18 April 2016

Turkish Breakfast Review - Forno

A few months ago I met a work contact for breakfast in Balat. I don't often go to Balat and really wanted to take pictures for a breakfast review but also didn't want to be that weird person taking pictures of her food. However I totally can be that weird person around my friends who have, by and large, already accepted that I am weird. Since spring has finally arrived in Istanbul I dragged M to Balat Saturday morning for breakfast and exploration.


Once we got to Balat on the Golden Horn, which is the new new hipster neighborhood it took me a few minutes to find my way back to Forno. However in those few minutes we realized that Balat is not lacking for breakfast places! It is quite the opposite actually as there's a new, and often quite colorful, cafe every few meters. I see many a field trip to Balat in our future.


Forno is well-known for its pide, however its breakfast isn't too shabby either. For 35TL you get access to a full breakfast buffet, fried eggs of your choice (M had eggs with cheese, I got them with roasted meat), and unlimited tea. Of course they also offer a variety of coffee options. The breakfast buffet is pretty amazing: simit, bread, croissants, su borek, five different cheeses, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, tomato paste, olive paste, kaymak, honey, jams, and fruit yogurt.


Forno is small, just a few tables, and while there were staff a plenty service was a little iffy Saturday morning. M ordered a filter coffee that didn't arrive until 10-12 minutes after he ordered it and after we'd asked for it a second time. His second coffee took nearly as long to get which, considering they seem to be using a pod coffee maker, there really just isn't an excuse for that.


Iffy service aside, the food is great. The eggs were tasty and the buffet offerings certainly above standard. M and I were enamored of the yogurt which was like the kitchen sink of yogurts with apples, pears, strawberries, orange peel, and honey all thrown into the mix. We had several helpings. While this is just my first foray into breakfasting in Balat I would definitely recommend Forno.

Forno
Fener Kireçhane Sk. No:13
Balat, Fatih

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