The founder of Çiya has also been shown in one of the episodes of Chef’s Table on Netflix documentaries. The place is located in Kadıköy Caferağa on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. It was established in 1987 as a modest kebab shop in Kadıköy Çarşı. Two more shops were added to it, all three of them were established at intervals of maybe 20 meters from each other, and now they serve old tastes that can appeal to all kinds of tastes, The famous Çiya Sofrası. The first thing that brought us here was actually lahmacun (Turkish flat bread with minced meat served with green salad). The local traditional delicacies were mouth watering and you choose the dishes displayed freshly cooked so that you know what you will taste.
Just beyond the first dishes that greeted us, were the flavors we first experienced and loved very much. Kısır, zahter salad, hummus, stuffed wraps and various appetizers are impressive. We went here for lahmacun and, upon recommendation, we also got a side salad, zahter salad and stuffed wrap. You buy the appetizers in the amount you want and you can make a mixed plate, which is weighed immediately and pricing is based on the amount you buy.
We took our appetizer plate and sat at a table and asked for lahmacun and of course homemade ayran. While eating the appetizers we bought just for snacking, we had a hard time not wanting a second plate. Lahmacun was deliciously crispy and the type of lahmacun that we call “This is lahmacun”. It is served with parsley and lemon. Do we need more appetizers? The lahmacun was so delicious that we didn’t wish there was anything more on the side. This was our first Çiya experience, and it was just a taster. Our next visit will of course be an experience where we will taste many different flavors.
As for the Netflix documentary we mentioned at the beginning. Before coming here, we recommend that you watch Turkish Chef Musa Dağdeviren at Chef’s Table. You will find the establishment and service purpose of Çiya in this article, which we will have updated as soon as possible.
We definitely recommend these flavors that we experienced.
