Marmaris, Netsel Marina, Turkey

Yılmaz İskender for the best Lahmacun lunch! Or maybe an Omelet or lamb wrap.

Merhaba,

   It’s a lovely time in Marmaris.  The sun shines every day, but the blazing heat hasn’t yet arrived.  Our days our definitely winding down here.  We left the boat yard in China in June of 2007 so it’s fitting that we leave DoraMac again in June. 

    This is another “food” email mostly about my new favorite food –  lahmacun.  Oddly, I think my first one was in London!  But I’ve just recently gotten hooked on them because of the very light crispy crust and the great greens that are served with them here in Turkey.   Roket/arugula is also a favorite and the markets are booming with it now as the real fruit and veggie season is in full swing. 

Ru

DoraMac

Yılmaz İskender for the best Lahmacun lunch! Or maybe an Omelet or lamb wrap.

We eat lunch in town just about every day so have become ‘regulars’ in several of the local places away from the more touristy waterfront.  One of our newer favorites is Yılmaz İskender.   The food is really good and the prices are pretty unbeatable.

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Cape Cod Coni put us on to this place as her favorite for take away wraps.  Randal and I often stroll over for lunch.  Lamb wraps, hamburgers with real French fries, lots of salad greens and the biggest omelet in Marmaris with lots of salad and fries!  I do mean the biggest that falls off the edge of the plate.

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The restaurant’s  Master of Ceremonies!         And the guys who make the food so good.

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My new favorite is the lahmacun  with a plate of arugula (roket) cucumber, tomato, parsley and lemon.

The photo on the left gives you a better idea of the size where the one on the right looks as huge as the table.  I like the flavor and crispiness but the salad stuff just clinches it for me.

“This Middle Eastern countries are no strangers to versions of pizza and this one is commonly found in Turkey.  The paper-thin lahmacun  is a popular lunch time snack.  Lemon is liberally squeezed over and then it is rolled up with sliced tomatoes and parsley. “  Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen by Angie Mitchell Sunkur       The crust is paper thin which makes it so good and the lamb is a spicy kick to it.  I can eat the entire plateful and not feel stuffed.  I totally prefer this to even thin crust pizza and I definitely don’t miss the cheese.  I’d like it with garlic, olive oil and lamb too! 

Yılmaz translates to Indomitable.  Iskender is a Turkish dish which I just learned was named for its originator Iskender Efendi.  Iskender was our friend Ed’s favorite dish.  I prefer the lamb wraps which aren’t quite so huge or drenched in butter. 

“ İskender kebap is one of the most famous meat foods of northwestern Turkey and takes its name from its inventor, İskender Efendi, who lived in Bursa in the late 19th century.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0skender_kebap

“It is basically pide bread cut into small pieces, topped with thin slices of döner meat, tomato sauce garnished with yogurt and pickled or grilled green pepper — and the taste enhancer of all, hot melted butter poured on top of everything before eating. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?”  http://www.todayszaman.com/expat-zone_iskender-is-the-kebab-i-seek_153682.html

http://videosofturkey.com/video_details.asp?id=291  Iskender Kebap (Doner Kebap), was introduced by Iskender Efendi (1848-1934) in Bursa in 1860s. He started roasting the lamb, which had been cooked parallel to a fire on the ground for centuries, on a large vertical spit.

These famous Turkish restaurants (original ones) serve with 3 restaurants in Bursa and Istanbul (Kadikoy)