FAR EASTERN FLAVORS IN ANKARA
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Blog: Uzak Doğu Ankara / Comd 537 Multimedia Journalism Bahar 2023/24 Listeleme Projesi April 02nd, 20244/2/2024 Let the Journey to the Far East Cuisine that Changed Ankara’s Flavor Map Begin!Hello, those who love different flavors,
If you are interested and curious about the cuisine of different cultures like me, and if you want to taste some Far Eastern cuisine, you are in the right place. In this blog post, I am taking you to the Far East. Although they are not the first places that come to mind when Ankara is mentioned, let’s see together that our capital city is not limited to Turkish cuisine. Today, for those who want to try Chinese, Korean or Japanese cuisine for a change, I went to four Far Eastern restaurants and did a tasting. Now it’s time to share these places with you and share my experiences and comments with you. Here are the places I have chosen for you, some of which are very popular and some of which have never been heard of: Guangzhou Wuyang, Wok & Fish, Korelee and Miso Ramen. Bon appetit in advance 🙂 Ankara’s First: Guangzhou Wuyang
My first stop to map the flavors of Ankara was, of course, Ankara’s first Chinese restaurant. Located on Tunus, Bestekar Street, the restaurant is in a very central location. This small and sweet place is so authentic that you will feel like you are in a small town in China. The menu is quite extensive and not only serves Chinese cuisine, but also includes flavors from Japanese cuisine. Our indecision about what to buy was reflected on the outside and the waiter came to our aid. He told us that the chicken with sweet and sour sauce was the best in Ankara, so we ordered that, followed by spicy and sour soup, which was said to cure diseases, fried wontons (dumplings), spring rolls and Chinese rice. Although the waiter told us not to order our sushi because it was not good, we decided to try some Japanese food and ordered the Kyoto Roll. While we were waiting for our food, we asked the waiter for some information about this place. He told us that this place, the oldest and first Chinese restaurant in Ankara, had been open since the time of Kenan Evren. He added that unlike other Chinese restaurants, all the cooks were Chinese. When he asked us what our favorite Far Eastern restaurant was, he was not very happy with the answer Quick China. After our food arrived, we realized that the waiter was right and the sushi was not very good, but the other dishes were very good. It is debatable whether it was the best chicken with sweet and sour sauce in Ankara as he said, but we loved the other dishes we ate. If you want to eat delicious Chinese food in an intimate and authentic place, you should definitely go here.
Flavor:🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 Service:👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳 Price:💸💸💸 Address: Kavaklıdere, Bestekar Cd 88/B, 06680 Çankaya/Ankara
Phone: (0312) 468 15 20 Even More Distant Flavors: Wok & Fish
Our second stop is Wok & Fish from Japan, the center of sushi, the first place that comes to mind when you think of Far Eastern cuisine. Located on Argentine Avenue in GOP, the restaurant is only 5 minutes on foot from Karum Shopping Mall, which all Ankara residents know. You reach the restaurant after going uphill a little bit. The moment you enter, you are greeted by a sweet and warm atmosphere. It is a small and cozy place with only five or six tables. Sakura patterned wallpapers to reflect the Japanese culture add a different atmosphere to the place. The most preferred items on the menu are bento menus, but since we were craving sushi, we ordered Kyoto California Roll, Sake Make, Fuji Roll and a vegetable noodle so that we wouldn’t only try sushi. Since the cooks work in an open kitchen, I think you will be interested in seeing how the food is made. You get an idea of how the food is made and you don’t have any questions about the hygiene of the restaurant. The fortune cookies served after the meals are a little surprise on your way out. Wok & Fish is a small and very sweet establishment and the prices are quite affordable compared to other Far Eastern restaurants. Although we were not very impressed with the taste and design of the place, it is a great place for those who say let’s have sushi today but don’t spend too much money.
Flavor:🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 Service:👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳 Price:💸💸 What’s the Far East without Korea? Korelee
I’m pretty sure you all know our next stop. Korelee, the most famous Korean restaurant in Ankara, where there is a long line at the door whenever I pass by, regardless of the day or time. Although it’s a place I’ve wanted to go for a long time, I’ve never been able to go because of the line in front of it. But while introducing you to the Far Eastern places in Ankara, I couldn’t not mention this place. No matter how long the line was, we got in line quickly thanks to the practicality of the staff. While we were waiting in line, we must have gotten hungry as we looked at the people eating inside and the food, so we ordered too much. Of course, we wanted to taste everything while we were here. We ordered Rose Rabokki with rice cake, cheddar and noodles, Gimbap, which resembles sushi, chicken with Korean special sauce, fried mandu (dumplings) and hotdogs. There were also many treats: rice cake, chickpeas with sesame oil, radish kimchi and spicy boiled potatoes, which have nothing to do with Korean cuisine. The inside was very crowded, as you can see from the line outside. Despite the crowd, our meals came quickly and were followed by hotteok and jasmine tea. Before you go, let me warn you that the food in Korean cuisine is very spicy and saucy, and the flavors are very sharp, so it may not suit everyone’s taste buds. It is worth mentioning that this place is not like a restaurant but like a fastfood place, it is not a place where you can sit down and enjoy your meal and have a drink with it. If you think that you have time, you can wait for your turn, you can eat your meal quickly, and if you are open to spicy and saucy flavors, I think you will leave here with pleasure.
Flavor:🤌🏻 Service:👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳 Price:💸💸 Address: Kavaklıdere, Bestekar Cd 27/A, 06900 Çankaya/Ankara
Phone: (0312) 418 06 88 Menu: https://www.korelee.com.tr/tr/qr-menu Discover the Secret of Ramen in Ankara, the Capital of Flavor: Miso Ramen
Our next stop is Miso Ramen, also in the Tunis neighborhood. It is a very different restaurant from our other stops. It is a place that brings us Japanese cuisine in a modern way with both self-service and cashierless cash registers. But if you are fooled by the name and think that this place is just a ramen place, you are wrong. From bentos to onigiri, it has many different flavors, although not very wide. The main concept is that you create your ramen yourself through the QR code on the tables, then go to the cashier and pay for it yourself without a cashier. When you learn that your food is ready from the order code on the screen, you go and get it. It’s worth mentioning that when your food is finished, no one will come to pick it up, so don’t forget to put it on the tray. Let’s talk about what we bought, we bought the onigiri with tuna fish, soy chips and kimchi, which we’ve been seeing everywhere and wanted to try. Before you go to the ramen place and ask if we didn’t get ramen, I’ll tell you that of course we got ramen. However, due to our wrong order, we ordered Mazemen, that is, waterless ramen, not ramen, but the taste was great. The prices were very reasonable in this place and the portions were satisfying. It can be called a student-friendly place as it can be understood that there are mostly students inside. Although it was newly opened and we didn’t go at lunch time, the place was very crowded and obviously managed to attract people’s attention with its different concept. With its spacious and modern style and delicious food, it must have succeeded in attracting my attention as well, as it is sure to be a place I will visit often. If you like different concepts and if you like Far Eastern cuisine, this is the place for you.
Flavor:🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 Service:👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳👨🏻🍳 Price:💸💸 |
