Signature Dish: Restaurant at the Likya Hotel

A brief note about Signature Dish.  Kalkan has quite a fair share of restaurants, and each year many new restaurants pop up beside the classics that remain season after season.  To create our Signature Dish posts, we have partnered with many restaurants in Kalkan to discover not only their signature dish – the dish that best represents the restaurant it is made in – but also how the dish is made, where ingredients are sourced, and a bit of the chef’s and/or owner’s philosophy on food, cooking, and the restaurant experience.  Signature Dish will be a recurring feature on Turquoise Collected.


Your chef:  Yilmaz Yel

Yilmaz has been a chef for sixteen years - and he's only thirty-one!  At the age of fourteen, he joined his father, also a chef, in his restaurant.  From the age of eighteen on, Yilmaz went on to work in six five-star restaurants in Antalya, where he was born.  He holds many awards for his cooking, having competed in national cooking competitions in Istanbul.  2011 marks Yilmaz's third season as chef at the restaurant at the Likya Hotel.


On to the food!


When I began speaking with chefs and restaurant owners about their signature dishes, what I was not prepared for was that it would be so difficult to get them to choose just one dish.  When I asked Yilmaz if he could, please, choose just one dish to represent his restaurant, his response was (paraphrased), "Asking me to choose one dish is like asking a parent to choose their favorite child."  Basically: impossible (unless you're my mother, of course - hi Ma!).  But then I thought, "Let them make two dishes if they want!  It means I get to eat more!"  So, here they are, the Likya's Signature Dishes.


For appetizers!

Beetroots with a cheese-y mousse and pine nuts.

Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the second signature appetizer (I was probably too busy shoveling the first one into my mouth.  Forgive me?), but here is a shot of it being prepared:

Shrimp and asparagus in a cream sauce garnished with croutons and a salad.

This was my second time for the shrimp as I had ordered it the first time we went to the Likya, before I even met Yilmaz.  Points to me!  I ordered a signature appetizer without even knowing it!  Both appetizers were nice and light - a good way to start a meal.


For the main course(s), Yilmaz chose on the following:

Lamb fillet served with mushrooms.

The lamb in this dish comes from the Burdur region of Turkey.  As this area is home to many nomadic people, the lamb travel with them, and feed only on the grass from this area.

Grouper served with risotto and fresh vegetables.

This grouper was freshly caught, as is all the fish served at the Likya.  This was a light, yet filling, flavorful dish.


And if that weren't enough, here's dessert:

An apple and pumpkin concoction, left, and pineapple pan-fried in sugar, right.

But wait, there's more!  This showed up between the appetizers and the main courses:

A frozen concotion made with lemon, mint, and vodka.

When you're sitting in the hot sun, this makes for a very refreshing treat.  Overall, this was a meal that was lovely to look at and yummy to eat.


But with Signature Dish posts, I want to focus not only on the finished product, but also the preparation of these dishes.  Going through the photographs I took in the kitchen, what stood out to me the most is the great delicacy Yilmaz displays when cooking.  Nearly every photo I took looked like these:

Every dish he prepared featured this graceful touch and attention to detail.


But enough waxing poetic!  This is what you came to see, right?  The kitchen pyrotechnics:

Collected in the Old Town

Jimmy from Gironda making a house call.

To the Market We Went...

A shot of yummy from the Sunday Market:

Total price?  7 Turkish Lira (roughly £2.50, or $4).

The Lilo

Or: "I Learned a New Word Today"

And no, it was not a Turkish word.  It was an English word!  Or, perhaps it would be better described as a “British” word.  British readers will recognize the word “lilo” as referring to what American readers know as a float.  As in, one of these:

We bought one!  We also bought one of these:

To inflate it.  Wee little one of these:

To inflate RATHER LARGE ONE OF THESE:

Seems like it would take a while, no?  And we were losing the sun!  What to do?  There was nothing for it but to give it our all and hope that the foot pump would hold out for the duration.  Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly – we are fit people after all.  Fit for what?  I have no idea, but anyway…), we had the lilo (pool float, American readers) inflated and conveying us around the pool in twenty minutes!

The foot pump, sadly, did not fare so well:

So now, the challenge!  When in Kalkan, go out and purchase a lilo of your own (most shops you pass will sell some form of inflatable pool gear) – don’t forget your pump – and see if you can inflate and be relaxing on your lilo in twenty minutes or less.  The prize?  Satisfaction!  What?  We’re a new blog and don’t have sponsors with fun things to give away.   Yet…

A Turkish Find

When I left NYC for Kalkan and beyond, I was faced with the challenge of downsizing my life to fit into five, count 'em, five suitcases (yes, there are six there, one belonged to my mister):

Sorry for the poor picture quality, but it was about 4AM and we had to get all of this to the airport...by 5AM.

