Istanbul Blue - Turkish in Vienna, VA

Regional Dining Discussions DC, Mid-Atlantic
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I had been here once years ago and enjoyed it very much, but this place is so hidden away that you could drive right by and not see it. It is located on an important intersection but in a development of business townhouses. Can’t be seen from the street.

I remember the falafel being very good and was eager to revisit that. I also ordered the patlican salad, which is chopped eggplant and peppers, almost a puree.

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Over the years I’ve had mostly disappointing falafel, but this reminded me why I loved this place the first time. Large balls with a coarse, nutty interior. Despite some moisture, verging on the fluffy. They are served over a ‘light’ hummus.

As a counter, the patlican salad is zippy and fresh tasting. It is served with a slice of lemon and warm ‘baseball mitt’ of bread.

I didn’t venture further as this was already a lot of food, but I do want to come back here with a group.

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I adore good Turkish food. We practically OD on it back in the homeland.

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Where is the homeland?

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Berlin. Last two or three summers, Turkish has been our final meal before we head back to the US.

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Sounds delicious!

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Five curious and hungry folks had lunch yesterday at Istanbul Blue. It was consistently delicious, though I am not sure it is as good a Turkish restaurant as Amoo’s is a Persian restaurant.

They no longer make the patlican salad I ordered two weeks ago (see the OP) , the only disappointment of the meal.

We ordered:
Imam biyladi
Arnavut cigeri
felafel over hummus
lahmacun
sucukli pide
Iskender kabob (our only ‘main dish.’)

The meal was served with a basket of two pillowy loaves of fresh hot bread and an herbal dipping oil. We were so focused on the bread that none of us noticed the dipping oil until we were all full. But that didn’t stop me from eagerly enjoying some anyway.

The impressive dish was the arnavut cigeri, strips of liver sauteed crisp and hot with onion, tomato, and a bit of jalapeno to give it zip. Great texture to the liver. This was a joy.

Imam byiyaldi (stuffed eggplant) is served with raisins and is a tad sweet, so my least favorite.

Felafel, as expected, was perfect, super crispy exterior and fluffy inside.

Lahmacun, sometimes referred to as Armenian pizza, was very fine indeed. You’d be hard pressed to find better in the area.

The sausage pide was a boat-shaped dough with a ‘pepperoni’ and cheese topping. What’s not to like? Comes to the table piping hot which made it delightful, though the bread is not impressive.

Iskender kabob seems like it’s sliced off a rotisserie, though in very small pieces and I couldn’t really tell what kind of meat… mixed with croutons and a yogurt sauce. Enjoyed by all

So there you have it. The kabob was our only main dish. Lots of deliciousness to go around and I am encouraged to return.

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sigh! Jealous!

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The eggplant was my least favorite, too, but I didn’t find it terribly sweet. Loved the liver, but I think my favorite was the Iskender kebab. Loved the different textures and flavors. I would happily eat any of the other dishes again. Actually, I would probably pass on the pepperoni pizza. It was tasty, but not special.