If you’re in Fethiye and your taste buds are hankering after some Far Eastern flavours – grab your chopsticks and head into town. Fethiye’s cosmopolitan foodies, who are searching for home cooking from Japan, China and Korea, need look no further than Yıldırım Pension.
Travel broadens the mind and the menu
Every summer Yıldırım Pansyon (Yildirim Guesthouse) is the place where backpackers from all over the world come to stay when they are in Fethiye. And, for the last 15 years the owner, Ömer Yapış, has reciprocated by backpacking his way around the world during the winter months.
But his love affair with the orient has gone way beyond exotic beaches and temples; for Ömer it is about the cuisine of the countries he visits – and not the fare on offer in tourist restaurants – his passion is for good home cooking.
“There are only a few places I haven’t been to yet, but I already have plans,” Ömer said. The range of delicious dishes that will appear on his table then can only be imagined!
His culinary knowledge is also being broadened with the help of his Korean girlfriend, Leyla. (Her Korean name is Eunhee na). A travel writer and translator, she is happy to take a back seat while Ömer has free reign of the spotlessly clean kitchen, only checking the seasoning from time to time and nodding her approval.
Tiny kitchen with big flavours
This is probably just as well as the kitchen is tiny! Indeed, the fact that, similar to Turkish home cuisine, many dishes appear on the table all in one go, this leads to the possibility of the kitchen being some sort of Tardis or magical wardrobe, leading to an eastern Narnia (think of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe)! There must surely be some sort of vast far eastern kitchen hidden away inside…
Far Eastern cuisine in the heart of Fethiye
So, if you fancy a steaming bowl of tasty noodles, a plate of exquisite sushi, or a spicy beef curry – Korean style – you know where to go.
Afiyet olsun!
Bon appetit
맛있게 드세요 (maht-it-ge deu-se-yo)
For more information or to book a table call Ömer Yapış on 0543 779 47 32 (These meals are only cooked to order, so please don’t turn up unannounced or you’ll be disappointed).
The Yildirim Guesthouse is in İkinci Karagözler, just past the Ece Marina on the opposite side of the Road.
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