Balmumu Izmir – Reinventing old traditional Turkish cuisine
The Balmumu Izmir Restaurant, is a two-story establishment in the center of the city with an all wooden almost teak colored interior and open kitchen on both floors. As I arrive at the restaurant everything about this place feels inviting and somehow homey. Passing through the outdoor seating area I walk by the display with organic cheeses and delicacies and the ground floor open kitchen. For tonight our group is seated on the first floor, which is just as homey and airy thanks to the open area on one side.
Traditional old Turkish recipes that are reinvented with a new touch influence every dish. I started out with a variation of cold appetizers like oven roasted artichokes, dolmes (ground meat with spices wrapped in a grape leaf), zucchinis with tahini, green plums in olive oil and baked baby eggplant.
From there they stepped up their game even more with delectable baby squids pan fried with ouzo/raki and their own ink. But I was not done yet, as I chowed down their most beloved dish – a tender oven roasted veal cheek with mashed eggplants and Turkish spices.
One of the side dishes was a traditional recipe called Manti and finally ended the evening with sugar glazed pumpkin slices with sesame seeds, pistachio crumbles and tahini called kabak tatlisi.
The last dish was an oven roasted Kokorec (description missing) that I love roasted over red glowing coals kissed by the flames but the oven version they served was a bit too much from its intensity for me.
A wonderful evening came to an end with my last glass of Sauvignon Blanc and some cheerful stories with friends in this lovely living room called Balmumu.
Balmumu Izmir – Balmumu – Balmumu Dükkan
www.facebook.com/balmumudukkanlokanta
1388 sk no 5- C ALSANCAK
Izmir, Turkey 35220
