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| Watching the sun set in Istanbul |
I am a real fan of Turkish food, having grown up with Turkish au pairs and having lived in Istanbul for a couple of months. My search for a nostalgic taste of Turkey most recently took me to Best Mangal in West Kensington. There are three branches of this restaurant around West Kensington and Fulham and they all offer pretty much the same deal (or so I'm told). We went to the one on 104 North End Road.
This place is down to earth, cheap and, most importantly, deliciously authentic (if a little more gentrified). It is busy and noisy but I like that. Perfect for a low key catch up or date, but not an intimate romantic setting.
Another big plus is that they have ridiculously large portions, in the true spirit of Turkish hospitality.
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| huge portion |
We opted for a starter of emperor’s liver that was nice but totally unnecessary since the mains were so big (my +1 and I had huge appetites that day, so I mean big). We ended up going for one lamb mince kebab and one grilled chicken (I can’t remember their names on the menu). For the two mains, drinks and a starter we paid £15 each and were absolutely stuffed (both came with different types of Turkish breads).
They also do Ayran – a yoghurt drink (not sweet like Actimel, but that bitter yoghurt taste and a bit more watery) that I always had in Turkey with any kebab. However, again the portions here are huge – a big pint sized glass, and enough for two. Its creamy bitterness cuts through the deliciously charcoally barbecued meat.
If you are feeling more like something alcoholic and don’t mind aniseed then they do Raki too.
This is the real deal and just like one of the great road side kebab houses I went to. I am left with a real sense of longing to return. Who knows, I may even bump into my old friend below...
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| statuesque stray dog, Istanbul |
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