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- Turkey's best kebab restaurants
- 5 Tokyo bars for train nerds (yes, they exist)
- World’s most and least honest travelers are …
| Turkey's best kebab restaurants Posted: 22 Apr 2013 11:01 PM PDT Put any kind of meat on a stick and roast it over a flame and it immediately becomes food fit for gods. No country understands this sacred rule of seared meat like Turkey. Turkish kebabs are the incarnation of the meat lover's most exotic fantasies, with grilled lamb, beef and chicken as skewer MVPs. Most kebab restaurants also have a long list of Turkish starters called meze that are as delicious as the main dishes. Turkey's best alcoholic complement for all that meat is rakı -- an aniseed-flavored drink that's often diluted with water and chilled with ice. Frothy, yogurt-based ayran is a great non-alcoholic complement to heavy dishes. But who are we kidding -- you just want the meat. Here's where to get it in Turkey. Hamdi Restaurant, Istanbul
Specializing in southeastern cuisines, the venue affords a magnificent view of the Golden Horn, the Galata Tower and Eminönü. Since window-side tables are in high demand, making a reservation in advance is highly recommended. A signature dish is the testi kebabı. Cooked over charcoal in a clay jug covered with dough for three to four hours, the dish is made with veal, tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, oregano, tomato paste and butter. It's quite a ceremony to watch this extraordinary dish being served -- waiters break the jug in front of you to reveal the meal inside. Another must is the haşhaş kebabı made with minced veal and lamb, and mixed with capsicum, salt and pepper. Tahmis Caddesi, Kalçın Sokak Number 17, Eminönü, Istanbul; +90 212 528 03 90; approximately $15 for a main dish; www.hamdi.com.tr Kebapçı Halil Usta and İmam Çağdaş, Gaziantep
Open since 1972, Halil Usta is a humble establishment with a dedicated following. Its tender meat has made such a name over the years that this lunch-only restaurant runs out of meat by 3 p.m. almost every day. Most notable is küşleme, a velvety soft lamb kebab served in copper pots. Although a side dish, the salad (greens, tomatoes, mint, thyme, red pepper, pomegranate molasses and spices) can stand proudly on its own.
Standout dishes include Ali Nazik, lamb served on top of a bed of char-grilled yogurt-eggplant purée, and Altı Ezmeli Tike Kebabı, a stew-like kebab made with lamb served on top of a tomato and pepper mash. The restaurant's flaky, pistachio-filled baklava is as celebrated as its kebabs. Kebapçı Halil Usta, Karşıyaka Semti, Gaziantep Mozaik Müzesi Arkası, Tekel Caddesi, Öcükoğlu Sokak, Şehitkamil/Gaziantep; +90 342 323 16 16; approximately $7 for a main dish; www.kebapcihalilusta.com İmam Çağdaş, Eski Hal Civarı, Uzun Çarşı Number 49, Şahinbey/Gaziantep; +90 342 231 26 78; approximately $10 for a main dish; www.imamcagdas.com Onbaşılar, AdanaAdana kebap is one of the most famous of kebabs -- visitors should try to savor it in its hometown. Grilled over charcoal, this spicy, minced-lamb kebab is best enjoyed here alongside charred tomatoes, peppers and onions with sumac and lavaş (thin flatbread). A regional drink called şalgam, made with fermented pickled carrot juice, is good alongside it, while the kadayıf, a pistachio-filled shredded pastry in syrup, is the best choice for dessert. Recommended: a table with a view of the Seyhan Lake. Onbaşılar, Karslı Mahallesi, 82046 Sokak Number 3, Çukurova/Adana; +90 322 215 00 00; approximately $8 for a main dish; www.onbasilar.com.tr Koç Cağ Kebabı in Erzurum
Cağ kebabı is made of lamb marinated with onions, salt and pepper for 12 hours and then placed on a large, horizontal skewer and cooked over a wood fire. The traditional way to eat this succulent meat is with your hands or wrapped in lavaş. Travelers who can't make it to Erzurum can try Şehzade Cağ Kebabı in Sirkeci. Koç Cağ Kebabı, Kongre Caddesi, Kongre Binası Karşısı, Merkez/Erzurum; +90 442 213 45 47; approximately $5 for a main dish; www.cagkebap.com Şehzade Cağ Kebabı, Hocapaşa Sokak No.3/A, Sirkeci, Istanbul; approximately $8 for a main dish; +90 212 520 33 61 More on CNN: Insider Guide: Best of Istanbul      |
| 5 Tokyo bars for train nerds (yes, they exist) Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:00 PM PDT You thought your grandfather was a train buff? Sorry to break the news to you, but ol' gramps would have been a mere caboose in the train of railway geeks in Japan, where hard-core train aficionados are referred to by the somewhat affectionate term "densha otaku," or train nerds. They're famous for feats like memorizing phonebook-size timetables and visiting every single one of the country's almost 10,000 stations. When they aren't trying to increase their encyclopedic knowledge of all things rail, they're out looking for like-minded people to impress with it. As it turns out, Tokyo offers the densha otaku a wide selection of railway-appropriate watering holes -- or perhaps we should call them bar cars? 1. Ginza Panorama
Not only does the counter have four separate built-in electric tracks, allowing patrons to watch trains zipping by while sipping their cocktails, but a large glass case directly opposite displays about 700 model train carriages for sale. The drink menu has the standard beer, wine and liquor options, but visitors will likely be tempted to splurge on a train-themed cocktail, like the Romance Car, named after the Hakone-bound express, or Doctor Yellow, the nickname for the diagnostic high-speed test trains used on shinkansen routes. There's also a full food menu. With its mellow ambiance, mature crowd and the gentle clacking of trains as they whirl around the bar, Ginza Panorama is a relaxed place for a drink -- even if you don't get giddy debating the relative merits of the Tokaido and Tohoku Lines. Ginza Hachikan Building 8/F, 8-4-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku; +81 (0)3 3289 8700; Monday-Friday, 6 p.m.-3 a.m., Saturday, 6-11 p.m., closed Sunday; 420 yen seating charge; www.ginza-panorama.com 2. Kiha
