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Istanbul-based expats do not pause during the summertime. Before August ends, there are a number of expat events focusing on variety of areas in town
The expat and foreign community in Istanbul continues to thrive this summer, breathing life into the city with a variety of entertaining events appealing to everyone. Some are brand new on the expat scene, while others are well established organizations. Nonetheless, each event offers an opportunity to socialize with fellow foreigners in Istanbul, while experiencing something new and entertaining.
Trivia Night at Arsen Lüpen
Yabangee, Turkey’s very own website and community geared toward informing foreigners of events and hosting a number themselves, is back with another Trivia Night in which questions are read aloud in English and in Turkish and teams of six compete to win prizes. Starting at 7 p.m. today, the 23rd edition of Yabangee’s “Trivia Night: A Quiz for Everyone” will take place at Arsen Lüpen in Beşiktaş, with the questions beginning at 8 p.m. The Yabangee community will also be gathering for a pot luck style picnic on Sunday, Aug. 18 in Maçka Park.
Balfolk dancing in Galata Square
Balfolk, which refers to the traditional dances of several European countries that include a wide range of group, couple and line dances spanning from the Circassian circle, polka and Scottish folk dance to the waltz, has been gaining traction in recent years and there is an active community in Istanbul of locals and expats alike who gather weekly to learn, practice and bask in the joy of Balfolk dance. Started up by two women — one French, one Turkish Balfolk Istanbul is a wonderful community to socialize, exercise and learn something new. Today, starting at 8 p.m., there will be an open-air dance party taking place in Galata Square. Then on Saturday, Aug. 17, there will also be a free dance party held at Uçan Ev in Beyoğlu, starting at 8 p.m. that will begin with an hour of lessons for the Balfolk dances that will be performed.
Beatles cover group Meat the Beetles
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Turkey’s very own Beatles cover group Meat the Beetles will be performing at Dorock XL in Kadıköy. A wonderful treat, Meat the Beetles have been performing beloved Beatles classics for a decade now and have even taken part in the International Beatleweek Festival in Liverpool and performed at the revival of the famous Rooftop Concert, which was the final public performance of the legendary band.
Istanbul’s first-ever Lip Sync Battle
On Thursday, Aug. 22, the renowned 360 Istanbul, a rooftop venue with panoramic views of the city on İstiklal Avenue will be the site of a “Lip Sync Battle” in which participants will get the chance to perform by singing themselves or simply lip-syncing. This is the first event in Istanbul by the Pawla PR company, run by two Syrian ladies Rose Hindawi and Khala Almoghrabi and anyone who wants to perform needs to submit their chosen song at least three days before the event. Further details can be found on the Facebook event page.Beyond kitchen pop-up dinner
Beyond Kitchen is a brand new pop-up dinner series in Istanbul that will be hosting “Beyond South Indian Cuisine” a very special dinner on Friday, Aug. 23, devoted to southern Indian cuisine. Run by Mohammad Alard, a Syrian-born recent graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu Istanbul, Beyond Kitchen aims to make each dinner a showcase into a specific region of the world’s cuisine and culture. In this pop-up dinner event Mohammad will be teaming up with an Indian chef, who has worked in different venues in Istanbul dishing up cuisine from the beloved Kerala region in India. Starting at 7:30 p.m., the dinner will be held at Inogar, “innovation and venture incubation center” with a focus on sustainable development that is based in Kağıthane. The center engages in a number of different entrepreneurial programs, including acceleration, brand management and developing cooperatives in addition to the Food Entrepreneurship program, which Mohammad was involved in. Reservations are required to attend the South Indian dinner, which will also have options for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.
