Besides physically joining Europe and Asia, Istanbul also serves as a bridge between western and middle eastern ways of life.  Though never the same, one could describe most western metropolitan European cities as feeling “similar” with clear links in cuisine, architecture, and culture.  From the first half hour in Istanbul, you know immediately that this city is “different.”

The first thing that hits you is the frantic pace with which the city moves.  While fast moving cities in Europe are not in short supply, most move with a sense of design; Frankfurt feels like things move precisely as quickly as a team of German engineers have deemed possible after a series of meetings and studies.  On the other hand, Istanbul feels a lot more like the organized chaos you find in Bangkok where things seem to work despite how fast things move, rather than as a result of it.

The Muslim presence in Turkey is unmistakable, with the dozens of traditional catholic churches you would find in Barcelona, Paris, Frankfurt, or London replaced with the tall towers of the mosques dotting the horizon.  The most famous of all the over 3000 mosques spread across Istanbul is the Blue Mosque, its prominent and distinctive 6 minarets soaring into the sky.  While difficult to miss the imposing architecture of the mosques, it is impossible to ignore the regular blare of the call to prayer, broadcast by loudspeaker simultaneously across the city as early as 4:30am.

One of the interesting things we came across was the stunning Mikla rooftop bar.  Be warned though, the drinks are insanely expensive, but the outlook is an absolute 10/10 with panoramic views of the city and the Bosphorous – worth the price of admission.

Views from the Mikla rooftop bar

While I typically avoid spending too much time detailing the exact places I stay, as they often change quickly and peoples’ experiences can vary dramatically, but I have to include a short brief about the new #bunk Taksim “hostel.”  This hostel is a new type of property designed for the traveler who prefers to stay in a hostel for the social aspect rather than the strict budget requirement.  While the rates are cheap compared to 5* accommodation, the hostel’s location in a central and more upscale part of town and hyper modern design and top notch amenities tick the price a bit higher than a standard budget hostel with 25 year old furniture and a heavily compromised location.  It’s not perfect – the beers on the roof are a bit overpriced and there are very few group activities, but as a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be back on my next time through Istanbul.

Lets talk street food!  Durumzade (rated #51 out of 10,920 restaurants in Istanbul as of July 2014 by TripAdvisor readers) was Anthony Bourdain’s recommendation in 2011 for the best durum kebab in Istanbul and I am happy to report that as of 2014, this doesn’t appear to have changed.  Unlike most places that receive Bourdain’s praise, Durumzade doesn’t seem to have changed at all with not a single photo of Anthony anywhere to be seen!  I ordered the recommended special – double meat house special – and it was worth every penny of the reasonable 10TL (~$5cdn).  If you have a hankering for authentic Turkish street food then I strongly advise you to deal with the slightly sketchy location, significantly underwhelming appearance, and some potential cleanliness issues in favour of DELICIOUS, mouth-watering, perfectly spiced, juicy street meat wrapped in what is reputed to be the best handmade durum (the wrapper) in all of Istanbul.

Lets get one thing out of the way.  The last section of this post is going to be downright pornographic in its unadulterated portrayal of the delicious treats uncovered for us in a 5 hour binge-eating festival of gluttony.  I went on the highly rated Culinary Backstreets “Two Markets, Two Continents” tour which promises to uncover the best hidden gems in both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.  It delivered, and then some.  After tasting almost 22 foods varying from street food (the first photo below is of Lahmacun which has now replaced the above doners as my favourite street food in Turkey), Turkish Pastrami, mussels, an incredible variety of fruits and nuts, fresh fried mackerel, several types of baklava, turkish delight, and of course – true Turkish coffee.  I cannot speak highly enough about our guide and the process in general – evidently I am not alone as a quick gander at their TripAdvisor reviews indicate virtually unanimous agreement with how great the experience was.

Meet our guide, Senem, passionately telling us about the mussels

No discussion about food is complete without acknowledging some of the interesting people who have dedicated themselves to mastering their crafts.

I hope you enjoy these photos half as much as I enjoyed eating the dishes in them… in fact, I am getting hungry again just writing this post…