Grilled Lamb Chops by Cemile Sultan Liman Hanı in Istanbul, Turkey

Turkish Grilled Lamb

by Cemile Sultan Liman Hanı, Istanbul, Turkey

I was traveling through Istanbul on a brief layover and had a few hours to meet up with a friend for dinner.

I asked my friend to order for me (when it comes to food, always trust the tastes of your local friends!), and soon our meal arrived. He got me the grilled lamb, a Turkish specialty.

grilled lamb for dinner in Istanbul, Turkey

Four juicy grilled lamb chops were served with grilled tomato and roasted pepper. The meal also came with a basket of delicious thick-cut fries. The meat was served with a dipping sauce made from radish, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.

The meat was so tender that it almost literally fell off of the bone. It had a wonderful, smoky, grilled flavor, which was complemented by the dipping sauce. Radish itself has a fairly wet, earthy sort of flavor, and the pomegranates and parsley gave it a sweet, slightly tart, and herbal sort of flavor. I enjoyed all of the sauce spooned over my lamb meat.

Turkish grilled lamb in Istanbul

The meal was also served with an appetizer made from olive oil, goat's cheese, chopped walnuts, and chili flakes that was eaten over fresh rolls of bread. The mix of all of the Mediterranean flavors added a fantastic, rich complexity to the bread. I ate nearly all of it, even though it was just an appetizer. Fortunately for me, the staff kept bringing out new, fresh bread for me to enjoy while waiting for our meal!

(Hey, don't judge me! It had been a long day and I was starving!).

Turkish dipping sauce made from olive oil, cheese, walnuts, and red pepper

More favorite food in Istanbul

I truly believe that Istanbul is one of the world's great food cities. Straddling two cultural, geographic, and gastronomic continents, the city is home to a massive range of incredible cuisine.

• Rice Pudding and Turkish Coffee at Lale Restaurant ("The Pudding Shop") in Istanbul, Turkey
• Menemen for Breakfast in Istanbul, Türkiye
• Beyran Çorbası, or Spicy Lamb Breakfast Soup in Istanbul, Turkey
• Lokum, or Turkish Delight in Istanbul
• The Original Iskander Kebab with Yogurt and Brown Butter in Istanbul, Turkey

Location

Cemile Sultan Liman Hanı is located at Hobyar, Yalı Köşkü Cd. İstanbul Ticaret Odası No:9, 34112 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye. With fantastic views across the water, the location is one of the most perfect in Istanbul.