the sugared doughnuts are chewy, doughy, and sugary.
German Butcher: They bake their own bread. They call it black bread but it’s more of a whole wheat blend. You can even buy a half loaf if you want to start out with that.
Do Mi Ok: The best sliced white bread in Dhaka. It’s doughy. If you squeeze it, it will hold your finger imprint. They also sell a few other types of fresh bread but it’s the white that I like.
Le Souffle. It is slightly ridiculous how expensive they are. They have a bakery and sell French baguettes and other types. The bread is hard crust sourdough style. They sell croissants and cakes as well.
Nordic Club: They do great cinnamon rolls… the black bread has too much molasses and tastes slightly off.
One thing that I didn’t expect to stumble upon here was an organic/Italian bakery. But I did, right on the main street. They even have a grinder for fresh almond butter. It’s not a shop that I expected to find here.
Sadly, I didn’t actually like their cake or gluten free cake, but I have to give them credit for trying. They also have other items so maybe those are better. 
Located on the Panamerican highway at kilometer marker 52 on the road south of Lima, this bakery is a great pit stop for breakfast. It’s called Tambo Rural (tambo is the indigenous word for kiosk) and there is no sign so you just have to pay attention and turn in at marker 52. They now have a real dirt driveway and expanded parking lot so it’s much easier to stop off the highway.
The coffee is amazingly creamy.
Speaking of breakfast, they sell chicharron which they cook in the wood fired oven (how is that for mind blowing!?), a breakfast item in Peru.
They sell bread that you can buy to take with you including photogenic focaccia.
They have toilets which work on a “bucket of water” flush system.
I try not to discriminate. So when invited to a vegan’s birthday, I do my research online, mostly yelp and google, to find a place where I can buy some vegan cupcakes. This particular birthday party was northwest of Miami, so I went to a vegan bakery called Parlour, in Plantation, Florida. Those cupcakes cost $4 each. The shop is hidden in a strip mall, but it’s a cute store once you get there.
My verdict on the cupcakes was that they were dry. I was told that this is not usually the case. No fear, I still licked the frosting off them.
In Danish, a danish is a “viennese bread” because it was brought to Denmark in the 19th century by immigrants from Vienna. There are many names and many types of pastry sold in Denmark and the bakeries, although no longer on every corner, are still to be had (today, 7-11 bakes fresh every few hours).
But, the best bakery is Arbol del Pan (Calle 66 Bis, #4-63: they are located up near Gordo and La Fama, on a street parallel to La Fama). Their coffee is okay but it’s their breads that are the best. Plus, they are open for breakfast. They make a poached egg, asparagus and prosciutto croissant that is delectable. This is not to say that I don’t still enjoy Eric Kaiser and Masa’s products. But, I think I like Arbol’s almond croissant best. On top of which, the staff speak English and the owner has one of those great back stories (architect decides to become baker… and it’s a woman-owned business, for those who care about that sort of thing!).
Lima, Lima, Lima! My friends are probably tired of hearing me rave about the food in Lima… turn away now then.
Yet another delicious place to eat in Miraflores is 
The cheese used in the melted cheese sandwich is so locally sourced that it doesn’t even have a name! The juice drinks are refreshing, the yogurt home-made, and simple dish of “palta fuerte” avocado, oil, and bread is simplicity itself.
Even the cafe con leche is one of the best cups of coffee that I’ve had (the coffee is one found by the “coffee hunter” of TV fame).
Never mind the hype. Go for the melted cheese sandwich.
