TRY: Turkish Airlines Lounge @ Istanbul Airport
Blown away by the delicious local and international food!
Thanks to airline miles, my BFF and I'd be flying in style with Turkish Airlines, though not directly to Singapore. Because of that, we also had the opportunity to visit Turkish Airlines Lounge at the new Istanbul Airport in the Arnavutkoy region, trying all sorts of dishes and beverages offered inside the massive lounge.
Cold Dishes
To whet my appetite, I tried a few of the small cold dishes: yogurt with cucumber, spicy wheat salad and cheese. I especially found the first one on the list to be so refreshing with an adequate amount of acidity.
Pide
Turkish flat bread with various toppings could be found at one of the counters. Being crispy alright, both the white cheese with olive paste and minced beef variants were passable.
Pasta of the Day & Vegetable Noodle
The two dishes shown might look like nothing special, but I swear they were delicious. The tubular pasta tossed in tomato sauce that had a right balance of the sweet and the sour, while the oriental style vegetable noodle was springy and aromatic, thanks to sesame oil.
Red Lentil Soup & Kayseri Manti
The lounge's take on one of the most popular Turkish soup dishes was earthy and hearty at the same time, although I'd prefer it to be red lentils to be blended into a smoother consistency. Besides that, the mini Turkish dumplings filled with beef were delectably chewy, bathed with tangy yogurt sauce.
Kebab & Pilaf
The rice cooked with tomatoes and herbs was flavourful, going well with the grilled chicken and lamb that were tender and juicy. The grilled green chili pepper and tomato certainly added colours to the dish.
Simit
To my delight, the lounge bakes its own Turkish bagel encrusted with sesame seeds, which is one of my most favourite items that I always get whenever I visit the country. Served with countryside butter from Trabzon in the northeast, the circular bread was fresh and crunchy.
Turkish Sweets
Anyone with a sweet tooth? Though not as amazing as those freshly baked ones from Karakoy Gulluoglu, arguably the most famous baklava shop in Turkey, the confections certainly passed the acid test. They still retained some crunch.
Mousse & Panna Cotta
I was pretty enamoured by the chocolate and banana mousse that wasn't only smooth, but also fragrant. As for the panna cotta (lit. cooked cream), it was milky enough for my liking, but the texture could be more velvety.
Beverages
Together with the sweets, I had a small cup of Turkish coffee and a glass of tea, both of which were superbly potent that helped to neutralise the high sugar level of the confections. I also enjoyed the housemade lemonade and raspberry drink. Knowing that I'd eventually be drinking alcohol onboard, I just tried a bit of the 2019 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec offered at the lounge.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8.5/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
I'd certainly love to go back to the lounge. 'Nuff said. Pika's advice: There are more thing that I didn't have room to try, such as Aegean Moussaka and other pilaf dishes. Take your time to look at all the different food counters distributed throughout the lounge as they offer different items.
Turkish Airlines Lounge @ Istanbul Airport
1 Terminal Street
Istanbul Airport
Istanbul
Turkey
(Twenty Four / Seven)
*No separate price given as lounge access is included in the ticket price.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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