ÇokÇok, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey (second visit)

After the disappointment from my first visit I didn't consider giving this restaurant a second chance. However I felt responsible after the anonymous comment to my entry, and went there again to give a fair rating after all.
There are mainly international customers which I perceived as a sign of quality and taste but it simply doesn't address my gusto.
This time I only had a main dish. Fried noodles with prawns (pad thai kung sod). Isn't fried noodles supposed to be a dry dish? Noodles were wet and sticky (maybe because of the sliced watery tofu pieces) The dish came with dry chillies and roasted peanuts on the side which made the dish edible. The prawns didn't taste good.
I have only positive comments about the place: service personnel are nice and softdrink prices are moderate.
Not going there again, sorry.

Köfteci Ramiz, Kazasker, Istanbul, Turkey

Although on a sunday night, the restaurant was very crowded.
The restaurant specializes in meat balls(köfte). Contrary to the traditional style, meatballs are served over a bed of bread (pide): I find it very practical, so that you don't have to tear off the bread with your hands. The meatballs are delicious! The side dish is simple-only tomatoes and pepper. The red pepper sauce wasn't tasty and could have been a little more spicy.
The salad bar is satisfactory. But of course, piyaz (cold dried beans) makes the best accompanying vegetable for the meatballs.
The menu includes couple of other meat dishes and desserts.
I had kadayıf and kemalpaşa tatlısı, the latter was amazing.
The prices are very moderate, even cheap for the high quality ingredients.
My only negative comment would be for the service. The staff didn't seem to be experienced. The place was very crowded and the staff couldn't keep the pace with the orders. For a fast food outlet, the rate of service is very important for customer satisfaction and we heard some customers grumbling...Since this restaurant is a new store of the chain, I'm sure the service quality will get better shortly.

Happy Moons, Bağdat Cad.,Istanbul, Turkey

You are out, alone or with friends, looking for a trendy and cheap place to eat and chill. This is the way to go. Menu has numerous fast food dishes along with more meal like options.
They are all very filling; actually I'm still trying to figure out why they serve gigantic burritos:=)
Mexican dishes are satisfactory, they come with classical side dishes like sweet mash and beans.
Their summer hit is home made lemonade with mint leaves.
Coming to the atmosphere, they have cool american-style decoration. The music is never too loud.
Especially young people's choice.

Japon Kültür, Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey

Cheap Japanese food in Istanbul?
As students we cannot afford the Japanese restaurants in five star hotels, so can this be the way out? Well, unfortunately lower prices came along with bad taste:(
Soba, Udon: no flavour at all..
Sushi: we had three platters of various sushi. It wasn't anything special, and what is that sauce on top of sushi ?? I think that sauce goes well with japanese salad not sushi...
Tea: nice that they had the tea biscuits, however tea flavour was not satisfactory..
They have tables and also tatami room but these soesn't compensate for the disappointment in food.

ÇokÇok, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey

Those who crave for decent Asian food in Istanbul know what I mean when they finally hear that a Thai restaurant is opened. It's been a year, I headed with a group of friends to this restaurant in search for some traditional Thai dishes.
The place is well-decorated, reflecting the Thai style. Definitely try the second floor where you can sit on the mats for a real Thai experience:) Attention: It is dark inside the restaurant
The menu seems to have it all which got us even more excited. However the dishes lacked flavour. Red and green curry didn't taste real Thai, maybe because adjusted to Turkish taste...And where is Thai aubergine in the curry?? Chicken satay is such a disaster! It tastes like sis kabap with a weird sauce.
Lychee dessert: Great, or is it?! It should have been indicated in the menu that it was canned fruit, so pretty disappointing for the ones expecting fresh lychee.
One very positive comment about the place: They have quite a lot of various tea flavours-from the classics like jasmine to oolong and many others. Tea comes with a small pot, well brewed and kept warm with candle light at the bottom.
Restaurant is pricy especially considering that you can eat much better Thai dishes in Asia for one fifth of the price!

Sarı Köşk, Emirgan, Istanbul, Turkey

Looking for smart prices in a richly decorated setting, Sarı Köşk is the place to go!
Weekend brunch is their specialty. Brunch buffet has anything you can imagine for a hearty breakfast. Brunch is around 20 TL (all you can eat style!) Attention: Tea is included in the price, but orange juice comes at a cost.
Easily accessible with public transportation.
Situated in the lovely Emirgan grove, the restaurant offers a quiet meal by the nature.
After the breakfast, take the path down the villa to digest and to freshen up. There are picnic spots along the way.
If you are in the mood for some cultural activity try the nearby Sabanci Museum.

Num Num, Kanyon AVM, Istanbul, Turkey

+ Good value for price
+ Entertaining menu with creative text
+ 4-people tables are large and comfy
+ Dishes are filling
+ Although packed on a saturday night the staff is still caring :=)

- Not a place for a chillout, very loud music!
- Gotta work more on the desserts.

Kitchenette, Palladium AVM, Istanbul, Turkey

+ Menu was kept quite simple -only 2 pages- which decreases the decision time.
+ Nice dish presentation
+ Although there was a smoking section in the restaurant, you could feel no smoke, very well ventilated.
+ Birthday cake was delicious!

- It was very expensive considering that they offer neither creativite recipes nor high quality service. Main dishes cost around 25-30 TL, even soft drinks are 7 TL which is ridiculous!
- Turkish tea was charged although it came in the form of an offering.