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

1

Hacı Abdullah Lokantası

IstanbulTurkiye
Ağa Camii Atıf Yılmaz Caddesi
Recommended by Petit Futé and 10 other food critics.
"We particularly recommend lamb with its aubergine purée (kuzu incik patlıcan)."
2

Pandeli

IstanbulTurkiye
Balık Pazarı Kapısı Sokagı 1/2
Recommended by Tuba Satana and 9 other food critics.
"The signature dishes are divine, including hünkar beğendi (charcoal-roasted eggplant pureed with milk, butter, and cheese, served with tomato-braised veal)."
3

Karaköy Lokantası

IstanbulTurkiye
Kemankeş Karamustafa Paşa Mh.
Recommended by Eat Your World and 8 other food critics.
"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."
4

Etiler Hünkar

IstanbulTurkiye
Etiler Mahallesi
Recommended by The Guide Istanbul and 5 other food critics.
"Hünkar is particularly famous for its beğendili kebap (eggplant puree with lamb chunks). Recommended Dishes: Hünkar Beğendi."
5
Recommended by Istanbul Bites
"This is not just a must-eat at Hünkar, but on earth."
6
Recommended by Hilary Stockton and 1 other food critic.
"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."
7
"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."