by Dr Rahim Said
There are dinners you remember for the company, and then there are those you remember for the sheer audacity of what landed on your plate.
My recent evening at the 29th floor of the Tuyap Palas Hotel in Istanbul, overlooking the tranquil Sea of Marmara, fell squarely into the latter.
Pan-fried sea bass — it sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? And yet, when it arrived in a grand deep platter, the presentation alone earned a quiet nod of approval.
The fish was perfectly fried, its edges a delicate crisp while the inside remained fresh and tender. It perched confidently atop slender slices of pasta — made, quite unexpectedly, from celery.
On the side, a generous helping of Turkish couscous, its small, round grains looking more like sago pearls than the grainy North African staple we’re used to.
Visually, it was stunning. The contrast of colours was enough to halt conversation: the slightly reddish-pink hue of the fish against a sea of green, swimming in a gentle, greenish sauce. It was as if spring itself had settled on my table.
Taste-wise, the dish was a quiet revelation. The couscous, less glutinous than sago but with a pleasant, subtle chew, acted as a mellow base.
But it was the celery pasta that stole the show. Crunchy, almost raw in its firmness, it reminded me of thinly sliced courgettes or zucchini — but with a sharper, brighter note.
There was a tang too, a sourish lift that made each bite addictive. I suspect it came from a clever mixture of yogurt and a vinaigrette of herbs and vegetables, though the chef wasn’t giving away his secrets.
And the setting? As sublime as the food. We dined as the sun set over the Sea of Marmara — a sunset somehow more generous and lingering than those I’ve known back home near the Equator.
The sky stretched in shades of bright orange and dusky pink, as if conspiring with the kitchen to create a perfect evening.
Was it spring? Early May in Turkey, when the cold recedes but the sharpness of winter still kisses the night air. A season where dishes like this — light, sharp, and playful — feel most at home.
If you find yourself in Istanbul, book a table high above the city, ask for the pan-fried sea bass, and wait for the sunset. You’ll understand.
WE