ISTANBUL—It’s a meal worth the trip—from one continent to another. Boarding a big, lumbering ferry at the bustling port of Besiktas, I take a spot near the stern on the upper deck, sipping a hot cup of Turkish tea as the boat makes its way across the Bosphorus. In the middle of the busy waterway—a strait flowing between two seas, separating Europe and Asia—this massive city rises around me. The dome of Hagia Sophia and the minarets at the Blue Mosque, the turrets of Topkapi and the top of the Galata Tower. But I’m leaving it all behind, bound for a small market, in Asia, looking for arguably the very best kebab in the world.
Having recently faced difficult times, Istanbul is back. While the classic sites still attract, the city is undergoing a transformation, with a brand-new airport (set to become the largest in the world), new restaurants, and an overall optimistic vibe. And, as it has for hundreds of years—from Byzantium, through the Ottomans, to today—it remains one of the finest places on earth to find a good meal.
