always had a thing for casual places in London that are organic but still delicious and make you feel at home. A new place has opened in Nişantaşı where I experienced the exact same ambience. The place, which is the fifth branch of Plus Kitchen, has a mission.
The greatest failing I see in Turkish restaurants is a lack of purpose and irresponsibility toward life, for which Plus Kitchen invented a peculiar solution. The brand has the three goals of living healthy, recycling and inspiring. The products are bought from farmers in Beykoz. From its decor to dishes, everything was recycled. You will understand this better the moment you notice that the lamps are made of glass bottles that were once used for milk and other beverages. Even the wood used for decoration was recycled from old houses. The eating bar and stools have possessed the entire place. The creative, genuine and homey atmosphere indeed serves to inspire its guests. I congratulate the founders of Plus Kitchen for their vision and sensitivity.
It is self-service, and you will love choosing your own products. The menu mostly consists of cold food, salads, wraps, sandwiches and vegetable and fruit juices. Each product has its calories and nutritional values written on it. Chef Metin Doğan’s mezze “muhtaber” must certainly be tasted – it contains eggplant, tulum cheese and red peppers. As for desert, my favorite is the pudding made with Chia seeds and coconut milk. Other than that, pumpkin desert must be tasted as well. None of the deserts contain sugar except for the pumpkin, as everything is prepared with agave syrup instead. I must mention that the Flicori brand coffee used here is really good. One of the oldest families of Italy, the owners of this brand indeed know to roast coffee. Stop by for a healthy break in Nişantaşı.
One of the brand new places of Bebek, Private Reason, will be a new temple for coffee lovers. Offering breakfast, artisan toast and desert along with coffee, it is a coffee heaven. A sack of the coffee, which is produced in 25 sack batches and was chosen the best coffee of Colombia by Coffee of Excellence in 2014, is found here. Their cold coffee is especially very creative. The waiters’ printed bow ties and hats as well as the wooden design of the place are indeed inviting. The outer design is especially remarkable. The creativeness is also reflected in the slogans on the ceiling. I believe the coffee moments here will also be spread on the street when the live music starts. The logo of the establishment, on the other hand, displays how assertive they are about coffee. The designs of the takeout cups are very nice. And the prices are considerably affordable for Bebek. I congratulate the manager Vardar Topçu for their corporative appearance and coffee-oriented success.
Last week, I had the chance to attend the dance show Anadolu’dan Renkler – Medeniyetler Buluşması (The Meeting of the Colors – Civilizations of Anatolia performed by an amateur dance group made up of Ağaoğlu employees at Zorlu PSM. I have always admired the sociability of Ağaoğlu employees and the corporate structure of the company. It was as if the dancers in the show were professionals. The 50-person team, decoration, costumes and choreography were enchanting. The enthusiasm and the happiness of the team performing folk dances from all over Anatolia were reflected in their eyes. After that, we listened to the performance of Antakya Medeniyetler (Civilizations) Chorus. I recommend surveying folk dances for those who want to explore different Turkish cultures. The emerging styles, meanings and costumes of these dances tell a lot about Turkey. I congratulate all Ağaoğlu employees and managers for their sensitivity for folk dances. Progressing with the motto: “Yaşam Mimarı” (Architect of Life), Ağaoğlu not only constructs houses, but also creates pleasant moments for its target audience.