Sandwich Corners

TThe word "sandwich" originated in the 18th century. It was named for John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an inveterate gambler who ate informally at the gaming table rather than stopping for the set meal.

In time, various kinds of sandwiches have come to be made and, with the fast-food concept in the USA, it has become an industry. In addition to that, every country makes several types of sandwiches using their particular bread and food kinds. Turkey is really a creative country on sandwiches.

The daily Hürriyet newspaper formed a jury composed of gourmets, food writers, journalists and writers, who listed the best sandwich corners in Turkey. Far from a hurried meal, these places offer different tastes.

Şütte
"Şütte"is the German name "Schutte" transliterated into Turkish. Herr Schutte opened the first store of this delicatessen chain in 1918 and Şütte is the first name coming to the mind of the members of the jury. Herr Schutte returned to Germany after World War II, and Jifko Eldek has been running the chain since 1969. Şütte, which has 7 branches in Istanbul and one branch in İzmir, is famous for its mixed baguette sandwiches. They are prepared with 5 slices of salami or other meat products over Russian or Italian salad, fresh kaşar cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickles. Beyoğlu Şütte is open until 20:00 while Yeniköy Şütte and Caddebostan Şütte are open until 22:00. Please also note that Beyoğlu Şütte is closed on Sundays.

Duran
Duran Sandwiches are tastes coming from Vienna to Istanbul in 1991. The first branch in Istanbul was opened in Taksim, and now Duran has seven branches in Istanbul, which are famous for their open sandwiches. Duran Taksim is open until 22:00 while the other branches are open until 20:00. Twenty-eight kinds of cold and thirteen kinds of warm sandwiches are on offer with fillings including tuna fish, salmon and cheese. The favorite is the schnitzel sandwich.

Çerkezo
Çerkezo was founded in Teşvikiye in 1992. Cold sandwiches are made with fillings such as smoked veal tongue, roast beef, tuna fish, salmon, smoked turkey, ham and salami. Chicken with soy sauce and mushroom, sausage and mushroom sauté and meatballs are among the warm sandwich fillings. The favorite one is the chicken sandwich with soy sauce and mushrooms. The bread varieties are the specialty of Çerkezo. Sandwiches with Italian, German, baguette or olive bread are among the varieties. We suggest you try small club sandwich.

Kumrucu Hüseyin
Kumru (dove) is a kind of sandwich special to Çeşme, Izmir region. Kumrucu Hüseyin has been making "kumru" sandwiches at Ilıca since 1966. Now he has three branches in Istanbul and one in Çeşme. Kumru is a kind of brown sesame-seed bread. Hüseyin Pekmen doesn't use mayonnaise and ketchup like his rivals. He stated that he could not abandon the classical type of kumru. The store is also famous for its kumru with grilled sucuk (faggot) sausage, kaşar cheese and salami. They serve the food together with grilled tomatoes and fresh green pepper.

Bambi
Bambi is located in Taksim and has been serving 24 hours a day since 1974. It is famous for its sandwiches with kaşar cheese, sucuk, sausage, salami, smoked lamb tongue and kaşar cheese or Russian salad, sausage and Russian salad and döner. The favorite is döner dürüm (döner wrapped in thin pita bread) with kaşar cheese together with pickles, tomatoes and lettuce leaves and warmed on a toast machine. Bambi has branches in Elmadağ and Sirkeci.

Kumrucu Şevki
Kumrucu Şevki's name is identified with the Kumru kind of sandwich and he is famous throughout Turkey. He was the first to create Kumru in Çeşme Ilıca and has been serving for 35 years. The Kumru bread is made with special chickpea yeast and baked over wood. The fire never dies down at this 24-hour-a-day site. Kumrus with sucuk, salami, and cheese or a combination of these three are among the specialties. Şevki suggests drinking ayran with Kumru.

Scholotzsky's Deli
A Polish immigrant turned Scholotzky's Deli into a fast-food chain, and the most popular sandwich is called The Original. It is special warm sandwich bread with a filling of three kinds of meat, two kinds of cheese, mustard, marinated black olives, salmon, lettuce leaves and tomatoes. The sandwich bread is baked daily. There are thirteen kinds of warm sandwiches and they use light mayonnaise. The coffee and cake menu is quite rich. Schlotzsky's Deli was opened in Turkey in 1996 and has five branches, all of them in Istanbul. In addition to the normal and large size sandwiches, soup is available in winter.

Ambrosia
Ambrosia is famous in Ankara and hosts the artist and diplomatic staff at Nenehatun Caddesi, Gaziosmanpaşa. There are eighteen kinds of sandwiches with various fillings such as salami, sausage, tuna fish and shrimp. It is open from 08:30 to 19:30.

Marmaris Büfe
Marmaris Büfe is a small store between Elmadağ and Taksim, which was founded in 1964. It is among the first names coming to mind when speaking of sandwiches in Istanbul. It is open 24 hours a day and its sandwiches with smoked lamb tongue and kaşar cheese, and steak and kaşar cheese are well known. Marmaris Büfe is famous for a kind of toast called Leyla made with chocolate and bananas. You have the chance to choose from among twenty-five kinds of sandwiches.

Piknik Sandviç
Piknik is located in Armada Shopping Mall, but it has a fifty-year history. Piknik is run by Reşat Önat (83) and offers various kinds of sandwiches from veal ham to chicken. The sandwich called Piknik Özel (Piknik Special) with marinated chicken, caramelized onions, fried eggplant and lettuce leaves is the most popular one. It is open everyday between 10:00 and 22:00.

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