Enjoy a bit of Paris in the heart of Istanbul
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gül Tüysüz
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 25, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - Istanbul's restaurant scene has been in need of a brasserie for a long time and last year La Brise swept in to fill the gap. With a relaxed atmosphere, a great menu and mulled wine service throughout the holiday season, La Brise is a standout dining experience
There is no doubt Turkish cuisine offers endless variety, sometimes, however, the palate craves something a bit different. For those moments, there is La Brise.
Walking down to Asmalımescit, this under-stated restaurant is cradled in a quaint corner, with brick-colored awnings and a soft, warm glow. With Christmas just around the corner, the windows and storefront are decked out in tinsel. La Brise is not just decorating for the season, the Parisian-style brasserie is also concocting Christmas delights for those who miss the feel of the season. It has a great Christmas menu and will serve mulled wine from wood barrels steaming with Christmas flavors: nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves.
This little treasure that has been around for almost a year and is the brainchild of Esen Hünal Blake, 22, educated at the Italian Lycee in Istanbul, before heading off to the Leet School of Food and Wine. "I grew up in the restaurant and bar business," Hünal Blake said. Her parents own a North Shields franchise business in Turkey and were an inspiration with family outings to restaurants in Istanbul, she said. They realized they longed for a Parisian style brasserie in Istanbul and finding none, the family opened one of their own. "I noticed a lack of brasseries or bistros in Istanbul. People usually ask why we opened in Beyoğlu and not in Etiler. To me this was the perfect place for a brasserie," Blake said.
The atmosphere inside is chic and laid back. This atmosphere was created intentionally, Blake said. "In Turkey there is this concept in society that people have to get dressed up and make a big deal out of going for a meal out, and they pay a lot of money to go to a fine dining establishment," she said. She tried to steer away from that when she conceived La Brise, she wanted it to be a place to get a good meal and great wine amid a diverse mix of customers.
Exclusively French menu
The menu is a delight to tired eyes and tries to escape the usual fare offered at European-style restaurants in Istanbul, which generally consist of a list of delicious, but uniform, Italian and French staples. The offerings at La Brise are exclusively French and this is reflected in the menus that come in French-Turkish or French-English.
The chef’s recommendations; the onion soup gratinee, fried Camembert with homemade seasonal chutney and steak tartare frites leave the diner with a satisfied, if not stuffed, belly. The mille-feuille flavored with rum as dessert, hits the spot when served with a cup of coffee. The dessert reaches great heights, metaphorically and literally, with layers upon layers of puff pastry as a conduit for a subtle rum and butter flavor.
An average cost per person for a meal with wine is roughly YTL 80 and without wine around YTL 55. The wine and beer list is comprehensive, including both Turkish and French options and draws on years of experience Blake's family have had with the North Shields franchise.
Even at those prices La Brise manages to attract a diverse crowd where generations mingle comfortably. It is not a business clientle, but more of a place for family outings or a girl’s night out. "We have a lot of regulars who come with family and friends to unwind," Hünal Blake said. "We are more of a down-to-earth dining experience," she said.
The down-to-earth quality shined through as lunchtime customers wandered in. She greeted a middle-aged Turkish couple and a party of four with three Italians and a Turk, who knew her and she them. They joked as they tried to speak to her in Turkish and then reverted to Italian, "Tu parli Italiano," (I know you speak Italian). Blake eased into Italian, took their orders and chatted to them like they were old friends.
This is a brasserie experience you want and for the time being, it may be the only place that you can get it in Istanbul. Reservations are recommended for dinner. The holiday fixed-price menu with mulled wine at YTL 89 is available for Christmas and New Year’s night until the end of January.
Asmalımescit Sokak No:28, Asmalımescit, Istanbul
For reservations call (212) 244 48 46
Walking down to Asmalımescit, this under-stated restaurant is cradled in a quaint corner, with brick-colored awnings and a soft, warm glow. With Christmas just around the corner, the windows and storefront are decked out in tinsel. La Brise is not just decorating for the season, the Parisian-style brasserie is also concocting Christmas delights for those who miss the feel of the season. It has a great Christmas menu and will serve mulled wine from wood barrels steaming with Christmas flavors: nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves.
This little treasure that has been around for almost a year and is the brainchild of Esen Hünal Blake, 22, educated at the Italian Lycee in Istanbul, before heading off to the Leet School of Food and Wine. "I grew up in the restaurant and bar business," Hünal Blake said. Her parents own a North Shields franchise business in Turkey and were an inspiration with family outings to restaurants in Istanbul, she said. They realized they longed for a Parisian style brasserie in Istanbul and finding none, the family opened one of their own. "I noticed a lack of brasseries or bistros in Istanbul. People usually ask why we opened in Beyoğlu and not in Etiler. To me this was the perfect place for a brasserie," Blake said.
The atmosphere inside is chic and laid back. This atmosphere was created intentionally, Blake said. "In Turkey there is this concept in society that people have to get dressed up and make a big deal out of going for a meal out, and they pay a lot of money to go to a fine dining establishment," she said. She tried to steer away from that when she conceived La Brise, she wanted it to be a place to get a good meal and great wine amid a diverse mix of customers.
Exclusively French menu
The menu is a delight to tired eyes and tries to escape the usual fare offered at European-style restaurants in Istanbul, which generally consist of a list of delicious, but uniform, Italian and French staples. The offerings at La Brise are exclusively French and this is reflected in the menus that come in French-Turkish or French-English.
The chef’s recommendations; the onion soup gratinee, fried Camembert with homemade seasonal chutney and steak tartare frites leave the diner with a satisfied, if not stuffed, belly. The mille-feuille flavored with rum as dessert, hits the spot when served with a cup of coffee. The dessert reaches great heights, metaphorically and literally, with layers upon layers of puff pastry as a conduit for a subtle rum and butter flavor.
An average cost per person for a meal with wine is roughly YTL 80 and without wine around YTL 55. The wine and beer list is comprehensive, including both Turkish and French options and draws on years of experience Blake's family have had with the North Shields franchise.
Even at those prices La Brise manages to attract a diverse crowd where generations mingle comfortably. It is not a business clientle, but more of a place for family outings or a girl’s night out. "We have a lot of regulars who come with family and friends to unwind," Hünal Blake said. "We are more of a down-to-earth dining experience," she said.
The down-to-earth quality shined through as lunchtime customers wandered in. She greeted a middle-aged Turkish couple and a party of four with three Italians and a Turk, who knew her and she them. They joked as they tried to speak to her in Turkish and then reverted to Italian, "Tu parli Italiano," (I know you speak Italian). Blake eased into Italian, took their orders and chatted to them like they were old friends.
This is a brasserie experience you want and for the time being, it may be the only place that you can get it in Istanbul. Reservations are recommended for dinner. The holiday fixed-price menu with mulled wine at YTL 89 is available for Christmas and New Year’s night until the end of January.
Asmalımescit Sokak No:28, Asmalımescit, Istanbul
For reservations call (212) 244 48 46