The southeast of Turkey is regarded by many as the mecca of Turkish food. Positioned on the silk and spice trading routes at an important geographical crossroads, the region has incorporated culinary traditions from the Levant, Anatolia, and the Middle East. This restaurant specializes in food from the Hatay region, the little finger of Turkey that juts out into Syria at the eastern-most point of the Mediterranean. This smart, brightly-lit, dry restaurant offers an extensive menu of meze dishes—such as oruk (minced lamb in a bulgur shell) and zahter (wild thyme) salad—which are followed by succulent kebabs that come studded with pistachios. If you really want the wow factor, try the chicken or lamb stuffed with pilaf and baked in rock salt, which is brought to your table still aflame before being ceremoniously cracked open and served. It's located in Aksaray, which is a little rough round the edges but home to a lot of Istanbul's immigrant community and so offers some of the most exciting eating options in the city. Inside the restaurant, there is also a small shop selling cheeses, preserves, spices, and other goods from the region.