Far-East Restaurants
The number of restaurants serving Far Eastern food has increased rapidly in Turkey. Turkish people were first introduced to Chinese cuisine, and then to Japanese, Thai and even Mongolian food.It is possible to find the ingredients needed to cook Chinese food in supermarkets in major cities. Soy sauce is almost a part of Turkish cuisine, and Turkish-style Chinese food is now being cooked at home. Recently, various kinds of sushi from Japanese cuisine have become available on the shelves of markets.
The daily Hürriyet newspaper has formed a jury of gourmets, Far Eastern culture enthusiasts and food writers, who chose the top ten Far East restaurants in Turkey. Since all the ingredients are imported from abroad, it is not cheap at all to try Far Eastern food.
Pera Thai
Pera Thai, located at a building in Tarlabaşı which is hundreds of years old,
was opened in 2001 and is the only Thai restaurant in Istanbul. The Thai chefs
offer you 55 types of authentic food. Spices are the indispensable tastes of
Thai cuisine, so we suggest you tell them when ordering how hot you want it
to be. Major credit cards are accepted, and they also have local delivery. It
is decorated tastefully with objects from Thailand. Although Thai music accompanies
the meal from time to time, they mostly play jazz music. It is open everyday,
except Sunday, between 12:00 and 24:00.
Miyako
Miyako restaurant is located at Swissotel and has been serving special tastes
of Japanese cuisine since 1991. The menu consists of 80 kinds of food, eight
set menus and sushi. Credit cards are accepted. It is open every day, except
Monday, from 12:00 to 14:30 and from 19:00 to 23:00. Delivery service is not
provided. You can use Swissotel's parking lot. Please note that the restaurant
does not serve lunch in summer.
Dragon
Dragon is located at the Istanbul Hilton Hotel and has been in service for 17
years. The food is prepared by two Chinese chefs and the menu is composed of
Cantonese and Sichuan Cuisines. It is open between 12:00 and 15:30, and between
18:30 and 23:30. Delivery service to the neighborhood is available. Major credit
cards are accepted, and there is a free parking lot.
Ninja
Ninja Restaurant was founded nine years ago and is open in summers at a different
place every year; it was in Laila in the summer of 2004. It offers food from
Japanese and Thai cuisine. The restaurant has a capacity of 56. Two Japanese
and two Thai chefs prepare the food. There are 300 different dishes from Japanese
cuisine. It is open every day, except Sunday, between 12:00 and 23:30. Car parking
is available. Black and white dominate in decoration and Japanese music is played.
They also have local delivery. A parking lot is available.
Chinese in Town - Sushico
This restaurant, with its modern decoration, has been in service in Nişantaşı
since 2002. Chinese, Japanese and Thai food is served. The chefs are Chinese,
Japanese and Thai. Including its garden, the restaurant has a capacity of 120
people. Black and red are the colors mostly used in decoration. Latin and jazz
music is played during the daytime, and faster music is played at night.
Great Hong Kong
The restaurant is in Taksim Gümüşsuyu and has been in service for twelve years.
They serve food from the cuisine of Hong Kong. An open buffet is available on
weekdays. Lunch is served between 12:00 and 14:00 and dinner is served from
18:00 to 23:30. The decoration of this two-storey restaurant is mostly in red.
Far Eastern music is played. There is no car parking. Major credit cards are
accepted.
Fuego Mongolian Grill
Fuego Mongolian Grill is at Fuga Hotel, Bodrum Gümbet. Mexican chef Arturo Cristiane
prepares food cooked over a Mongolian grill, which is a Far Eastern tradition.
All products are on display in refrigerators in an uncooked state. The guests
put the food, vegetables, meat and sauces into bowls and the selected ingredients
are cooked over a Mongolian grill.
Udonya
Udonya is a Japanese restaurant in Tarlabaşı, Taksim, which has been in service
since 1998. Japanese Chef Yasuo Uekusa offers 200 kinds of Japanese food. Lunch
is served between 12:00 and 14:30 and dinner is served between 18:30 and 22:30.
It is closed on Sunday. Major credit cards are accepted and car parking is available.
They also have local delivery. Mostly Japanese music is played, however you
can also listen to pop music.
Great Wall
Great Wall is a Chinese Restaurant in Incirlik, Adana and has been serving for
fourteen years. It is also a well-known place among not only the locals but
also the Americans residing at the Incirlik American base. Mongolian Beef made
from veal is the specialty of Great Wall. The decoration, as well as the waiters,
are under the influence of the traditional colors of China.
Chinese Garden
Chinese Garden is located in Konyaaltı Atatürk Kültür Park in Antalya. It was
opened in 1997. It is decorated like a Chinese house, and the enclosed area
has a capacity of 160 people. The terrace overlooking the Mediterranean sea
hosts 210 people. It is open between 14:30 and 23:00. Chinese chef Lum Mok Wing
and his Malaysian assistant Liu Jang Tao are the cooks and the food is prepared
in between 2.5 and 5 minutes.