Changa (restaurant)

This article is about the restaurant Changa in Istanbul, Turkey. For other uses, see Changa (disambiguation).
Changa, exterior view of sign
Changa interior

Changa is a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey, established in 1999 and located close to Taksim Square. It is owned by restaurateurs Tarık Bayazıt and Savaş Ertunç,[1] and operated under the consultancy and supervision of the renowned Kiwi chef Peter Gordon.[2] In 2002, Changa was chosen 39th of the world's 50 top restaurants by the Restaurant magazine.[3]

Named after the Swahili language word for "mix",[2] Changa is situated in a restored house of Art Nouveau style built in 1903, occupying its all four floors.[4] The interior is a combination of classic style with modern elements. The restaurant can host 90 people at a time and the bar can handle up to 40. For private occasions, the dining room on the fourth floor can accommodate between twelve and thirty persons.[2]

The kitchen presents Turkish cuisine blended in line with modern style dishes of Pacific Rim utilizing fusion-method cookery that allows natural ingredients with international flavors to be marinated, cooked and served all in harmony on the same plate.[2] Fusion food is cooking without borders, melting two or more ingredients from two different cuisines to create a new single dish that complements the individual flavors and ingredients. The fusion technique is centuries-old and was born when the Chinese people moved to America, the Americans adopted the Mexican food, the Africans came to Europe and the French discovered the Indo-Chinese cuisine. However, this type of food was criticized by some gastronomers for having no rules and no defined techniques without respecting the traditional recipes.[5]

In addition to its ranking at the "Top 50", the venue was honored in 2002 with "Overall Excellence Award" by the Time Out magazine.[2]

Branches

Müzedechanga

Changa has made a joint effort with a renowned hotel in Bodrum opening a beach restaurant and bar in 2002.[6]

In 2005 the restaurant opened another branch, "Müzedechanga" (literally: "Changa at the museum"), at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Istanbul overlooking the Bosphorus.[7]

In 2007, Müzedechanga has won prestigious Wallpaper Design Award for "Best New Restaurant".[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Changa at Peter Gordon's personal website Archived January 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c d e "Changa Restaurant/Bar/Private Dining Room". Changa official website. Archived from the original on 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  3. ^ Restaurant Magazine- The World's Best 50 in 2002 Archived March 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Archnet Digital Library-Changa Restaurant Archived June 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Fusion Food: Cooking without Borders December 11, 2007
  6. ^ Göltürkbükü Restaurants Archived March 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Restaurants January--News&Notables". Time Out Istanbul. 2005-09-15. Retrieved 2008-02-17.

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