WHERE TO EAT The best Hünkar beğendi in the world (according to food experts)

"We particularly recommend lamb with its aubergine purée (kuzu incik patlıcan)."

"The signature dishes are divine, including hünkar beğendi (charcoal-roasted eggplant pureed with milk, butter, and cheese, served with tomato-braised veal)."

"You can shell out for a meal that includes hünkar beğendi at one of the city’s pricey “Ottoman restaurants,” or you can sample royalty in a more down-to-earth setting at Karaköy Lokantası, in Karaköy."

"Hünkar is particularly famous for its beğendili kebap (eggplant puree with lamb chunks). Recommended Dishes: Hünkar Beğendi."

"This is not just a must-eat at Hünkar, but on earth."

"The most intriguing part of this dish was the eggplant puree--creamy and smoky, so I'm guessing the eggplant was well charred first, before being peeled and pureed. The lamb was very tender and the sauce was well reduced."

"Definitely don’t miss the hünkar beğendi, a hearty dish of falling-off-the-bone-tender lamb shank served atop a velvety eggplant-enriched béchamel in a shiny Turkish copper pot."