After eleven years of living in New York, I had accumulated a lot of stuff.  A lot of stuff which, unfortunately, had to go.  I was able to bring some things to my mom's in New Jersey (you know, important stuff - art projects, kitchen equipment, shoes), but a lot of it, I just had to say goodbye to.  One of the little things I was sorry to see go was a beautifully decorated blue and white round trivet that a friend gave to me as a gift years ago.  I will admit, when I first got it, I didn't know it was a trivet, let alone what a trivet was.  But it was lovely and unique and it sat on a table looking lovely and unique.  It was only after I started baking that I realized I could set hot-out-of-the-oven dishes on it - and then I loved it even more.  But, it had to go - it was a bit too heavy and impractical to waste any of my 115 kilogram (that's roughly 250 pounds, Americans) luggage allowance on.


So you can imagine my profound delight when, walking around Kalkan's Old Town one afternoon, I stumbled upon these:

Rows upon rows, boxes upon boxes, piles upon piles of trivets.  

I think I even spotted an exact replica of the trivet I was forced to leave behind! 

And they are oh-so-reasonably-priced.  The only thing that stopped me from scooping up a bundle was my 20 kilogram luggage allowance.

Signature Dish: Gironda

A brief note about Signature Dish.  Kalkan has quite a fair share of restaurants, and each year many new restaurants pop up beside the classics that remain season after season.  To create our Signature Dish posts, we have partnered with many restaurants in Kalkan to discover not only their signature dish – the dish that best represents the restaurant it is made in – but also how the dish is made, where ingredients are sourced, and a bit of the chef’s and/or owner’s philosophy on food, cooking, and the restaurant experience.  Signature Dish will be a recurring feature on Turquoise Collected.

(Another quick note from me:  For years, I've been saying that I'd love to be a food photographer.  With the creation of Turquoise Collected, and more specifically, the Signature Dish feature, I basically gave myself the go-ahead to let loose and pursue that dream.  Well, I may have let a little too loose, because after shooting for these posts, I discovered that I had taken rather a large amount of photos.  I'll try to keep these posts from being too photo-heavy, but really, who doesn't love looking at food?)


And now, without further ado, Signature Dish: Gironda.

Your chef: Bayram

After finishing high school, Bayram went on to train for a year in cooking.  This was followed by over ten years working his way from restaurant kitchen to restaurant kitchen (along with an eighteen-month stint in the army as personal chef to a three-star general) studying and mastering many different styles of cooking including French, Italian, and Mexican.  2011 marks Bayram's first season at Gironda.


But enough of that, on to the food!  Gironda's signature appetizer:

Grilled Calamari with Fried Haloumi Cheese - be still my heart.

As Jimmy, Gironda's owner, notes in the video below, what makes this a signature dish is that instead of frying the calamari, as many other restaurants do, Gironda grills the calamari for a much lighter dish, making this an excellent choice in the warmer weather that can occur in July and August.

And Gironda's signature main course:

Chicken Gironda
(That lovely dappled light, by the way, is created by the rather large, rather beautiful, fifty-five (!) year-old mulberry tree, located in Gironda's central courtyard.)

Chicken Gironda is a stir-fry of chicken (marinated and fried) and vegetables (julienned red and green pepper, carrot, zucchini, and onion) which makes use of a mix of sauces and ginger to give the dish its signature flavor.

The chicken and vegetable mixture is served atop a bed of hand-mashed potatoes (with a little cheese smashed in for extra flavor).

I want that whisk!

After working hard in the kitchen and preparing their signature meal, Bayram, Jimmy, and some of the kitchen's staff very obligingly posed for a picture.

Bayram on the left and Jimmy on the right with the kitchen staff.

Gironda is open for dinner everyday.  Diners enjoy views of the harbor and Old Town from atop one of two rooftop terraces.  Reservations are recommended.


And finally, the obligatory kitchen pyrotechnics shot:

Stir-frying the vegetables for Chicken Gironda.

Under New Management: Yali Beach Restaurant

I recently had the good fortune of going to the Yali Beach Club on the day they began serving food from their new menu.  After enjoying my seaside lunch, I spoke with the new chef Ihsan (with Serden the barman translating) about the new menu, his cooking origins, and the restaurant in general.

A brief history:

Ihsan was born in Germany and moved to Turkey in 1978.  At the age of seventeen, he began cooking as a hobby; and in the following years, he spent his time working at various restaurants in Istanbul, turning his hobby into a career as he worked his way up from chef's assistant to chef.  Ihsan moved to Kalkan in 2003, where he was the chef at the Sofra Terrace Resturant for five years before opening, cooking at, and running Yaz Cafe for two years.

