Akali Maçka — Restaurant in Beşiktaş

Where do I start?

I am a big foodie from London and stumbled across this place after watching a YouTube video on burgers in Istanbul. As a lot of you may know, we are pretty much spoilt for choice in London for great burgers which include a lot of independents and also a vast array of chains which do great burgers. I have also visited some burger joints in America which were my favourite till date, as it was the birth place after all.

However, after visiting Akali, I must say this was probably one of the best I've had so far. For a humble burger, it provides you everything you need. The soft, juicy patty and perfect softness, density, thickness of the bread and the benji sauce provided great creaminess and sharpness to this burger.

I tried the double patty as seen in the pictures, and if you are feeling hungry I will...

Soo... I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. The special sauces are delicious and the burger bun is really soft but the meat ruins everything. The way they cook it... It’s so greasy but at the same it’s so dry that you can’t swallow it. I like the meat to be cooked in such a way that it caramelizes on the outside and is juicy on the inside. Akali’s meat is in no way near what I like... In addition to its meat, the bread/bun is so soft that it almost has no taste at all, neither does it support the meat physically nor dilute meat’s intense flavor/texture. It has no use in the composition. The fries are OK, nothing special. I was so excited to try their burgers, I can’t say that they were bad since it would be unfair but in general I’m really...

It is a cozy place with limited outdoor seating available; therefore there is a waiting process but we only waited for 10 minutes. So it is not a place to spend hours in, best is enjoying your burger and leaving to let all the others to do the same.

However, the burgers are great. You create your own burger, choosing the size and sauces that you customize your burgers with. As a jalapeno fan I have tried Jalapeno mash. Normally, I am not a fan of the taste of meat and always get a weird and disturbing taste but this very burger just tasted great from start to finish. Fries are also good and most importantly the portion first fills your eyes. :)

You should really try it!

One awkward closing note; toilet is also clean and have a...