Dish · 4 kitchens in 2 cities
Köfte
Turkish meatballs — grilled, or stuffed into bulgur shells and fried (içli köfte).
Nobody paid to be here. Each kitchen is described from its own menu where it publishes one, unranked, so each note says how that kitchen makes it.
In London
Icli kofte
Founder PickLokal · Fitzrovia · ~£40 pp
Fried bulgur shells stuffed with lamb and beef
İçli köfte, a bulgur shell around lamb and beef with pine nuts, shaped by hand and fried. The second plate.
Lamb Kofte
Arabica Bar and Kitchen · Borough · ~£28 pp
Kofte, grilled minced lamb, on labneh, strained yoghurt, with chilli garlic butter and fried khobez bread. Once the hummus is done.
In Istanbul
Islama köfte
Ahmet Usta Islama Köftecisi · Kadıköy · ~₺450 pp
Islama köfte, grilled meatballs laid on bread soaked in hot meat broth. Adapazarı's plate, and the reason to walk into the market.
İçli Köfte
Mahir Lokantası · Osmanbey · ~₺1000 pp
Stuffed köfte filled with spiced minced beef
İçli köfte, bulgur shells stuffed with ground beef, butter, basil and red pepper. A portion to share.