Yabangee goes to a football match
On Monday, Aug. 26, the Yabangee community is organizing a group outing to the Istanbulspor-Altay football game at the Necmi Kadıoğlu Stadium in Esenyurt starting at 6 p.m. This special event, entitled “Let’s Go to a Football Match!” includes the opportunity to get a free season ticket and Passolig discount card if you submit a form from the Facebook event page by Aug. 18. This is Istanbulspor’s first home game of the season as they seek their spot in the Süper Lig. Yabangee will be providing a shuttle from Taksim at 6 p.m. and anyone who attends and registers on time will be given season tickets and a Passolig card
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Turks blame it on the freshness of the ingredients while foreigners fall in love with its every bite, instantly; Turkish cuisine shall be given some credit. Some consider it among very few real cuisines in the world, along French and Chinese delight.
In centuries of experience and tradition, Turkey has had the chance to bring its delight into an adventurous getaway of daily routine, a specialty really that gives thousands runny mouths. The secret is intertwined somewhere in between the organic ingredients, love for spices and simplicity overall.
For starters, Turkish people love bread. Whether it is the common elongated white loaf you can find everywhere, in any of the tables, the flat bread commonly known as pide used to wrap stuff inside, to continue with wafer and simits, the Turkish version of a bagel yet round, covered in sesame seeds perfectly accompanied by Ajran, another common Turkish beverage. Many different types of breads and pastries are also part of the Turkish cuisine, ideal for a midday snack, over some rounds of Turkish black tea.
Since we are talking pastries, pies are a rare delicacy in the Turkish tradition, especially “borek” the ultimate followed by “manti” covered in full fat yoghurt and garlic. The Turkish fetishism for stuffed foods continues with “dolma” another traditional dish where peppers, cabbage leafs, zucchini and other vegetables are stuffed with rice, bulgur and spices into a main vegetarian dish.
In addition to the love for bread and pastries, meat is another essential ingredient to the Turkish cuisine.
Kebap, a classic Turkish recipe is nothing but stewed or grilled meat, and everywhere around turkey is seems like everyone has a different, unique recipe of the same dish. Sis Kebap, a Turkish dish pretty famous around the world, combines pieces of lamb on a stick slowly grilled. Simple but fabulous. While we are talking about meat specialties, you might as well try “doner”, and different types of meatball specialties, “Alanazik”, “Sac Kavurma”, “Tandir”.
On the other hand, you also have vegetable dishes and salads, where eggplant seems to be a common ingredient, in lovely combinations of fresh and fried dishes. One of them is the all-time favorite “imam bayildi”.
Soups are also a common part of the whole package service, topped by a sweet dish in the end for those who crave sugar. However, even though they are usually served as an appetizer, sometimes they can be as heavy as the main dish. I am talking now about the ones prepared from meat broths, vegetables and grains. Another appetizer would be “Xaxiki” yoghurt, finely grated cucumber and garlic.
Rice is a striking element in mainly every meat or vegetarian dish in the Turkish tradition. “Pilaf” as they call it, is steamed rice, or bulgur served alongside meats and other delicious treats.
Turkish sweets are famous throughout the world and many of these have milk as the basic ingredient such as “sütlac”, “tavuk gögsü”, “kazandibi”, “helva”, “asure”, but the best-known are “baklava” and “kadayif” pastries.
Turkish men are passionate drinkers when it comes to alcohol; they have this daily ceremony with “meze” a type of appetizer including meats, cheeses and vegetables combined in a certain way accompanied by humus and pastirma (raw pressed meat – very spicy), while they pour and share the Raki among friends, in the after work hours. Raki is an alcoholic beverage known to be quite heavy with a great percentage of alcohol.
Another genuine specialty would be the Turkish coffee, thick, dark and black served with sugar cubes or “lokum” (a starchy mixture, very sweet flavored with flower scent or nuts). Other authentic drinks to the place would be Turkish tea, ayran, shira, salgam, sahlep and boza.
Many of the recipes and dishes above you can enjoy around Istanbul for very little money, surprisingly. Some of the best doners are served in some pretty unimpressive locals, without any striking interiors that catch the eye. However, there are also high class restaurants that will leave you breathless with all the class and fine taste, almost fictive in how the tradition and modernism are combined with such sense and sensibility.
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