Turkish food is an excellent amalgamation of everything that makes Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/Central Asian cuisine great. It’s hearty but light, it can be healthy or it can not be depending on what dish you have. Either way when you eat it, you always leave feeling satisfied. That’s exactly how I felt when I left Istanbul Blue in Virginia.
We came here for my wife’s birthday, we came in early so the restaurant was about empty. They quickly sat us and the feast was on.The decor inside is cute, the drop ceiling takes away from the ambiance but the fun blue lights and decor of the restaurant make up for it. Once you sit down they start you with a complimentary lentil soup which is out of this world. It is smooth but has hints of peppermint and oregano in it, I sipped every last bit of it with delight. Along with the soup comes bread that is similar to a Persian barbary or focaccia.
The bread is delicious and light and the perfect vessel for all the food. We then ordered a Cigari Borek because borek is delicious, they do a great job with it. Feta and parsley wrapped in phyllo and then fried, this borek was very tasty I wish I had more!
From there as Guy Fieri would say it was OFF TO FLAVOR TOWN! We ordered the Iskender Kabob which is a specialty dish that they knock out of the park. It’s doner that is topped with a flavorful sauce served over bread and yogurt, heavenly. This is a must get, it is really enough for two but you should order more things because all the food is so good. The doner meat is crispy and real unlike many places that serve doner sausage.
We also ordered the ground chicken pistachio kabob, as a Persian I am and always will be a kabob snob. When it comes to ground chicken kabob I usually recoil in disgust, but I had done my research and many said to get it. So despite my best judgement I did it. Boy am I glad I did, the kabob is flavorful and juicy. The pistachios act as a binder for the kabob and keep it very moist due to the fat content of the nuts. It’s perfection and a must get. It’s served with some rice and grilled veggies (that were just okay)which I’ll be honest is just fine, no match for Persian rice, but I didn’t care the kabob was amazing.
We finished with baklava and kunefe and boy were we happy we did. Both were some of the best we have ever had reminding us of the food back in Turkey. I highly recommend ordering a Turkish coffee to finish your meal and telling your fortune with the residuals on the bottom of your cup, it’s a thing.
The pricing is very reasonable and parking is relatively ample albeit tight. This place is a MUST visit simply only to order what we ordered .
As an aside a couple that was clearly on a first date, one of them ordered a grilled chicken salad and I died a little on the inside. DO NOT ORDER A GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD PEOPLE! LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE AND EAT A DAMN KABOB AT THIS GEM OF A PLACE.
okay off my soapbox.
This place is amazing. Go.
Final Grade: A
Loose notes:
– Bathroom is exquisite, parking is tight, and the road to get there can get a little trafficky.
