Decent sushi has been an obvious omission among Izmir’s culinary offers. Then came late 2010, when an Asian fusion chain, Sushico, mercifully opened a branch in Alsancak. “Better late than never,” we said and started with a home delivery order of 60 pieces for 90 TL (currently 99 TL).

Sushico’s advantageous “paket servis”

Ordering your sushi home has an important advantage: it tends to cost less than eating at the restaurant. Of course, you will be forgoing the ambiance of eating out, but you will also be saving a trip to Alsancak: cab fares, traffic jams, the parking problem – you know. Sushico’s “paket servis” is definitely a great option for the homey types.

What is included in the 60-piece package?

Mostly, basic types of sushi, but having craved for this since 2008, I am happy with the limited assortment there is. In Izmir, Sushico has no competition worth mentioning (at least, not yet).

Another good thing is home deliveries arrive within the time promised and are generally well packaged. One problem I did encounter was when a delivery boy forgot the drinks included in the offer – and we noticed it too late.

Sushico: Eating at the restaurant

The restaurant is conveniently located behind Swissotel (opposite the Republic Square in Alsancak). It is rather small and thoroughly packed on weekends. A visit on a Thursday night, on the other hand, proved our reservation was a mere formality.

The music is soft and the ambiance is pleasant. We rated this as a great place for a business lunch or a conversation-loaded dinner.

Although salmon-dominated, the sushi tasted great at the restaurant.

What I hated is my 160+-TL order of diverse rolls and sashimi all came on one (albeit big) plate.

First, a feast for the eyes is an important part of eating out. I like my orders kept separate, as they are in the menu, so that I can enjoy each one in isolation from the other items I selected.

Second, the sushi off the communal plate were – understandably – devoured within 30 minutes (“Hey, keep your chopsticks off my ikura!” – “No, I’m getting that!”), and this is not supposed to be fast food. Bring my orders one by one, give me time to savor them, and I will love you more.

Sashimi Mix at Sushico also tasted great. But the pieces were too thick for convenient single bites or to share.

Sushico in Turkey

Operating since 1997, Sushico boasts 17 branches across Turkey. The Alsancak branch was opened in November 2010. By the way, sushi is not the only option on the menu. Feel free to try any other Chinese, Japanese, or Thai dishes and let me know if any of them would be worth forgoing my rainbow + dragon + geisha roll assortment.

How to get there

Sushico

Address: Şehit Nevres Bulvarı No: 2/F (Swissotel), Alsancak, Izmir
Tel: (0232) 484 00 70

Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi

Although it doesn’t look like much, Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi is one place in Izmir’s Göztepe area where you can eat cheap, delicious and local food. The biggest attraction is this eatery’s kokoreç, a toasted bread with fried lamb intestines, which offers generous amounts of meat with just the right amount of spices.

Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi is located across from Adnan Saygun Culture Center. It is a small place with just three tables indoors and a couple of tables outdoors, if the weather permits. Open until 1 am, it is a perfect eatery to satisfy the traditional Turkish craving for a kokoreç after a night out. (After living in Izmir for almost two years, I’ve somewhat fallen into the same habit.)

The kokoreç that Göz Göz offers is easy on spices but generous with meat and is probably one of the most delicious examples of this Turkish delicacy that I’ve tried so far. The place has an official certificate stating that it meets the necessary sanitary standards, which is crucial with meals like kokoreç.

A fresh calamari stew

Apart from kokoreç, Göz Göz offers various types of Turkish and Cypriot foods, meatballs, and soups and stews of the day.

For example, if you come here on a Saturday around 1 pm, you may ask for a plate of calamari stew. One of Göz Göz owners, Ibrahim Capak, goes out on his fishing boat early in the morning each Saturday to get some fresh calamari. When he comes back, his wife, Behiye Capak, cooks them for 2.5 hours, adding carrots, potatoes and spices to offer Göz Göz Büfe patrons a fresh “kalamar yahni”.

The kokoreç here costs 4 TL and the daily stew is about 3.50 TL. You may have ayran, tea or a cup of Turkish coffee with your meal.

Two of Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi owners, Behiye and Ibrahim Capak

The decorations in Göz Göz Büfe range from the traditional evil-eye beads and the portrait of Atatürk to Turkish watercolors, a bow with arrows and the flag of Göztepe football team. This may not be the place to bring your business partners to, but Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi is a good choice to eat local and cheap.

How To Get Here

Göz Göz Büfe & Kokoreç Evi
1192/C Mithatpaşa Cad.
(Adnan Saygun Kultur Merkezi karsisi)
Tel. 0232-247-1323
Home delivery and take-out services available


Daha Büyük Haritayı Görüntüle

Ayvalık Şehir Klübü, entrance

I’ve eaten in many good restaurants in the past couple of years in places as far apart as Izmir and New York. Only a few of those restaurants became true discoveries. Ayvalık Şehir Klübü (in Ayvalık, an old town 2.5 hours away from Izmir)  is a lucky exception. It is one of the best seafood restaurants in and around Ayvalık, and its delicious octopus and mussels dishes have earned compliments to the chef from the food critics at EatInIzmir.

Unlike in most restaurants favored by the tourists visiting the neighboring island of Cunda (aka Alibey), some twenty minutes from Ayvalık, the food in Ayvalık Şehir Klübü is reasonably priced (we spent about 140 YTL for a dinner with alcohol for four people) and the portions are quite generous.

You can go with six to eight kinds of meze – a variety of appetizers usually accompanying a bottle of Turkish rakı – or you could order a small meze and the main course (this is a seafood restaurant, so fish would be the best choice).

Ayvalık Şehir Klübü is right by the sea and a great sunset view from here is guaranteed. Excellent location and great food allowed Ayvalık Şehir Klübü to exist for more than a hundred years. Ayvalık Şehir Klübü, as we know it, was created in the early years of the Turkish Republic. Until then it was the most famous French cafe in Ayvalık, Cafenion Kanelo. It then became known as the Taş Kahve and in 1934 – Ayvalık Şehir Klübü.

Recommended Recipe: Clams in Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

• 50 small clams in shell, scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Clams, or sand mussels, from Ayvalık Şehir Klübü

Carefully wash clams to make sure no dirt or sand particles remain.

Add olive oil into a large pot and heat it up on medium. Add garlic. Saute until it becomes tender. Add white wine. Keep boiling until half of the wine evaporates.

Add clams, close the lid and steam until clams start opening up. Add butter, close the lid, cook until most of the clams open. Throw away any clams that didn’t open. Add parsley and serve as a meze or with pasta.

How to get there:

Ayvalık Şehir Klübü

Ayvalık Şehir Klübü is located by the sea in the city center of Ayvalık.
Tel.: 0266-312-1519, 0266-312-3676