Luisah: lovely image of your balloon ride! Was that $180 per couple or person? also, even though i am not quite ready to delve into restaurant research, i did read a great article about a guy and his restaurant the "Çiya Sofrasi" on the Asian side. Does anyone know it? As always, thanks for so much input. And otherchelebi, I promise to post within a month of our return.

But who knows, you might freak out and humilite your wife
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She's used to it.

Here's copy of short info i wrote on TA earlier this year on CIYA:

Just cross the square when you disembark from ferry at kadikoy pier (not very straight forward, i must admit) take the pedestrian shopping street across from the pier, take the second or third street right. It is just 50 meters or so down on your right.

It is good that you have studied the menu and read the posts by Attagul and GTTD. The cuisine is very different from an American or even a typical turkish one. There are tastes which you will not be used to having mixed up. It requires someone adventurous or a seasoned traveler or a gourmet to like this food. Or a very hungry person who is none of the above LOL.
The menu will never show all ingredients and tell you how they wanted that dish to taste.

Meatballs with sour cherries will be a totally unimaginable taste because it may involve parsley, red peppers, and possibly other ingredients as well.

Best would be to stick your finger in the pot and lick it, but i doubt they will let you. LOL

"But who knows, you might freak out and humilite your wife
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She's used to it."

Oh, great. She'll have fun on this trip.

I don't know what humilite means, maybe something terrible, but I meant to write humiliate.

Forgot: Balloon ride $180 per person.

otherchelebi: mmmmmmmmm..... i am totally game for meatballs/sour cherries! it sounds incredible. thank you for the review! i already have a map there... and Luisah, thanks for the specifics, still a little over the top for us but you never know where impulse buying can lead you.

There is so much to do and see in Turkey that you'll have a wonderful experience with or without the hot air balloon ride.