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Istanbul - Where to eat
A Greek wind blows over the Bosphorus
Text: Belgin Sunal Photograph: Fatih M. Demirkol/Gaga

Psarosoupa
As you head up the European side of the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea, you pass a series of neighbourhoods that line its shores. Most of these neighbourhoods' names end with the suffix ''koy'', meaning village-a reference to the days when these were indeed individual shoreline villages. Over the years, they have all changed to keep up with the times, although this change hasn't always been for the best. In Istanbul, keeping up with the times sadly often means creating a high market value to attract the upper classes, and many shorelines villages have been taken over by noise and crowds. One of the shoreline villages that has been the least affected by this 'keeping up with the times' is Yenikoy. A village in name only, Yenikoy's shoreline villas and mansions give a good idea of the quality of its residents. Indeed, Tansu Ciller lived here when she was the prime minister of Turkey-she still does. Yenikoy is best known for its small pier, number of elegant restaurants and, in particular, its small wood. One of its shoreline restaurants is a Greek restaurant, Ta Nhcia.
Shared flavours of the Aegean
The original Ta Nhcia restaurant is located in Thessaloniki, and the owners bought the right to use its name and menu at their restaurant in Turkey. Ta Nhcia has had many incarnations in Turkey, first in Çeşme, then for longish stretch in Taksim Tepebası in Istanbul, before moving this summer to Yeniköy. Located on the Yenikoy shore, the restaurant is completely outdoors, with only the kitchen set indoors. Imagine a candlelit courtyard on the shore filled with chairs, cushions, stools and tables set under the leaves of magnolia, plane and pear trees. The blue and white decor is accompanied by the scent of geraniums. Not to mention the view, which includes the Yeniköy ferry pier and the Bosphorus Strait. This is what awaits you at Ta Nhcia. The menu consists of Greek fare, which bears many similarities to the cuisine of Aegean Turkey, but also has subtle and important differences. We began our evening meal with Psarosoupa, a delicious vegetable soup made with mussels, shrimp and fish and a splash of ouzo for good measure. The Aegean is famous for its 'meze', hot or cold appetisers served like tapas in small portions and often shared. One such meze on the menu is Melitzano sta Karnuva, a delicious dish consisting of chargrilled aubergine served with a sauce made with garlic, mustard, lemon juice, peppers and parsley.


Kitchen politics
The Aegean is also synonymous with cheese. Try the grilled Kefalotiri Sharas, which tastes a bit like halloumi. The Kalamari Gemisto me Tirya, grilled calamari stuffed with dill, pepper and ''kassari'' cheese, proves that seafood and cheese do go together. No Aegean meal is complete without fish, and Ta Nhcia's fresh seafood comes from Cesme. The Anginara Souvlaki me Psari consists of slices of grilled fish served with vegetables including aubergines, courgettes and broccoli as well as a little cream. Next, we had the Midia Sahanaki, mussels cooked in tomatoes and served with feta cheese-a light, familiar dish. The menu also includes Mosharaki Hüngar, known in Turkish as ''hunkar begendi'', and Halva me Pagoto, ''irmik helvası'' in Turkish. It seems that politics have no place in the kitchen! For dessert, we had the light and tasty Milo Psito me Yaurti ke Kanela: slices of apple baked with cinnamon, basil and pomegranate syrup served with strained yoghurt and powdered sugar. Ta Nhcia is open daily until the end of September. A meal costs 50-70 YTL a head. Reservations are essential, especially at the weekend.

Koy basi Cad. No: 89, Yenikoy.
Tel: 0212-299 00 80
www.tanhcia.com


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