Modern Turkish cuisine prepared with love

"Nuray was a lovely host & cooking instructor! Her food is outstanding, and we learned techniques & recipes that we're sure we can recreate once we're home! She enjoys bringing people into her home to share her cooking, and it shows in her enthusiasm and the preparation of foods she makes for her students. My friend & I spent an enjoyable afternoon learning about her life in Istanbul. I would highly recommend this adventure & spending time with Nuray"

"Nuray welcomed us into her lovely home and was very well prepared for our cooking experience. The food was absolutely delicious with Nuray explaining everything about the various dishes as she went with clarity and enthusiasm. We participated in preparing the dishes and the table was inviting and set beautifully. We had the most delightful time eating superb Turkish food with Nuray. This was a wonderful experience and we loved spending a few hours with Nuray in her home."

"This was a fantastic experience: the opportunity to visit a family home and participate in and experience their favourite dishes. Nuray was a wonderful host. The foods we ate were delicious and I loved helping with the preparation. I highly recommend this experience."

"A cooking course in distant countries is always an experience! If you would like to cook an authentic Turkish meal, Nuray is the place for you. She had already prepared part of the appetizers, we cooked other appetizers (kisir - bulgur salad, lahmacun) as well as the main course (pilaf) and the dessert (kadayif) together. When we got together afterwards, we enjoyed everything together. (translated by Google)"

"I did this cooking class Christmas Day 2021 and what a fantastic way to spend Christmas away from home. Nuray was so friendly, hospitable, and a marvellous cook! Together we made künefe, börek, and pilav—three Turkish staples. Earlier in the day, Nuray had prepared side dishes and salads. Everything was absolutely delicious! We visited easily and had such a pleasant evening. Thank you Nuray! Kolay-gelsin!"

"My mother and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon cooking and chatting with Nuray. She is an excellent cook and a very gracious hostess. We feel fortunate we had the chance to meet her, sample her delicious Turkish cuisine, learn from her and relax in her home. It was a wonderful and valuable experience as part of our time exploring Turkey. We would definitely recommend the Traveling Spoon Cooking Class with Nuray."

"Many thank you’s to Nuray and her daughter Ipek for such a warm welcome! Everything was perfect! They are easy to talk to and are ally’s of the LGBTQ community. All my love and gratitude to the both of them!"

"Charming, energetic and extraordinary experience. I am a Turk who live in Anatolian side of the city so i was wondering what i will meet when i arrived their home. I found plenty delicious foods(many types) and two wonderful people. İpek was so lovely and talkative and Nuray was so energetic and hospitable. Even i am unsociable person, i felt like i have lots of things to talk with them. We spend nearly 3 hours at the table so i couldn't realize how time pass so quickly. The food was amazing, plenty and dessert was incredible. I became full and i even couldn't try other foods on the table. I felt very special at the table and it was so warm atmosphere. Their home is located near the metro&metrobus station and not far from the airport. It was a great experince for me. I strongly recommend anyone who looking for extraordinary experience and nice people to talk Şehrin anadolu yakasında yaşıyorum. Bu deneyim de Nuray ve İpek'in evinde neyle karşılacağımı çok merak ediyordum. Harika,lezzetli bir sürü yemek ve iki harika insanlar buldum. İpek çok tatlı ve konuşkan. Nuray hanım çok enerjik ve misafirperver. Ben çekingen bir insan olmama rağmen yanlarında hiç yabancı hissetmedim. Yemek masasında yaklaşık 3 saat harcamamıza rağmen zamanın nasıl geçtiğini anlamadım bile. Yemekler bol miktarda ve inanılmazdı. Doyduğum içim masadaki bazı yemekleri deneyemedim bile. Çok özel hissetim ve sıcak bir ortam vardı. Evleri metro ve metrobüs istasyonuna gayet yakın. Ayrıca havaalanına ulaşımı kolay. Benim için harika bir deneyimdi. Sıradışı bir yemek deneyimi yaşamak isteyen herkese tavsiye ederim."