One, the second floor has been lovingly kitted out to look exactly like the inside of a Tokyo subway car, complete with advertisements, hand straps, emergency call buttons and luggage racks. Two, the only thing on the menu is canned food and one-cup sake. From salted pork to seafood to curry, Kiha stocks an impressive selection of things to eat right out of the can. This is meant to recreate the nostalgic experience of a long train journey in the days before meal services were offered. Most of the customers are dyed-in-the-wool otaku, as evidenced by the closet full of timetables and the rare ticket stubs adorning the tables. Like all train obsessives, of course, they're more than happy to chat with newcomers. You've been warned. 1-6-11 Horidomecho, Chuo-ku; nearest station: Ningyocho; +81 (0)3 5651 5088; Monday-Saturday, 6-11:30 p.m., closed Sunday; Kiha-sake.com More on CNN: Japan's riveting Railway Museum 3. LittleTGV
Real rail buffs have their own version at LittleTGV near the geek paradise of Akihabara. The restaurant bills itself as the world's first rail-themed, moe-style pub. Instead of a pretty girl in a maid costume calling you "Master," you'll get a pretty girl in a conductor's uniform telling you to board her train. No joke. And no jokes (please). The walls are covered with train photos and memorabilia, so even if you don't know your SLs from your JRs, the girls will be happy to chat with you and teach you a bit about their world. LittleTGV offers a full food and drink menu with foreigner-friendly pictures, including several different courses that include all-you-can-drink options. Isamiyadai 3 Building 4/F, Sotokanda 3-10-5, Chiyoda-ku; nearest stations: Suehirocho, Akihabara; +80 (0)3 3255 5223; Monday-Friday, 2-11 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, noon-11 p.m.; Littletgv.com More on CNN: Best Tokyo maid cafes 4. Mistral Bleu (Train Bar)
Somehow a train carriage was crammed into the first floor of the ROI Building close to Roppongi Crossing and transformed into a hole in the wall bar for classic rock fans. As the Aerosmith blasting out the front door might attest, the bar is a nostalgic pleasure for drinkers of a certain age. In addition to the novelty of boozing in a converted train car, you can keep yourself entertained by checking out the international currencies plastered all over the walls and ceilings. It's the kind of place where it's easy to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you -- a rarity in Japan. ROI Building 1/F , 5-5-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Roppongi station; +80 (0)3 3423 0082; Monday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-5 a.m., closed Sundays; www.trainbar.com 5. Cafe & Bar Steam Locomotive
Luckily, there's a family friendly option called Cafe & Bar Steam Locomotive, which is appropriate for train lovers of all ages. Located on the ground floor of a Yurakucho office building, this venue is more suited to a coffee over a lunch break than an after-work bender, though the place does serve alcohol. The center of the cafe is dominated by a massive model train display that includes several tracks and recreations of famous sites like Tokyo Tower. The endless details -- tiny pedestrians crossing the street, a little grove of cherry trees in bloom -- will keep the youngsters entertained while the grownups enjoy a latte or glass of sake. Shinyurakucho Bldg 1/F, Yurakucho 1-12-1, Chiyoda-ku, Yurakucho station; +81 (0)3 3211 0610; Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; www.steamlocomotive.jp More on CNN: 16 hours on a train, from Tokyo to Sapporo    |
| World’s most and least honest travelers are … Posted: 22 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT How honest a traveler are you? And how honest were you when answering that question? Those are just two things to think about when looking over a recent poll from Hotels.com, which found that Danes are highly unlikely to steal from hotels, while Colombians will often check out with more that they checked in with. "While we all love that holiday feeling, it seems travelers in some countries are taking this a bit too far by removing a wide variety of items from their hotel room to take home with them," said Alison Couper, senior director global communications at Hotels.com. The survey asked 8,600 people from 28 countries and cities about their holiday thieving. Also on CNN: Stealing, lying and other outrageous things you do while traveling Some 88% of travelers from Denmark said they have never taken anything they shouldn't from a hotel room, while 43% of Colombians said the same. Brazilians were the most honest South Americans polled, Hong Kongers the most honest Asians and Canadian Quebecers the most honest from North America, all tied in fourth place at 81%. Just behind Italians and Russians, Taiwanese tied with South Koreans in ninth place -- 78% admitted to stealing. The United States and China tied in 23rd place with 66% of tourists from both countries saying they pilfer. The most commonly taken items are magazines and books according to the report. Some nationalities prefer linens and towels, while the Chinese prefer to help themselves to furnishings, such as lamps, clocks and artwork. Hotels take security seriously enough to invest significantly into devices such as secure key cards and CCTV. Some even plant RFID chips in their towels and robes. Also on CNN: World to tourists: 'Stop stealing everything!' Most honest travelersPercent who say they've never pocketed hotel property: 1. Denmark 88% Have you taken things from a hotel room? What? Tell us below.    |
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