My friend Mina got such a kick out of how much fun I had doing on the restaurant review with her (see A Beautiful Day 10/9) that she invited me on another run with her. Actually the restaurant choice was my idea, and since she had to leave for the US the week before her article was due, she asked me to write the review! My GOSH! Not only am I hanging out with a restaurant reviewer, I AM THE RESTAURANT REVIEWER! It’s set to run in Friday’s edition of the Turkish Daily News so be sure and check the link. www.Turkishdailynews.com.tr.
In the meantime, here’s a preview of the piece and some photos, from one visit to Simdi.
The Time is Now - To Check out Simdi
Tucked back at 9 Asmali Mescit, just a short distance off Istiklal Cadessi, in Beyoglu sits a timely little bistro, Simdi. Simdi means “now” in Turkish, and this café is very with the times. If you happen to be running a little behind, the clock out front hanging over the sidewalk tables will remind you of your lunch date. If that clock doesn’t catch your eye, the giant sized modern clock hands announcing the time on the rough brick wall up front surely will.
The café has a very comfortable and eclectic design and the menu is what you would expect from an upscale café. But Simdi also manages to provide a nice mix of typical Turkish dishes with a continental flair. A daily choice of meze, both hot and cold, are offered. On one visit, the olives were sampled, along with the marinated beets. The olives were nicely flavored with plenty of herbs; thin slivers of crispy garlic perked up the bright pink beets. Other cold meze choices were the typical stuffed peppers, hummus, and barbunya. Hot meze choices on any given day might include fried Istavrit, karnizarik, green lentils, and Turkish Royal.
The soups at Simdi are a treat. Traditional Turkish soups such as lentil and yogurt are on offer but to keep things interesting Simidi’s versions include a surprising twist. For example, the spicy lentil soup is labeled “Pakistani Lentil Soup,” and comes nicely spiked with curry. The yogurt soup (a particular favorite) is labeled as “Iranian” and includes spinach as an unexpected but welcome addition. The soups are served with an oversized, crunchy crouton on the side.
Other options on the menu (which has English translations - servers speak some English as well) are a build-it-yourself traditional Turkish breakfast, omelets, salads (the wheat salad was particularly tasty but the rocket salad was too heavily dressed with a sharp balsamic viniagrette), sandwiches, main courses and pastas, and of course desserts.
The pasta is a nice option providing the diner an opportunity to design his or her own meal. You choose your particular shape of noodle then customize your dish by also choosing from a list of sauces. On one particular visit, the spaghetti with Sicilian sauce was delicious. If that doesn’t whet your appetite, there are eight different pastas to choose from and thirteen options for toppings, including a decadent salmon with crème, which would pair nicely with the tagliatelle. Again, another opportunity to be very “in the moment.”
The juxtapositions at Simdi are truly one of the highlights. The food seems normal, yet will likely surprise your palate. The interior of the space builds on that theme. The architecture of the restaurant is what you would expect for something in this neighborhood but modern touches jump out at you, much as the curry powder in the lentil soup. The open atrium in the center of the restaurant houses a large modern oil painting. A shiny chrome retro espresso machine perks up the bar. But the crowning design piece is the back wall. As your eye glides smoothly past the muted beiges of the walls and the interesting mix of diners, it latches onto a bright turquoise tile wall. It is the contrasting glow of that wall that draws you in. The interesting food will keep you coming back; it’s only a shame the service isn’t a bit friendlier.
Simdi serves coffee and some interesting pastries, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, fresh juices and spirited drinks. The wine by the glass list is interesting, and one of the better ones available in the Beyoglu area. Check it out. How soon is now?
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