Dining with Future Chefs in Istanbul

Perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I love the idea of eating at a cooking school. New chefs, perfecting their craft. And the ever present possibility that while you won't know it at the time, you'll be eating something prepared by the next big thing. Granted, sometimes its not perfect, but the desire behind the plate makes up for the occasional inconsistencies. While in Istanbul, I made a point of visiting Enstitu, the training restaurant for the Istanbul Culinary Institute. The menu changes monthly and utilizes those ingredients that are in season. While there is an ala carte option, I took advantage of the 6 course tasting menu and wine pairing; a steal at roughly $50.

The meal began with the traditional Turkish starter of cold yogurt soup with wheat berries and chick peas. The dish was contemporized with a yogurt foam, and hummus topped crostini. This is a dish I've always loved, and it's executed beautifully. The wheat and chickpeas add great texture to the thin yogurt base. The crostini provides a bit of welcomed crunch. 

Next is a sous-vide artichoke with carrots, fava beans and topped with a goat cheese mouse. The artichoke was perfectly done, and the accompanying vegetables brought color and texture to the plate. I found the mouse wildly unnecessary in this dish however. The sharpness of the cheese-- it tasted almost like a blue-- overpowered the delicate choke. I quickly relegated mine to the side of the plate. The pairing with DLC's Sutaniye was well thought out, however, and its bright notes complimented the dish nicely.

The duck ravioli in a duck broth with oyster mushrooms arrives at the table. This dish was delicate and lovely; the pasta was well made, and the duck was moist. That said, I'll get my primary criticism out of the way now, because it applies to everything else (except desert). As a whole the food was wildly under seasoned. A little bit of sea salt and perhaps some herbs, peppercorns, etc, would have gone a long way to help the flavor. So while the mechanical execution was good, the taste just didn't pop. And at the end of the day, that's what its all about. The dish was paired with a Turkish white, NLC's Narince. Similar to a viongier, the bite of the wine helped to pull the rest of the dish together. 

My favorite dish was the Seabass encrusted with potato “scales”. The fish was perfectly cooked and the addition of the potato added a new element of texture. The addition of a little salt helped to bring out the flavor. The accompanying artichoke cream and roasted red pepper and rocket pesto beautifully incorporated the elements of summer into the dish. A glass of Sarafin Chardonnay added extra complexity and played perfectly off the fish and vegetables. 

The final savory dish was an oven baked lamb shoulder with mini eggplants, onions and tomatoes served over a green wheat pilaf with lamb jus and sweetbread. While I enjoyed the pilaf and veggies, the lamb was my least favorite part of the meal. I would my porition had a little too much connective tissue, and the overall flavor of the meat was a bit harsher than I typically care for. The accompanying DLC Okuzgozu, a dry red with heavy pepper notes, stood up well to both the meat and the jus-soaked pilaf. 

Finally, it was time for dessert. A plate of various miniatures, including a house made ice cream, tiramisu, fruit mouse, and profiterole with chocolate sauce. Each was well done and beautifully presented. I didn’t realize they made the iconic lion head soup terrines in miniature, but now I'm determine to find them! The pairing of Safir was lovely; a lite but not cloying amount of sweetness hard to find in a dessert wine.

So while I would have encouraged a little more just of seasoning and herbs, the overall meal was well executed, and certainly a great value for the price point. Plus who knows.... the next Top Chef Istanbul could be plating your meal!