The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was — and still is — one of my favorite books. While the story is a classic, it’s the visceral emotions I experience each time I reread it that makes it stand out. I burn with shame for Aslan when they shear his fur, feel rage when Edmund betrays his family and cry when Mr. Tumnus gets turned to stone. I feel giddy when they first discover the land beyond the wardrobe, and my heart leaps and clashes when Aslan goes to battle against the White Witch and her minions. And I could never help but wonder if the Turkish delights C.S. Lewis wrote about in the novel were a) real or b) as irresistible as his book made them out to be. They were enough to tempt Edmund to betray his family. But no treat could be that good, right?
I got the chance to find out when dining at Istanbul Hawaii. I felt like I got transported to, well, Istanbul, and that’s the point, according to co-owner and chef Ahu Hettema. Her goal when decorating her restaurant was to make customers feel as if they’re visiting her home in Turkey, and she and her mom, Nili, have done an excellent job crafting traditional Turkish dishes that simultaneously feel homey and luxe.
But before we get to the Narnia-famous desserts, we’ll start with the appetizers. For any first-timer, I’d say splurge on the meze platter ($35). It was perfect for sharing among three people. Well, technically four people because my daughter ate quite a bit of the hummus (chickpeas), babaganush (eggplant) and muhammara (hints of walnuts and red bell peppers) with pita. She left the rest of the platter to us: su borek (cheese between layers of buttered fillo), spanakopita and a Sultanesque palate cleanser made up of feta, watermelon, strawberries, Turkish olives and an aged pomegranate balsamic. Be warned that there is quite a bit of the hummus, babaganush and muhammara, so if you ask for extra fresh pita to polish it off, it’ll be an extra $5 per serving.
A common theme is a focus on locally grown ingredients, as seen in the spanakopita eggs Benedict ($24) on the brunch menu. It features MA‘O Organic Farms spinach, hollandaise, two poached Waialua eggs and two chicken za’atar sausage links. (The Turkish brunch menu is available 11 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays alongside the regular lunch menu.)
For lunch menu entrees, we ordered the lamb tenderloin shish ($26 for two; $38 for three) and iskender doner ($29), the latter featuring shaved lamb and beef with an heirloom tomato compote — both accompanied by a fresh Mediterranean salata, saffron pilav and creme fraiche tzatziki. Think Turkish-style plate lunches, with meat over rice and a side salad.
And now my friends, we come to the desserts. Of course, I had to get the Turkish delights ($9), which are aptly described as “treats from Narnia’s wardrobe.”
They’re an assortment of fruity and floral bite-sized morsels that are a mix of gummy, marshmallowy and candy textures. I can see why Edmund was so enamored. I mean, I wouldn’t betray my family, but I would not hesitate to eat the last piece without first asking if anyone else wanted it. Oh wait, I did do that. Good thing we also got the Open Sesame cake ($15) to share. It’s a decadent dessert that’s surprisingly light despite comprising Turkish hazelnuts, Waialua chocolate, tahini, sesame and pine nuts.
The overall experience at Istanbul made me truly feel like royalty, and I couldn’t help but murmur one of my favorite lines from the book while munching on a fruity Turkish delight: “Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.”
Istanbul Hawaii
ADDRESS
1108 Auahi St. No. 152, Honolulu
PHONE
808-772-4440
HOURS
11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. lunch Wednesdays-Sundays;
5-9 p.m. dinner Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays;
5-9:30 p.m. dinner Fridays-Saturdays
WEBSITE
istanbulhawaii.com
FOOD: 5/5
PRICE: $$$
AMBIANCE: 5/5
SERVICE: 5/5
PARKING: free in the Anaha lot; or the Whole Foods and South Shore Market lots
Nicole Monton is the managing editor of Crave and contributing editor for Kaka‘ako VERT magazine. Follow her on social media (@nicmonton).
