Turkish Breakfast.
After disembarking from the Turkish Airlines plane at the Turkish airport, we immediately headed out to find Turkish Breakfast at Crowne Plaza Old City.
The front part of Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul hotel.
So, Crowne Plaza Old City is just a short 400 meters away from the Grand Bazaar, this massive shopping spot in Istanbul, Turkey.
Can’t quite remember how long it took from the airport, maybe like an hour or something… Anyway, we were all busy on the bus, shooting videos all the way and, of course, chatting away.
This hotel looks kinda old from the outside. Rumor has it, it’s been standing for like a hundred years or more. So, it’s not just giving off an old vibe; it’s actually old, not just for show, haha!
Food here is a mix of Turkish and international stuff – pretty standard for a 5-star joint. Besides the restaurant, there’s also a café, but in the morning, it’s just the restaurant open for hotel guests’ breakfast.
Might not be the go-to spot for some authentic Turkish breakfast, you know, the real deal. But it’s cool for us fresh off the plane, just wanting to try out some Turkish-style brekkie.
Keep reading, and we’ll spill the beans on what the Turkish breakfast at Crowne Plaza Hotel Old City is all about.
Turkish Breakfast at Crowne Plaza Old City
The trip from the airport to Crowne Plaza Old City was relatively short. Numerous fascinating sights outside the bus window captured my attention. The city of Istanbul was right in front of me… OMG! It was adorned with scattered mosques, which, in my view, appeared quite similar, if not identical.
Distinctive city buildings bordered the streets, and we went through several city parks. The traffic was quite heavy, particularly as we neared the city center; it continued to intensify.
On the way Crowne Plaza Old City Hotel, Istanbul
So, here we are again, sitting pretty much the same way we did on the plane, hahaha… It’s like déjà vu, like we don’t have any buddies, only three of us hahaha…
in the Bus on the way to Crowne Plaza Old City…
Faces showing both hunger and happiness….
Soon as we got there, we rushed off the bus, couldn’t wait to grab some breakfast, even though we already had some on the plane, hahaha…
Turkish Breakfast Menu
Istanbul is pretty well-known as a food lover’s paradise.
Turkish Breakfast at Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul
Istanbul’s grub is like legit Turkish goodness. If you’re not used to it, you might not vibe with it. Thankfully, the hotel’s breakfast saved the day. Got some edible stuff in there.
So, Turkish breakfast for the locals is usually just bread with jam and butter. But if you go all-in with the traditional stuff, it’s a bit of a party with lots of food buddies. Some basic Turkish Breakfast stuff includes:
- Eggs
- Cheeses
- Black Olives
- Green Olives
- Cucumbers
- Meats
- Breads
- Honey
- Jam
- Butter
- Cay (Turkish tea)
Coffee is usually not available at breakfast in the hotel; however, you can order it anyway.
1. Bread
Turkish breakfast? Well, one of the essentials is bread.
Turkish breakfast, all about that bread life!
So, there’s Simit, there’s Boregi, and a bunch of other bread types.
You can find these breads all over the place in Turkish bakeries.
And don’t even get me started on the pastries – so many options, from those with tons of layers, cheesy ones, buttery ones, you name it.
Now, Turkish breakfast in Turkey is called KAHVALTI. The go-to during breakfast is Simit bread. Just slap some cheese or jam on it, and you’re good to go.
But let me tell you, Turkish bread is something else – it’s tough and chewy 🙂 I’m just used to the soft and bouncy Indonesian bread, hahaha…
Oh, and they also dunk this bread into soup while eating. Check out all these bread models!
Turkish Breakfast Bread Pastry Berogi
2. Cheese
So, for Turks, it looks like cheese is a big deal during Turkish Breakfast.
And just a heads up, Turkish cheese tastes way different from the cheese in Indonesia, which is usually pretty tasty on its own.
The Turkish cheese game is, umm, how can I put it? Well, let’s just say it’s a bit unique, hahaha…
Some are super tangy, others are kinda bitter, and some even have this funky smell that might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
I’ll dive into the world of Turkish cheese sometime later; turns out, there are tons of different types.
All about cheese in Crowne Plaza Hotel
So, there’s a bunch of cheese varieties.
And you know what? Folks in Turkey don’t settle for just one type of cheese on their bread; they throw in like 2 or 3.
