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Istanbul

Coffee in a Time of Corona Virus: Cup of Joy Opens New Istanbul Café

June 11, 2020 By Michael Leave a Comment

Cup of Joy

Istanbul, like much of the world, has spent the last three months locked down due to COVID-19. Coffee shops, along with bars and gyms, were some of the first businesses to be shut down by the government. As such, I went the longest stint I’ve gone in my coffee-drinking life without having an espresso or cappuccino.

Of course, it’s hard to complain about missing such luxuries when so many have truly been forced to go without. Besides, if I’m being honest, it hasn’t been coffee I’ve missed as much as coffee shops. The human interaction. A space to be creative. Bumping into old friends and make new ones. Corona Virus might have called the economic viability of coffee shops into question, but we’ve never been in greater need of the holistic services a good coffee shop provides….

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Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Cup of Joy, Istanbul, Turkey

Enter the Roasters: Warrick Masfen and Suzi Erit Launch KungPow Coffee

September 23, 2019 By Michael Leave a Comment

Earlier this year we were at a cupping at Istanbul’s Arabica Trading House when a colorful coffee bag caught our eye. It turned out to be the first production roast from KungPow Coffee, a collaboration between South African expat Warrick Masfen and Istanbul native Suzi Erit. After finding out we liked the contents just as much as the Aqua Teen Hunger Force-esque label, we reached out to learn a little bit more about the brand. 

So, tell us about KungPow Coffee. What’s your origin story?

The idea has been around for some time now– basically since Warrick started working in the coffee industry, and then we got to the point where we asked ourselves would we rather be the head of a chicken or the tail of the bull. With the morale boost from the win at the 2019 SCA Turkey roasting championship, we set into motion our plan, to build a transparent coffee roasting company with competitive prices all while adopting a more fun and colorful vibe.

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Istanbul, Kung Pow Coffee

Montag Coffee Roasters Opens in Bomonti, Istanbul

July 18, 2019 By Michael Leave a Comment

“Good coffees is worth the stairs.” That’s the motto that’s helped make Montag Coffee Roasters a fixture of the coffee scene in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district. The original location occupies some prime real estate overlooking the fish market, and despite being a floor removed from street level, is almost always crowded. As such a pillar of the city’s Asian side, perhaps it was inevitable that Montag would expand to the more densely populated European side. But rather than opening up in specialty coffee hot spots, like Nişantaşı or Cihangir, Montag chose the up-and-coming Bomonti neighborhood….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Istanbul, Montag Coffee Roasters, Turkey

Coffee Department Opens New Cafe in Nişantaşı

January 31, 2019 By Michael Leave a Comment

I’ve longed bemoaned the fact most tourists visiting Istanbul don’t make it to Balat, the old Jewish quarter. In addition to its colorful row houses and historic synagogues, Balat is home to one of my favorite coffee shops, Coffee Department. The roaster/retailer has set themselves apart as one of the strongest brands in a very crowded marketplace, due in no small part to founder Metin Benbasat’s tireless dedication to quality. Benbasat is a longtime resident of Nişantaşı, so it makes sense he would open his second café closer to home….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Coffee Department, Istanbul, Nişantaşı, Turkey

Take a Look at Petra Coffee’s Stunning New Maslak Café

December 27, 2018 By Michael Leave a Comment

Petra Coffee MaslakThe most exciting neighborhood for coffee in Istanbul right now is a full 12 kilometers from the city’s center, and technically it’s not really a neighborhood. Maslak is something of an urban curiosity— a suburban financial district on the Northern edge of Istanbul’s European side. But this island of skyscrapers is also home to a booming number of specialty coffee shops— driven by the plethora of white collar office workers that populate the glass high-rises during working hours. The newest of of those shops is the latest café from roaster/retailer Petra Coffee, in the lobby of the Mudo Concept Tower….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Istanbul, Masklak, Petra Coffee

A Look Inside Probador Colectiva’s New Tasting Room

December 18, 2018 By Michael Leave a Comment

Çağatay Gülabioğlu is something of a legend in Turkish coffee circles. Gülabioğlu was the first licensed Q grader in Turkey, serves as the national coordinator for the Turkish Aeropress competition, and is the regional distributor for Cafe Imports. He also founded the pioneering roaster/retailer Kronotrop, a company he has since sold. After moving on from Kronotrop, Gülabioğlu cofounded the wholesale roastery Probador Colectiva, which continues to set the standard for quality in the Turkish coffee scene. Although Probador often hosts professional events and trainings, consumers who wanted to try their coffee had to buy it online, or track down one of their wholesale partners. That was until Probador recently opened a tasting room in its Tophane headquarters….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Çağatay Gülabioğlu, Istanbul, Probador Colectiva

A Look Inside Petra Coffee’s Gayrettepe Headquarters

March 7, 2018 By Michael Leave a Comment

Petra Coffee Three flat screen televisions are showing The Wizard of Oz on mute while loud speakers blast classic 50s rock and roll. In the background, a dull screeching sound, accompanied by the immediately recognizable smell of roasting coffee, fills the expansive space. A small army of baristas, all dressed in identical horizontally striped shirts, swarm behind the bar, making drinks for the quickly growing queue of office workers on their lunch break. Somehow, all of these disparate things harmoniously join to create Petra Coffee’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Gayrettepe neighborhood….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Istanbul, Petra Coffee, Turkey

Ottoman-era Elegance at Petra Coffee in Nişantası, Istanbul

October 18, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Petra Coffee Istanbul’s Nişantaşı district occupies a unique place in the social strata of the city. Equal parts West Village and Upper East Side, it’s home to the older, upper crust, but also writers, academics, and expatriates. It’s a cosmopolitan neighborhood where you you might spot a soap opera star ducking into a boutique wine shop, but you can still buy fresh artichoke hearts from a street vendor. The district almost functions like it’s own village surrounded by the city. With some of the city’s best parks, restaurants, and schools, Nişantaşılılar need not leave their little oasis hidden in the hills between bustling Taksim and Beşiktaş. With a café like Petra Coffee in the neighborhood, we don’t blame them. …

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Istanbul, Nişantaşı, Petra Coffee

Balat Coffee and Guide Offers More Than Coffee in Istanbul’s Jewish Quarter

October 5, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

Coffee shops have long been the cultural informants of their neighborhoods. When traveling, you can usually count on a barista to know the best restaurants, which tourist traps to avoid, and some hidden gems off the beaten path. Balat Coffee & Guide takes that role to another level….

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Filed Under: Coffee Shop Reviews Tagged With: Aslı Yaman, Balat, Coffee and Guide, Istanbul

Thousands Flock to Istanbul Coffee Festival

September 26, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Unseasonably hot weather and freak flash thunderstorms didn’t keep thousands of Istanbullu from flocking to the Istanbul Coffee Festival last week.  As avid Turcophiles, we’ve been following the progressing specialty coffee scene in Istanbul since 2012 when the first third wave cafés opened. It’s hard to believe in a few short years specialty coffee in Istanbul has gone from a smattering of  boutique cafés tucked away on back streets to filling one of the larger event spaces in the city: Küçükçiftlik Parkı….

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Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Istanbul

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