Dinner @ a SultanAhmet Fish Restaurant

We had been on the go since 6am when we touched down at the Ataturk Airport this morning. Finally @ 5 pm, we checked-in at our hotel and washed up, changed and took a short nap. By 7.30 pm we walked out to a nearby restaurant which specialised in sea-food.

Winter, being low-season and what more with economic difficulties in Europe and America - tourist numbers appear small and the restaurant was relatively empty. All restaurants we passed by looked empty unless folks here like in Spain have the habit of taking their dinner very very late.

For starters, the waiter came around with a tray of about 20 choices of hot and cold starters in small portions for you to choose from. We selected a portion of olives wrapped with anchovies in olive oil and another portion of a tomato and pepper dip with a touche of garlic and onions which went well with their light-weight slices of bread. We did not want to 'overkill' our dinner with too much starters.

For the mains, the waiter again came around with a plate of a selection of different types of fresh fish and large prawns. We chose a whole white sea-bream which weight almost 1.5 kg and after agreeing to the price which was calculated after the weight was being determined - we agreed to have it grilled and served with a selection of green and roasted potatoes.

The sea-bream was grilled perfect - the skin was crispy but yet the flesh was tender and juicy. It was sweet and tasted like our own " ikan terubok" minus the dangerously fine bones that made eating the 'terubok' such a dangerous expedition!

However eating out at touristy restaurant like this in the SultanAhmet district turned out to be quite expensive actually. Our bill came to 175 Turkish lira ( that's about RM300 - what would cost for a night out at the Prime Steakhouse @ KL's Le Meridien).

While having dinner we were entertained by a 'trio' of a local group - elderly and middle-aged guys playing violin, clarinet and drum - dishing out local tunes that sounded 'very melancholic' to pakdokter - as if they were crying out and regretting the fate that has befallen of the Ottoman Empire......

As expected - the violinist, on seeing that we were done with our fish - came to our table and serenaded us to his version of the " Besame Mucho" - for his "bakshish", of course......