Çiğköfteci Ali Usta — Restaurant in Fatih

First Time Trying Çiğköfte – A Memorable Experience at Çiğköfteci Ali Usta

As a visitor from Canada, this was my very first time trying çiğköfte, and I couldn’t have picked a better place than Çiğköfteci Ali Usta. For those unfamiliar, çiğköfte is a traditional Turkish dish made from fine bulgur, tomato paste, and a mix of spices, kneaded until it reaches a rich, spicy, and slightly tangy flavor. Traditionally made with raw meat, today’s popular versions are completely vegan — and absolutely delicious.

From the moment I walked in, I was entertained. Watching Ali Usta prepare the çiğköfte sandwiches was part of the experience — fast, skillful, and almost like a performance. He really puts on a show, and it adds to the authentic street food charm.

The sandwich itself was packed with flavor and freshness. Wrapped in soft lavash with crisp lettuce, parsley, pomegranate sauce, and lemon — every bite was bursting with taste. It had the perfect balance of spice and zest.

Highly recommend it to anyone visiting Turkey and looking for a local experience. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a cultural moment — and one I’ll never forget. Thank...

The story of çiğ köfte which seems to prevail goes something like this: in the time of Abraham, in the city of Urfa in southern Turkey, lived king Nimrod who had all the available firewood collected to erect a giant execution pyre for Abraham. The people, lacking fuel, proceeded to mash their venison into a paste and mix it with spices to make it palatable. I cannot attest to the accurateness of this story, but its a nice one anyway.

Master Ali sells his çiğ köfte on a small side alley Muhzirbaşı Sk, before that mostly to local workmen and residents, but now you can see many tourists take the long line to wait for this delicious roll. You can purchase portions wrapped in lettuce leaves, rolled into a wrap with lettuce, or plain in a plastic container to bring home and enjoy at your convenience. There are two options: spicy (acılı), and very spicy (çok acılı) and all choices are without meat. Drink lots of ayran with it (salty yogurt drink) to keep your mouth cool. You can find çiğ köfte everywhere in Istanbul, but Ali Usta is the cheapest option yet...

English/Deutsch/Türkce

English

i was in istanbul around the end of 2021 and wanted to get an impression of the location myself. The small store or stand is known for its owner who always works energetically and it comes to funny moments (see youtube). this store sells mainly cigköfte.

first you stand in line and you can choose from a menu of about 10 dishes. while it is mostly the same things e.g. cigköfte with 1 or 2 patties. the price at the time was that 1 wrap or yufka with cigköfte costs 9tl and with 2 wraps a bit more. After paying you come after a short wait directly to the Ali usta(master) and he asks the customer various things and interacts with the customer what belongs to his show. the questions are mostly the same whether you want it to be spicy and whether it should have a lot of lemon juice as well as the content of the pomegranate syrup. after that he hands over the wrap and it is immediately ready to eat.

since i have had many cigköfte and i never liked it that much i was surprised how tasty it was here. it was not at all comparable to the one from germany or other countries. cigköfte super tasty very hearty and fresh taste. clear further recommendation

Deutsch

Ich war Ende 2021 in Istanbul und wollte mir selbst einen Eindruck von dem Ort verschaffen. Der kleine Laden oder Stand ist bekannt für seinen Besitzer, der immer energisch arbeitet und es zu lustigen Momenten kommt (siehe youtube). In diesem Laden werden hauptsächlich Cigköfte verkauft.

Zuerst stellt man sich in der Schlange an und kann aus einer Speisekarte von ca. 10 Gerichten wählen. wobei es meistens die gleichen Sachen sind z.B. Cigköfte mit 1 oder 2 Fladen. der Preis war damals, dass 1 Wrap oder Yufka mit Cigköfte 9tl kostet und mit 2 Wraps etwas mehr. Nach dem bezahlen kommt man nach einer kurzen Wartezeit direkt zum Ali usta(Meister) und er fragt den Kunden verschiedene Dinge und interagiert mit dem Kunden was zu seiner Show gehört. die Fragen sind meistens die gleichen, ob man es scharf haben möchte und ob es viel Zitronensaft haben soll sowie der Inhalt des Granatapfelsirups. danach übergibt er den Wrap und es ist sofort verzehrfertig.

Da ich schon viele Cigköfte gegessen habe und sie nie so mochte, war ich überrascht wie lecker sie hier war. sie war überhaupt nicht vergleichbar mit der aus Deutschland oder anderen Ländern. Cigköfte super lecker sehr deftig und frisch im Geschmack. klare Weiterempfehlung.

Türkce

2021'in sonunda İstanbul'daydım ve kendim Ali ustayi görmek ve denemek istedim

Önce sıraya girersiniz ve yaklaşık 10 yemeklik bir menüden seçim yapabilirsiniz.ama çoğunlukla aynı şeyler. o zamanki fiyat çiğköfte ile 1 sarma veya yufka 9tl ve 2 sarma ile biraz daha fazlaydı.Ödeme yaptıktan sonra kısa bir bekleyişin ardından doğruca ali ustaya geliyorsunuz ve müşteriye çeşitli şeyler soruyor ve müşteriyle şovu yapiyor. Ali Usta sizi ne istediğinizi ve istemediğinizi sorar, bol limon suyu içmeniz gerekip gerekmediği ve nar ekşisinin içeriği ile ilgili sorular çoğunlukla aynıdır.

Çiğ köfte süper lezzetli, tadıda taze. ...