Istanbul Palace

...Is anything else "sweetened?" For the time being, I think I'll wait for more reviews before I venture over there.

I'm not sure what Benjamin meant by sweetened, but I would like to know. Was there something like a "honey" sweet marinade flavor, or could it have been the "caramelization" that occurs when meats are seared/cooked/grilled over a flame? As for me, I haven't found their food to be sweet tasting--quite the opposite in fact, as several of the entrees and appetizers have tangy yogurt-and-or-tomato-based sauces.

The thought of "sweetened" meat makes my stomach turn. Is anything else "sweetened?" For the time being, I think I'll wait for more reviews before I venture over there.

Many middle eastern dishes are flavored with spice mixtures that contain "sweet" spices (clove, cinnamon, etc...) I would say they add complexity, not sweetness. It's a bit different, but delicious - and isn't that what we love about ethnic cuisine?

We carried out dinner from Istanbul Palace last night and it was very good. We got the Doner gyro, the Adana kebab, both of which came with rice, pickled cabbage and onions, house salads, a cigarette pie and an order of Mujver. The Doner had very moist, thick slices of meat, and too much for me to finish. The Adana kebabs were a mixture of ground lamb, beef and vegetables, served on rice with a garlic sauce and a tomato sauce. There were 2 12" kebabs and too much for us to finish, as well.

The Mujver is a mixture of ground vegetables that is formed into patties and fried, served with the same sauces as the Adana kebab. They look like tire patches. I know this description doesn't sound appealing but they are addictive. Long after we were full, we kept nibbling on them. The cigarette pie was ok - not exactly what I had in mind from the menu description but still nice. Feta cheese and herbs wrapped in fillo dough, cigarette size, and baked. I wanted a bit more flavor and bite; the feta got a little lost in all the fillo. House salads were pickled cabbage, regular cabbage, pickled cucumbers, sumac and mint. They were very simple but we liked them very much.

Istanbul Palace is a great addition to the 'hood.

Carry out tonight was really good. Not much I can add to the previous reviews except to say that it's bargain priced for the quality - there is nothing else in the far East End that comes close. Everything had a clean fresh taste. Cheaper than Shiraz with food that's a notch up. Service was very prompt and friendly.

Oh happy day! I carried out I.P. for lunch today and it was excellent. I live about a mile away, so it will be time to return as soon as possible...like tonight for dinner.

FWIW, I didn't mind the interior...lots of "charm."

The best part was, they were fairly busy for 11:10 am on a Thursday. There were 3 tables of 2 and a few lunch meetings going on...not bad!

Small group of us scheduled to visit I.P. for dinner this evening...hopefully, I can add to the positive reviews that have preceded....

I finally made it to Istanbul Palace for lunch today. Three adults and four kiddos: 1 shared apetizer, 3 lunch specials, 4 kid's meals 1 beverage and 6 desserts for $63 plus a $13 tip. The food was great and then some. The granchildren cleaned their plates. My son and daughter who traveled extensively in Turkey thought their food was right on. I thought the soups were some of the best I have ever tasted. I see myself going frquently for a bowl of soup, especial the Turkish Chicken Noodle which was like no chicken noodle soup that I had ever tasted, but so much better. This will definitely be on my rotation.