A family restaurant for fresh, reliable fish

Saturday, August 2, 2008

The month of August is the best time for eating pilchard, or sardines. This juicy oily small fish is best prepared split open like a butterfly and lightly grilled. Another currently seasonal fish is the Mediterranean horse mackerel, known as istavrit. In Istanbul one of the best places to enjoy pilchard and Mediterranean horse mackerel at a reasonable price is Adem Baba Restaurant

MİNA ERÇEL
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

If one is craving delicious fish in a relaxed, unpretentious setting, Adem Baba is one of the best options in Istanbul.

Adem Baba likes to refer to itself as a �family restaurant,� which in Turkey generally means that no alcohol is served. It probably does this for a good reason: The table turnover is actually quick, but if customers sat around wining and dining with rakı or wine, the cozy wooden tables would take an eternity to become available. Diners should expect to pay around YTL 20 per person for a seafood meal here.

Three Arnavutköy branches

Adem Baba has three branches amongst the petite streets of nostalgic Arnavutköy. The original one is on the ground floor of the main shopping street, the second one right across the street on the second floor of a homey apartment building and the newest addition a little further up on the main street. The restaurants do not offer much of a view, but the decoration has character and a welcoming appeal. Decked with fishnets, woody discolored walls, and black and white pictures of old Arnavutköy with fishermen, this eatery is truly the local pride of the neighborhood.

Standard meze

Unlike most fish restaurants on the Bosporus, Adem Baba has always had a limited meze, or appetizer, selection. For years, a standard choice of merely fried calamari and fish köfte has been offered. Calamari is consistently warm, fresh and chewy, with a slightly creamy sauce on the side. Fish köfte is a squashy, lightly fried finger-sized fish roll. Depending on the season � but diners are in luck right now -- deniz börülcesi, a slender cactus that grows on seashores cooked with garlic and olive oil, is also available. Salad is a must and is served with a choice of newly fashionable shaved feta cheese.

Seasonal sardines

The most attractive aspect of Adem Baba -- in addition to the affordable prices -- is no doubt the staff and service. A feeling of comfort and being at home begins upon entering the restaurant with the casual yet speedy attitude of the staff. The servers genuinely recommend the seasonal options and fresh selections of the day. For the month of August, pilchards, or sardines, and Mediterranean horse mackerel are definitely the way to go. Once placed, the order comes at a steady and fast pace, and the seafood is truly mouth-watering. A portion consists of either six grilled pilchards or roughly 20 mini fried Mediterranean horse mackerels. The crispy and crunchy 20-centimeter-long mackerels can also be enjoyed as a warm appetizer before a grilled whole fish. Sea bass, salmon şiş and gilt-head bream from the Aegean Sea are other alternatives to grilled fish.

Samsa dessert

Adem Baba serves only a single dessert item, which periodically changes. Recently they have introduced samsa, a doughy Turkish dessert stuffed with walnuts and similar to, although not a sweet as, baklava. Served with Turkish brewed tea (on the house!), it brings a nice closure to this modest and tasty meal. The bill is roughly YTL 20- 23 per person with dessert and a soft drink.

Adem Baba

Satışmeydanı Sok. No:2

Arnavutköy / ISTANBULTel: (0212) 263 29 33

Delivery Service Tel: (0212) 287 26 48www.adembaba.com/english.htmPHOTO: Growing rapidly -- now boasting three branches in the charming Bosporus district of Arnavutköy -- Adem Baba offers fresh, reliable fish at excellent prices, albeit without a water view or alcohol.

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