Art of food in museum: fusion with Turkish twist
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Mina Erçel
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 06, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Tucked away inside Emirgan’s Sakıp Sabancı Museum is the celebrated Turkish fusion culinary institute of Müzedechanga - sister of the original well known Changa in Taksim. In 2007 the restaurant received the award for best-designed restaurant
The Sabancı Museum was the former residence villa of the Sabancı family. Now a gallery and museum of art, it became popular in the last few years for hosting exhibitions like Picasso, Rubin and most recently Dali. On a typical weekend, the traffic is jam packed in Emirgan due to the crowds of people in line for the Sabancı Museum displays.
While paintings and sculptures are a form of art, so is food. The location setting of the second branch of Istanbul’s most talked about fusion restaurant, Changa, is therefore ideal. The Mediterranean dishes are indeed a work of art and recognized as some of the most innovative dishes one can enjoy overlooking the Bosphorus. Opened in Taksim in 1999 by the famous chef Peter Gordon, Changa became an instant success winning international acclaim. Müzedechanga was launched in 2005, as the historic Horse Mansion of Sakıp Sabancı was opened to the public as an art museum.
Zesty celeriac with tangerine
Basically almost all the dishes at this fine-dining eatery are a delicacy and "work of culinary art." Yet the starters and desserts on Müzedechanga’s menu catch the eye more than the main dishes. Choosing a starter is a tough choice, and many regulars just prefer to go with the several cold and hot starters instead of a main course. A few of the significant cold platters are artichoke with pea puree and mustard sauce, Changa’s creamy-dreamy olive oil braised fennel with fava, and the zesty celeriac with pear and tangerine. Starter dishes are an ideal gourmet treat for vegetarians. Savory soup of chickpeas blended with wheat and Swiss chard also makes for a warm, healthy appetizer.
Changa Sucuk and stuffed zucchini Flowers
Grilled octopus is served with black olive paste and capers is one of the most popular and demanded dish on Changa’s original menu since 1999, as is the Halloumi cheese wrapped in wine leaves and sweet chili sauce. Müzedechanga’s house special is the internationally applauded Changa Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage) with pistachio, humus and pickled green chili. Many visitors also adore the zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and basil.
A few main course selections are lamb braised with fennel, artichokes and olive as well as spinach with Turkish lor cheese tortellini with porcini and creamy lemon sauce. For seafood alternatives, white grouper on bean pure with mint and green chili salad is the best shot.
For those craving an "a la Turca dessert," Turkish coffee ice cream served with bitter almond liquor and dried fruit is a great choice in addition to the Turkish lor cheese with Mulberry sauce. A personal favorite is the poached pear served with chili pepper, red wine and mastic ice cream.
Expect to pay around 100YTL per person for dinner depending on drinks.
While paintings and sculptures are a form of art, so is food. The location setting of the second branch of Istanbul’s most talked about fusion restaurant, Changa, is therefore ideal. The Mediterranean dishes are indeed a work of art and recognized as some of the most innovative dishes one can enjoy overlooking the Bosphorus. Opened in Taksim in 1999 by the famous chef Peter Gordon, Changa became an instant success winning international acclaim. Müzedechanga was launched in 2005, as the historic Horse Mansion of Sakıp Sabancı was opened to the public as an art museum.
Zesty celeriac with tangerine
Basically almost all the dishes at this fine-dining eatery are a delicacy and "work of culinary art." Yet the starters and desserts on Müzedechanga’s menu catch the eye more than the main dishes. Choosing a starter is a tough choice, and many regulars just prefer to go with the several cold and hot starters instead of a main course. A few of the significant cold platters are artichoke with pea puree and mustard sauce, Changa’s creamy-dreamy olive oil braised fennel with fava, and the zesty celeriac with pear and tangerine. Starter dishes are an ideal gourmet treat for vegetarians. Savory soup of chickpeas blended with wheat and Swiss chard also makes for a warm, healthy appetizer.
Changa Sucuk and stuffed zucchini Flowers
Grilled octopus is served with black olive paste and capers is one of the most popular and demanded dish on Changa’s original menu since 1999, as is the Halloumi cheese wrapped in wine leaves and sweet chili sauce. Müzedechanga’s house special is the internationally applauded Changa Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage) with pistachio, humus and pickled green chili. Many visitors also adore the zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese and basil.
A few main course selections are lamb braised with fennel, artichokes and olive as well as spinach with Turkish lor cheese tortellini with porcini and creamy lemon sauce. For seafood alternatives, white grouper on bean pure with mint and green chili salad is the best shot.
For those craving an "a la Turca dessert," Turkish coffee ice cream served with bitter almond liquor and dried fruit is a great choice in addition to the Turkish lor cheese with Mulberry sauce. A personal favorite is the poached pear served with chili pepper, red wine and mastic ice cream.
Expect to pay around 100YTL per person for dinner depending on drinks.