Meals editor Bencan Yalcin takes a have a look at London’s tackle Turkish seafood
Picture: Bencan Yalcin
Earlier than I introduce you to the star of the present, I firstly need to introduce you to the thought of what Midye Dolma is. Midye Dolma is the identify given to a avenue meals dish generally eaten within the coastal areas of Turkey, reminiscent of İstanbul, İzmir and Bodrum. The phrase ‘Midye’ in Turkish means Mussels, and the phrase ‘Dolma’ means ‘stuffing’ or ‘filling’, so collectively Midye Dolma means stuffed mussels. Midye Dolmas are all the time full of fragrant rice and served with a freshly lower lemon on the aspect. What you set within the rice is proscribed solely by your creativeness, however sometimes folks add salt, black pepper, onions and tomato paste. Midye Dolma may also be merely known as Midye.
The Midyeci is a newly established restaurant within the bustling and ever altering streets of Dalston. Situated within the cross bridge of Islington and Hackney it’s simply accessible and shut to move hyperlinks such because the overground (Dalston Junction/Haggerston) and bus. It takes roughly 45 minutes to get there from Imperial. The person pioneering and difficult the thought of Turkish meals being a easy and greasy late-night takeaway after clubbing is Ahmet Zotkadzha. Born and raised in Turkey and coming to the UK afterward in his life, he felt that regardless that London may be very wealthy in cuisines, town had not developed and diversified sufficient of its seafood selections. In the course of the spring of 2021 he deliberate on doing precisely that by opening his very personal retailer and bringing dishes which can be adored by many in Turkey however not but well-known within the UK.
The Midyeci has a choice of seafoods accessible, offering completely different offers for these of you who usually are not certain with what to get and like a little bit of a discount. Additionally they serve two in style Turkish drinks, one being a drink known as Ayran, which is a salty diluted yogurt drink; and Shalgam, a fermented turnip juice – one thing you both love or hate, alongside together with your customary coke and water.
The primary dish is the Midye Dolma, which is what the shop is primarily identified for. Coming in several sizes (small and huge) with completely different add-on flavours (regular, spicy, curry and a home particular) the Midye Dolma doesn’t disappoint. We ordered a big portion of stuffed mussels with every flavour, paired with a complimentary lemon on the aspect to boost flavour.To start out off, the Midye Dolma is eaten by opening the shell to disclose the rice which is rigorously stuffed into the meat of the mussel and utilizing the free shell to scoop the rice. General, the style of the stuffed mussels was very gentle; the freshness and high quality of the elements stood out and all was straightforward to eat (when you get the hold of it!). Admittedly, the stuffed mussels have been fairly addicting – particularly as we tried all of the completely different flavours at hand. Every flavour gave the dish a delicate kick, with out hiding the pure style of the mussels. In addition to the add-on flavours, the mussels additionally don’t pack an ocean punch both, excellent for individuals who aren’t the most important followers of the salty style, however need to slowly attempt stepping into seafood.
Out of all of the flavours we tried, probably the most fascinating was positively the curry sauce – additionally notably unusual in Turkey. The curry flavour was surprisingly very properly built-in, distinct but not overbearing the style of the mussel, making it a pleasure to eat. The spicy mussels have been additionally scrumptious, although those that aren’t an enormous fan of spicy meals shouldn’t be apprehensive because it was very straightforward to digest – the spice itself is sort of delicate.
Our second meal was the Midye Burger. This distinctive however in style recipe is unquestionably one thing that caught my eye – which is basically mussels within the type of a burger patty topped with pickles, lettuce and a slice of delicate cheddar cheese all housed below a calmly toasted brioche burger bun. It additionally comes with a pleasant aspect of crisps and pickled greens. Along with your first chew you might be instantly welcomed with the sunshine creamy texture of the patty, together with the slight however not overbearing style of the mussels. Topped off with the sweet-but-not-too-sweet style of the brioche bun and the delicate cheddar cheese sandwiched in between, the delicate and effectively rounded style of the patty have been supplied with a sharper and extra refined flavour. The acidity of the pickled greens are additionally a superb palate cleanser, permitting you to simply transition between meals with out muddling flavours in your mouth.
The Midyeci isn’t restricted to simply Midye Dolma or Midye Burger. Additionally they supply different recipes reminiscent of Balik Durum (grilled fish wrap) which incorporates roasted peppers, lettuce and their fish of selection, mackerel. One other dish on supply, in style as a Turkish avenue meals served close to the coast of Istanbul is named Balik Ekmek (grilled mackerel sandwich) served with freshly lower lettuce and onions, all below a calmly toasted Turkish bread. Though the mix of meals could sound fairly easy, the grilled mackerel filet is properly seasoned and as soon as once more has a complimentary lemon to hydrate the fish and bread. The mackerel is usually deboned for a simple consuming expertise as effectively. The Midyeci additionally serves deep fried king prawns, calamari and mussels – excellent for a day if you’re craving seafood.
Costs have been additionally fairly first rate, since seafood basically will be on the pricier aspect. With their beneficiant parts and their scrumptious style, the Midye Burger (with crisps and pickled greens included) is priced at £7.50 whereas their small Midye Dolma is priced at £6.50 and their giant is priced at £9.50, with a 40p enhance when purchased together with your sauce of selection.
General we actually loved the meals The Midyeci needed to supply, and we discovered the flavours distinctive to London. The Midyeci provides Londoners a pleasant break from all of the meat-based Turkish eating places, offering contemporary, tasty and wholesome seafood dishes for individuals who need to expertise a brand new style of Turkey. By way of the within of the restaurant, regardless that the inside isn’t that large, the seating is snug and presents a pleasant spot for a small group of pals to take a seat round and luxuriate in what The Midyeci has to supply. We additionally discovered the employees to be tremendous welcoming, with a pleasant sense of neighborhood.
When you’ve got a while and need to discover new flavours and specifically Turkish seafood, The Midyeci is a spot you must go to – additionally inform them the Felix article is what introduced you over right here, I am certain they might recognize it 🙂