The Yali Beach menu:

Ihsan visits Sezekler Butcher every morning for the day's meat selection.  Having worked with the butcher for a number of years, Ihsan trusts his products.  The menu is a mix of beach club fare (salads, burgers, sandwiches) and Turkish dishes (hot and cold mezes, lamb, borek).  

Ihsan putting the finishing touches on my Russian Salad

Ihsan's favorite dish from his new menu:

Liver and Onions

Me?  I went with a burger.

I'm saving the liver and onions for next time...maybe...

Some other yummy food consumed during our lunch:

Chicken Salad on the left and Russian Salad on the right

The Yali Beach Club is located on the Harbour Road and serves both lunch and dinner.

Bringing Kalkan Home

On a recent day at the Yali Beach Club, it was hot.  And I wanted nothing more than something cool to drink.  Then I saw this:

Well, not exactly this.  I wanted to take a before shot, but like I said, it was HOT.  And the drink that was in this glass looked so good that I slurped the whole thing down before I could even think about aiming my camera at it - and I had my camera in my hand.  What was it?

Freshly-squeezed orange juice.  Yes, I know it's nothing new, and it's not that difficult to make at home, yet it was so nice to have it made for me on a hot day.  But, in ordering my freshly-squeezed orange juice, and then watching Serden the barman make it, I discovered something that I now want to have at home - something that will make it super easy for me to have this thirst-quenching drink for myself anytime.

Kalkan has made me want:  an electric citrus juicer.

Want to add a bit of Kalkan to your home?  Here are just a few of the many electric citrus juicers I found when I started looking:

Philips HR2737/70 Citrus Press

Alessi Electric Citrus Juicer

Braun Citromatic Juicer MPZ9

Collected on a hillside

Goats.  On the hill next to the villa.



You're welcome.

A Day at the Beach (Club): Yali Beach Club

"A Day at the Beach (Club)" will be a regular feature on Turquoise Collected, highlighting  beach clubs in the Kalkan area.

Are there two better sounds than French music from the 1940's and the waves of the Mediterranean crashing against the coast?  If not, then the Yali Beach Club should be right up your alley.  And the comfy (free!) sunbeds and food and drinks served seaside probably won't be a bother either.

Located on the Harbour Road, the Yali Beach Club feels as like has been carved out of the rocky hillside.  Platforms set at varying heights boast sunbeds with views across Kalkan Bay and steps leading right down into the Mediterranean.

And I fully intend to make much use of those steps - just as soon as the water gets a wee bit warmer.  I've heard it described as "Invigorating!"  "Refreshing!"  "A great way to cool off on a hot day!"  Me?  I call it cold.  But, each time I've visited Yali Beach, there have been many people in the water, so I'm thinking it might just be my delicate (read: wimpy) American senses.  The swimming area itself is extensive and provides great views - of the beach club itself, of the towns located around Kalkan Bay, and of the sea floor.  I've seen a few people with snorkeling masks, but if you don't want to get your hair wet, you're in luck!  The alternately blue and green water is so strikingly clear, you can see straight to the bottom of the sea from above.

When the strenuous work of sunbathing has left you famished, climb a few steps to the Yali Beach Restaurant, serving beach club fare (burgers, salads, sandwiches) alongside traditional Turkish dishes (hot and cold mezes, lamb, borek).  

For more information on the restaurant, check out this post about the new chef and his new menu.  For now, some gratuitous food pictures.

And here are some people you might recognize when you're at Yali Beach, who oh so nicely agreed to a picture:

Esra, the manager, on the right and Serden, the barman, on the left

Making a day of it at the Yali Beach Club?  Here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. You may want to bring your own beach towels as Yali does not provide them.
2. The beach club gets full, unobstructed sun for the better part of the day - pack your suncream and remember to hydrate.
3. That being said, Yali does not allow outside food or drink.  When you enter the club, make for the bar where you can pick up a numbered card that acts as your tab for the day.  As you leave, take your card to the bar where they will tally up your bill.
4. Need a break from the sun?  There are two shaded areas to choose from - if you're looking at the beach club with the Mediterranean at your back, there is the restaurant to the left of the bar and an area with ottoman-style seating to the right of the bar.
5. You came for lunch, but have enjoyed your time at the beach club so much that you've stayed until dinnertime and now you're hungry?  Have no fear, the Yali Beach Restaurant serves both lunch and dinner.

Hope you enjoy the day at the beach (club)!