Can’t even picture how that tastes, hahaha…
I’m throwing in the towel if I have to give Turkish cheese another shot.
3. Jam
So, in Turkey, jams come in all sorts.
You got the homemade ones and the factory-made ones. Homemade jams are like a regular thing there.
They make jams out of black olives, cherries, apricots, and a bunch of other fruits.
Usually, you get at least 4 types of jams on the table.
And besides the fruity ones, they’ve got chocolate, honey, milk jams, and whatnot.
4. Eggs
Eggs, or as the Turks call it, Yumurta, are like the go-to breakfast choice.
You can boil them, whip up an omelette, or scramble them with veggies (they call it Menemen). Easy peasy breakfast options!
5. Olives
So, besides cheese, these olives are like a regular feature in every Turkish meal.
And me? Not a fan, hahaha… Tastes a bit odd, probably just ’cause I’m not used to it.
I usually use olives (the oil) for massages, not chomping down on them whole 🙂
They got a bunch of different fruits on the menu at the restaurant. But honestly, I usually skip those… don’t want a stomach jetlag, ending up stuck and unable to roam around because of tummy issues, hahaha….
Turkish Breakfast: Olives
In Turkey, they dish out salads too.
But here’s the twist – Turks munch on their veggies plain, you know, like tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, all just straight-up.
No mayo involved.
6. Sucuk
Sucuk is like Turkey’s take on sausages. It looks kinda like the sausages we know. People usually throw it into omelets or mix it up in Menemen.
Sucuk and eggs are a must-have in every Turkish home. Like, if someone says they’re just dealing with basic stuff at home, you can bet it’s only eggs and sucuk in their kitchen. It’s their go-to emergency menu.
You know, like in Indonesia, it’s eggs and instant noodles, not eggs and sausages.
7. Cay
Cay is the typical Turkish tea. Its colour is similar to regular tea, just a bit reddish and appears dark.
It’s usually served in those antique-looking Turkish tea glasses.
In Turkish restaurants, Cay is typically complimentary, and they’ll often refill your glass.
Turkish Breakfast Time
Turkish people usually have breakfast around 10-ish.
The lunch and dinner times are also pushed back from the usual dining hours.
The breakfast spread at Turkish hotels is like, pretty standard, you know, nothing fancy, hahaha….
Crowne Plaza Old City
I want to talk a bit about the hotel where I had breakfast.
Like I mentioned earlier, this hotel is over 100 years old. Super old, right?
This is a 5-star hotel located near the centre of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia and the Turkish Train Station are just 3 km away from this hotel.
Inside the hotel, besides the Lale Restaurant where I had my meal earlier, there’s also a cafe called Cafe Sacez.
Snapped a few pics for you to peep.
Corner of Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul Building
this pic is the front of the hotel lobby…
Lobby of Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul Hotel
There are a lot of tables and chairs…
Café at Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul
Apart from the cafe seats, the front lobby is also decked out with loads of gray sofas.
Gotta snap a pic, even if it’s a bit worn out….
The architecture is like totally classic, giving off those vibes from way back when.
Just picturing it, like a hundred years ago, this place was probably the coolest spot in Istanbul. You know, with folks rocking those old-school Turkish outfits.
Oh, it’s a shame there are no photos from those old times.
Lale Restaurant in Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul
The vibe in this room is like super classic, and who knows, it might get a bit spooky if you’re wandering around here alone at night, hahaha…
Quick pic in front of Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul Hotel, yeah?
Turkish Breakfast at Hotel: A Review
Location of Crowne Plaza Old City Istanbul
And there you have it, the wrap-up of our Turkish Breakfast adventure at Crowne Plaza Old City Hotel.
Can’t exactly call it the most Turkish experience, you know, ’cause the hotel’s got a buffet with a bunch of choices.
But hey, breakfast here was cool.
The food was decent, and you get to soak in the vibe of this old-school hotel.
We even took a stroll in front of the place yesterday.
Snapped some pics on the street with the Crowne Hotel in the backdrop and the Turkish highway.
Hopefully, I can swing by here again.
As for crashing here overnight? Hmm, gotta mull that one over, hahaha… *Anxiety Kicking In
Turkish Breakfast at Crowne Plaza Istanbul Old City
Istanbul, June 19th 2019
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