Kadırgalı’s fresh spin on two Turkish classics

Ebru Erke

There are certain dishes in Türkiye that carry the collective memory of a nation. "Köfte" and "kuru fasulye" are exactly such dishes. When served at home, they evoke a sense of comfort; in a humble "esnaf lokantası," they embody a resilient tradition; and on the street, they become a ritual that reflects the rhythm of the city. When you take these two dishes seriously, you are, in fact, laying the entire culinary culture of a country on the table. Because in these lands, köfte is a culinary signature passed from one generation to the next, and kuru fasulye is one of the most democratic dishes of Turkish cuisine — it finds a place on every table.

The story of Kadırgalı began in 1999, when two childhood friends who grew up in Istanbul’s historic district of Kadırga, Ünal Dölek and İsmet Özçelik, finally decided to pursue a dream they had carried within them for years: To open their own restaurant. First came the dream; then came long journeys across various European cities, restaurant visits, meticulous note-taking and eventually one essential question: “How can we present the dishes beloved in this city, in this country, at their very best?”

This search led to the opening of the first Kadırgalı location in 1999 at Zeytinburnu Olivium. The goal was to reinterpret the street-rooted flavors of Istanbul — köfte and kuru fasulye — within a disciplined, professional kitchen. What began as a youthful dream soon started transforming into a strong gastronomic brand. Köfte had always been part of the Kadırgalı kitchen, but the opening of “Kuru Pilav” in 2008 became a turning point that revealed just how ambitious this brand intended to be. The aim was clear: “To serve the best version of kuru fasulye — a dish loved by everyone — anywhere in Türkiye.” An eight-month R&D process followed, with daily demos and tastings. Feedback, criticisms, refinements… all continued until everyone agreed on the same sentence: “Yes, this is it.” Only then were the doors opened. Today, you can eat kuru fasulye in countless places across Istanbul, but very few are the result of such a long, patient and methodical process.

The beans Kadırgalı uses are not chosen randomly. Erzurum İspir’s şeker fasulyesi carries a completely unique flavor due to the altitude at which it grows, the mineral structure of the soil, the chemistry of the water and the region’s cool night temperatures. This balance affects how the bean holds its shape and how its interior turns creamy during cooking. Each October, the team travels to the fields during harvest, sees the product on site and purchases a year’s supply — because maintaining the same quality year-round is otherwise impossible. Every day, the beans are cooked for three and a half hours in a copper pot with only butter and a special tomato-based sauce, then rested for an hour. The copper ensures even heat distribution, allowing the beans to cook uniformly from core to skin. The accompanying baldo rice is not a simple side dish but a carefully calibrated element requiring serious technique. What may appear to be a classic “kuru fasulye – pilav” plate is, in fact, an effort to restore the gastronomic dignity of a dish that is often not taken seriously enough in Türkiye.

The backbone of Kadırgalı is, of course, köfte. In Turkish cuisine, köfte spans an enormous universe, from home cooking to the mangal, from street food to the esnaf lokantası. Yet Kadırgalı approaches this “universally loved” dish with a discipline almost reminiscent of fine dining. The meat is sourced selectively from the Balıkesir region. For them, the most critical point is this: “Ground meat must ferment in order to become köfte.” This fermentation begins with bread — only 5 percent is used — because the yeast and sugars in the bread help open the structure of the proteins, deepen the aroma and soften the texture. What follows is a 12-hour fermentation period. Only after this resting process is the mixture seasoned with onion and salt, shaped and rested for another two hours. Fourteen hours after the process begins, the köfte is finally ready to meet the oak charcoal. The result is not merely “köfte” but a manifestation of craftsmanship: A thin caramelized crust on the outside, a juicy but balanced interior that respects the texture of the meat.

Today, Kadırgalı operates three different concepts across Istanbul, all connected by the same philosophy: A deep respect for traditional Turkish cuisine, meticulous attention to ingredients and producers and a persistent determination to carry this culinary heritage into the future. The youngest and most dynamic of these is Köfteci Kadırgalı in Sirkeci. Hidden among the historic restaurants of Hocapaşa, this small shop embraces the essence of street food culture. “It’s not easy to say ‘we’re here too’ among restaurants that have been around for over a century,” they say. But there is a truth that the years have taught them: “Always do your best and success will follow.” And so it has. In a short time, they began to be called one of Sirkeci’s best köfte spots, with the shop filling up throughout the day.

There is another notable side to this location: A large portion of its guests are foreign tourists. Kadırgalı sees itself not just as a restaurant but as a cultural ambassador. The unsolicited small dishes placed on the table, the plates served with the tiny flag of the guest’s home country, the final glass of tea… Each gesture becomes a photograph, a video, a story — and thus a piece of Türkiye’s gastronomic identity travels back across borders. The “köfte” or “kuru fasulye” that the tourist tastes here becomes part of the story they tell when they return home.

On the menu, there is also an entirely unique dish developed by Kadırgalı: "Cilveli kebap." Like the kuru fasulye, this dish is the result of a long R&D process. Köfte skewered and grilled over charcoal is placed on pieces of pide soaked gently in a special meat broth, accompanied by roasted kapya peppers, sumac onions and a rich yogurt. The result is a refined interpretation of street food — a dish especially loved by tourists because it brings together both familiarity and discovery.

Going to a köfteci or a kuru fasulyeci in Istanbul often means grabbing a quick meal. But the story of Kadırgalı reminds us of something important: Köfte is not simple. Kuru fasulye is not ordinary. Street food is never an afterthought. When good ingredients, disciplined technique, respect for the producer and genuine care for the guest come together, what emerges is not just a dish but a brand story, a city’s memory and a cultural heritage. That is exactly what Kadırgalı is doing today — carrying Istanbul’s traditional cuisine into the future with the same determination that once fueled a childhood dream. And with every plate, they repeat the same quiet truth: in this country, köfte and kuru fasulye do more than satisfy hunger; they bind a nation together.