Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 5 dish mentions say about the food
Nisan Balık’s grilled kolyoz earns near-universal acclaim for its pristine freshness and smoky char, with reviewers celebrating the simple, masterful treatment of the fish. The overall vibe is one of unpretentious, seaside perfection.
“This horse mackerel is as local as it gets for Istanbul. It's fried whole, head and tail on. The head is crunchy like Pringles, and the tail is another crispy bite. The actual meat just melts in your mouth with the crispiness. It's so buttery and tender. You eat it by biting the head off first, then the tail, then eating one half and picking out the bone.”
What creators say
1 creator has covered Nisan Balık. Most active: Mark Wiens
A fantastic seafood restaurant in Kadıköy Market, serving incredibly fresh fish and classic mezes right from the source.
Dishes mentioned
Karides Güveç
This shrimp dish is incredible. The shrimp from the Marmara Sea are sautéed in butter with garlic and chili. The butter is scorched and infused with chili, and you just want to soak bread in it. The shrimp are sweet, plump, and bouncy. It remains hot in that clay vessel, which is perfect.
Kolyoz
This horse mackerel is as local as it gets for Istanbul. It's fried whole, head and tail on. The head is crunchy like Pringles, and the tail is another crispy bite. The actual meat just melts in your mouth with the crispiness. It's so buttery and tender. You eat it by biting the head off first, then the tail, then eating one half and picking out the bone.
Kalamar Tava
These are huge, meaty rings of calamari, like calamari steaks. They're battered and deep-fried, very tender. The tarator sauce, made with bread crumbs, vinegar, garlic, walnuts, and lemon juice, is mild in flavor and just adds to the calamari. It would also be good with a squeeze of lemon.
Levrek Izgara
This whole grilled sea bass is cooked perfectly. The skin is crispified and brown, and the meat inside looks so juicy. The texture is really nice, firm but buttery and moist. You can feel the fish oils. It's very mild and flaky. A squeeze of lemon is perfect on it.
Tahinli Helva
This is a classic finish to a seafood meal. It's tahini halva mashed down in a clay pot with milk and lemon juice, then baked. It's caramelized on top and very creamy underneath. You really taste the flavor of the sesame seeds from the tahini. It's sweet, nutty, and creamy, with a touch of cinnamon. Really good.
