Istanbul eats
Small talk with Ansel Mullins on food as a way to communicate
By Carole Marshall Photography: Yannis Bournias
“Food is a way of exploring the city, learning about the culture, an excuse to visit neighborhoods I wouldn’t otherwise see. I am not so much interested in the trendy restaurants —although of course you have to monitor these trends; I found that the most interesting stuff going on was in humble old family restaurants. These places somehow offered the stories I was looking for”.
He has been writing about food constantly since 2008. In 2009 Ansel Mullins and his friend and partner Yigal Schleifer started a website. IstanbulEats.com was named Saveur’s “Best Culinary Travel Blog” in 2012. They have also co-authored the book Istanbul Eats: Exploring the Culinary Backstreets, a guide to the best food spots in Istanbul.