"I am a Turk who live in Anatolian side of the city so i was wondering what i will meet when i arrived their home. I found plenty delicious foods(many types) and two wonderful people. İpek was so lovely and talkative and Nuray was so energetic and hospitable. Even i am unsociable person, i felt like i have lots of things to talk with them. We spend nearly 3 hours at the table so i couldn't realize how time pass so quickly. The food was amazing, plenty and dessert was incredible. I became full and i even couldn't try other foods on the table. I felt very special at the table and it was so warm atmosphere. Their home is located near the metro&metrobus station and not far from the airport. It was a great experince for me. I strongly recommend anyone who looking for extraordinary experience and nice people to talkŞehrin anadolu yakasında yaşıyorum. Bu deneyim de Nuray ve İpek'in evinde neyle karşılacağımı çok merak ediyordum. Harika,lezzetli bir sürü yemek ve iki harika insanlar buldum. İpek çok tatlı ve konuşkan. Nuray hanım çok enerjik ve misafirperver. Ben çekingen bir insan olmama rağmen yanlarında hiç yabancı hissetmedim. Yemek masasında yaklaşık 3 saat harcamamıza rağmen zamanın nasıl geçtiğini anlamadım bile. Yemekler bol miktarda ve inanılmazdı. Doyduğum içim masadaki bazı yemekleri deneyemedim bile. Çok özel hissetim ve sıcak bir ortam vardı. Evleri metro ve metrobüs istasyonuna gayet yakın. Ayrıca havaalanına ulaşımı kolay. Benim için harika bir deneyimdi. Sıradışı bir yemek deneyimi yaşamak isteyen herkese tavsiye ederim."

"Deniz and her husband were wonderful hosts. They were both so interesting, and well traveled and made us feel welcome. The food was great and plenty. So plenty we felt guilty not eating more. The venue, overlooking the Bosphorus, was also singular. Our group has traveled to many exceptional places, but this experience - the venue, the food, the gracious hosts - will always stand out for our families and our children (right down to the 6 year old!)"

"We loved our experience with Ipek and Nuray. First, we especially enjoyed seeing a different part of Istanbul that was off the tourist path--taking the train out to their normal Istanbul neighborhood was a welcome difference from the downtown areas. Second, the food was incredible, especially the various mezes and Nuray's heavenly baklava. And finally, Ipek and Nuray were lovely and welcoming hosts, making us feel at home in their home and sharing an evening of interesting conversation. We'd definitely recommend dinner at their home, or any other Traveling Spoon host, to anyone planning a trip to Istanbul!"

"Ipek & Nuray were wonderful hosts! They made me feel very comfortable & cared for as I was alone during a 15 hour layover in Istanbul! The food was wonderful & gave me an understanding of Turkish cuisine. I would go back to dine with them in a heartbeat!"

"The taxi ride on a rainy Saturday afternoon had me nervous that the destination would be worth the trip as my husband and I, and our two adult children, rode apprehensively through Istanbul's notorious traffic , but once we arrived, we all felt transported!I can not say enough about how much fun we had with our delightful hosts and how delicious our meal was. Nuray is a pro in the kitchen and the preparation was informative and easy. By the time we sat down to dinner, it felt like we were all old friends - we shared stories, laughter, photos and a magnificent meal.Our evening with Nuray and Ipek was a highlight of our trip."

"We had a great time with Nuray and her son during our visit. They were very friendly, helped give us some more context about Turkey/Istanbul, and made sure we learned a bit about Turkish cooking. Although we did help some with chopping/mixing, Nuray did most of the cooking and there wasn't too much instruction. We had a great time and learned a lot anyway. Thanks!"

""My husband and I had a dinner and cooking class with Nuray and Ipek at their home in Istanbul. Although Nuray had prepared several dishes before we arrived we helped with the borek and pilaf. Every dish was delicious and we shared lively conversation during our meal. It was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend Traveling Spoon to any of my friends.""

"The more I use Travelling spoon....the more I love the experience of connecting people through food...and the cultural exchange is just another bonus! It's def making the world a smaller place!"

"Ipek & Nuray were wonderful hosts! They made me feel very comfortable & cared for as I was alone during a 15 hour layover in Istanbul! The food was wonderful & gave me an understanding of Turkish cuisine. I would go back to dine with them in a heartbeat!"

"I'm so glad I booked the meal and cooking lesson with Ipek and Nuray. They were so welcoming and really have me a chance to get outside the touristy parts of Istanbul and connect with people who really live there. The food was delicious and the conversation was great. By the end we were laughing like old friends."

