In the same shopping center on the west side by Woodman’s, I’ve reviewed Akari Sushi, Zavala’s Market and now Istanbul Market, which serves some incredibly delicious Mediterranean food.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk up to the counter in the back of the grocery store is a display case with some baked goods. Let me start by recommending the lahmacun ($4.99), which is a flatbread topped with meat and herbs. It’s so simple, yet so good, with the buttery flatbread and the well-seasoned ground beef. I learned the lahmacun is similar to the pide (Turkish-style pizza), both of which resemble a canoe, except the lahmacun doesn’t have cheese. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
Another bakery item worth trying is the cheese burek, which is spiraled dough that you twist apart. I liked it, though it wasn’t as savory as the lahmacun. I could see myself eating burek for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.
I’m a fan of biryani, and I’m glad I ordered the chicken biryani halal ($10.95). It’s heavily seasoned (watch out for the cloves), so get your tastebuds ready. You get such a generous portion of tender chicken and fluffy rice that it’s enough for two servings.
I also enjoyed the Turkish adana wrap kebap durum halal ($10.99). The ground lamb and beef were packed with flavor. They were surrounded by lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickles and a mild cream sauce to bind everything together inside the flatbread, which was pounded so thin that it resembled a tortilla.
Out of curiosity, I tried the halal cheeseburger ($7.99). The beef patty is full of spices, but not in an overwhelming way. It comes with melted cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and supposedly a special sauce, though mine didn’t come with any. No matter, I still enjoyed it.
On future visits, I plan on ordering the lamb kebab ($15.99) and Turkish breakfast ($19.99 for egg, sausage and bagel).
Istanbul Market is open for lunch and dinner every day. Don’t use any of the delivery apps, because they don’t include the full menu.
Tags: far west, Mediterranean
