Mutfak by Nazlı: A Restaurant in Izmir Graced by a Woman’s Touch

Mutfak by Nazlı’s menu specializes in local home-cooking recipes. When I visited the restaurant in late 2017, I observed that although it is situated in a spot along the Menemen road that is relatively far from the city center, a remarkable number of people already became regulars of the restaurant.

Chef Nazlı Hanım is at the helm of this small restaurant. This foodie spot has the coziness of a home in keeping with the type of food the chef offers, which proves that a woman’s touch is a must for a business to thrive.

With culinary skills that allow her to create tasteful dishes from the rich local cuisine of her hometown Adana, Nazlı Hanım welcomes her visitors every day with a different, daily-created menu. Here are a few examples from the menu of the day that I tried:

Made with coarse/brown bulgur wheat, Adana-style kısır was flavored with a generous amount of sour pomegranate syrup (tr. nar ekşisi), lemon juice and hot pepper paste. Elevated with the addition of crispy slices of gevrek, Nazlı Hanım’s interpretation of humus was quite enjoyable with a nice texture and delicious taste. Lavish with garlic and tomato, fellah köftesi (a type of bulgur-balls) was a local dish with an above-average performance. The main-course dish was chicken and potatoes in parchment. Although I’d usually prefer not to eat chicken in Turkey; thanks to rosemary included in the recipe, the taste was unexpectedly successful.

Among the dishes I tried, yaprak sarması (tr. stuffed vine-leaves) was the only one that received a lower mark from me. It is usually made with freshly-picked large and thin vine leaves sourced from Akhisar gardens in their season. The version I happened on was made with vine leaves preserved in brine. On top of this, maybe because it was Monday but somehow the leaves were not desalted enough either by getting soaked in water for one day. However, the thin shape of the stuffed vine-leaves that were neatly piled up on a platter is worth mentioning!

It is, in fact, içli köfte that I’ve heard the most about from people who recommend Mutfak by Nazlı. However, maybe because it was late afternoon, içli köfte was nowhere to be found that day. Nevertheless, I should say that I left the restaurant highly satisfied after all the dishes I tried. From what I saw on the restaurant’s social media profile (@mutfakbynazli), it seems to have improved its repertoire since my visit. For this reason, I plan to pay another visit in future -preferably on a day when I won’t miss the chance to try the restaurant’s içli köfte…

Bon appétit and enjoy the taste of life…

30 Ağustos Mahallesi, 7214. Sk., 35663 Menemen
İzmir, TURKEY
+90 538 945 08 71