"The taxi ride on a rainy Saturday afternoon had me nervous that the destination be worth the trip as my partner and I, and our two adult children, rode apprehensively through Istanbul's notorious traffic , but once we arrived, we all felt transported. I can not say enough about how much fun we had with our delightful hosts and how delicious our meal was. Nuray is a pro in the kitchen and the preparation was information and easy. By the time we sat down to dinner, it felt like we were all old friends. Our evening with Nuray and Ipek was a highlight of our trip."

"we felt we got a very good insight into a locals usual daily life - including using public transport to get there. They were great company, lovely food and we highly recommend."

"We had a great time with Nuray and her son during our visit. They were very friendly, helped give us some more context about Turkey/Istanbul, and made sure we learned a bit about Turkish cooking. Although we did help some with chopping/mixing, Nuray did most of the cooking and there wasn't too much instruction. We had a great time and learned a lot anyway. Thanks!"

"We had a dinner and cooking class. Although Nuray had prepared several dishes before we arrived we helped with the borek and pilaf. It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend Traveling Spoon to any of my friends."

"We had a great time with Ipek and Nuray. We were even joined by Nuray's son. The food and presentation were fantastic! They were all very warm, friendly, hosts and open to any questions we had about Istanbul and Turkey. Their place is on the 14th floor, is quite modern and has great views. We ended up forcing ourselves to leave after 4 hours so we could catch the metro back to our place."

"We had a great time with Nuray and Ipek. They took us on a tour of a local market and we helped them prepare a few final dishes for dinner. They made us feel welcome into their home and we will definitely keep in touch. Wonderful experience!"

"My husband and I had a fantastic experience. I did cooking and meal and Geoff watched but mainly talked to Ipek about work , education, health government comparing our countries. Nureyev and I cooked away and chatted to our heart was cornet. Nurey had prepared some good but explained how it was cooked. She was going to do a plain rice pilau bit I asked about one I had in a restaurant so we went through all her cupboards with her explaining all the ingredients and made the restaurant pilau I had eaten. Nurey was so flexible and I could ask her anything about cooking which she had a real love and real talent in. We then had an amazing dinner and talked and laughed all night. Left at 11.30 so we could catch the last trams. Highly recommend it and Nurey and Ipek are fantastic hosts. They are looking forward to your visit Hannah. I have already recommended to people in our hotel. Great fun will do it in other countries. It was great food, great company and great laughs- life couldn't get better!!!"

"My husband and I had a fantastic experience. I did cooking and meal and Geoff watched but mainly talked to Ipek about work , education, health government comparing our countries. Nureyev and I cooked away and chatted to our heart was cornet. Nurey had prepared some good but explained how it was cooked. She was going to do a plain rice pilau bit I asked about one I had in a restaurant so we went through all her cupboards with her explaining all the ingredients and made the restaurant pilau I had eaten. Nurey was so flexible and I could ask her anything about cooking which she had a real love and real talent in. We then had an amazing dinner and talked and laughed all night. Left at 11.30 so we could catch the last trams. Highly recommend it and Nurey and Ipek are fantastic hosts. They are looking forward to your visit Hannah. I have already recommended to people in our hotel. Great fun will do it in other countries. It was great food, great company and great laughs- life couldn't get better!!!"

"We loved our experience with Ipek and Nuray. First, we especially enjoyed seeing a different part of Istanbul that was off the tourist path--taking the train out to their normal Istanbul neighborhood was a welcome difference from the downtown areas. Second, the food was incredible, especially the various mezes and Nuray's heavenly baklava. And finally, Ipek and Nuray were lovely and welcoming hosts, making us feel at home in their home and sharing an evening of interesting conversation. We'd definitely recommend dinner at their home, or any other Traveling Spoon host, to anyone planning a trip to Istanbul!"

"We could not have felt more welcome by Nuray and Ipek. They are lovely, warm people who are eager to share their culture and food with guests. And let's talk about the food - it was absolutely delicious. Nuray is an extremely talented homecook. I'll be dreaming about her carrots in yogurt sauce, kisir, and imam bayildi (eggplant with tomato sauce) for a long time to come - not to mention the 100% homemade baklava!! Nuray sent us home with a few leftovers which we shared with our Turkish friends. One of them attended culinary school in New York and, after tasting her kisir, proclaimed that it was better than his aunt's. High praise indeed. Their home was tidy and welcoming. We felt very comfortable spending the evening with them and I know they will continue to be inviting hosts in the future."