ISTANBUL'S BEST BRUNCH OPTION
Tired of another industrialized hotel breakfast on Sunday? Does indulging in sights, tastes and sounds, with a sprinkle of shopping and people-gazing, sound interesting? Well, then aim your fork to Ortaköy, to the brunch buffet proffered at House Café to be precise.
Once there, start with a feasible plan of action. There are more than 40 tantalizing platters. Launch the gourmandise with the totally Turkish breakfast of creamy feta and robust kasar, dollops of syrupy fruit jams, farm-fresh tomatoes and crispy cucumbers, with a the house's blended çay and piles of crusty breads, flaky croissants, or the sesame-incrusted tea ring (simit), of course. Opt next for a serving of indigenous pogaca (flaky and buttery cheese roll) and the strictly Anatolian su boregi (layers of boiled philo baked with cheese and butter). But wait, that's only two outings and there's a lot left to conquer. After a digestive pause gazing at the effervescent waters of the Bosphorus from your terrace table, head back in the dining room for a European entree of cold meats -- paper-thin prosciutto and tender slices of roast beef -- mixed with an array of mozerella mini-burgers and veggie quiches. Or if you can't handle the weight, choose for the lighter option of yogurt doused with amber honey.
Then comes desserts. And House's sweet kebab does the trick with skewered layers of meringue and tarts held in place with luscious organic strawberries; the whole made even more tantalizing with a demitase of crerma-topped espresso.
This four-hour, all-you-can-eat gluttonous feast will set you back 50 Turkish liras. Afterwards, you can either walk it off wiht an amble along Ortakoy's cobbled streets, its exclusive shops and its weekly market.
Just one suggestion, however, come hungry!
ESSENTIALS
ADDRESS: Salhane Sokak No: 1 Ortaköy Istanbul
PHONE: +090.212.227.2699
HOURS: Mon. - Thurs. 9am - 1am; Fri. - Sat. 9 am - 2 am; Sun. 9am - Midnight
STRICTLY SPEAKING
CHEESE = PEYNIR (Pron. payhneer)