Taking a cooking class is a wonderful way to learn about the culture as well as meeting other…read moretravelers. After we met our instructor, Oguz, he took us on the side streets of istikal where we visited and learned about spices, seafood, pickled items, fruits, and sweets. We had samples and Oguz also provided us tips on what to look for in quality and price. Then we continued onto the cooking class. Each station for two were provided along with the recipes for the dishes we would prepare and a pencil so we can write notes. We prepared 5 dishes- hummus, borek, dolma, an eggplant dish, and rice pudding. Recipes were easy to follow and we were given ideas of how to add other items to each recipe to make it our own. For example, you can add yogurt to hummus to make it creamier. After our food was done cooking we enjoyed the fruits of our labor and learning about our "classmates" and the many wonderful stories of Istanbul and other places they had just visited. Food taste better when it is shared and even better when prepared together :)

We started out the day with a tour of the fish market. This included a tour of several of the…read morestores, tastes of smoked fish, spices, and sweets, as well as fascinating details about the foods and tastes of Turkey. We were a small group and as there wasn't an evening class afterwards, we a good two hours going through the market before getting to the cooking school itself. Then, we had a fantastic class cooking traditional Turkish dishes from different styles of cuisine. The cooking instruction and the storytelling that went along with it were truly interesting and Oguz was fantastic. Great tastes, fun class -- highly recommend.

From the owner: Sürekli gelişimini sürdüren ve dinamik yapısını en üst düzeyde teknik altyapı ile destekleyen…read moreMSA'nın Maslak kampüsünde; Euro 2011 normlarındaki profesyonel mutfak ve ekipmanlarının yanı sıra 'workshop'lar için tasarlanmış mutfak, barmen, barista ve sommelier eğitim salonu, değişik kullanım amaçlarına göre planlanmış seminer odaları, 24 kişilik eğitim sınıfları, Türkiye'nin ilk ve tek mutfak auditorium'u, AR-GE çalışmalarının yürütüldüğü mutfak laboratuvarı ve Okulun Mutfağı isimli okul restoranı yer alıyor. Bünyesinde MSA Electrolux Auditorium'unu bulunduran MSA, bu özel donanımlı merkez ile eğitim alanında sektöre büyük katkı sağlıyor. 140 kişilik oturma kapasite bulunan auditorium'da sadece ülkenin değil, bütün bölgenin en büyük Molteni pişirme ünitesi yer alıyor. MSA Electrolux Auditorium'unda Türkiye'nin önde gelen işletmelerin sefleri ağırlanıyor, yeni ürün deneme ve geliştirmeleri yapılıyor ve geleceğin şef adaylarının gelişimine yönelik eğitim projeleri hayata geçiriliyor. MSA binası, kişi sayısını algılayan akıllı elektrik tüketim ve tasarruf sistemi, atıksu tesisatlarına bağlı cihazlarda Euro 2011 normlarında bakteri sifonları, atık su sistemlerinde yağ ve nişasta tutucu paslanmaz çelik kapanlar, okul genelinde ve davlumbazlarda otomatik yangın algılama, uyarı ve söndürme sistemleri, homojen hava dağılımlı, kumaş kanallı havalandırma sistemleri gibi ileri teknolojileri barındırıyor.

From the owner: Uluslararası Servis ve Lezzet Akademisi - USLA olarak 30 yılı aşkın bir süredir otelcilik ve…read moreyiyecek içecek sektöründe sertifikalı ve diplomalı eğitimler veren "American Hospitality Academy International Hotel Management Schools (AHA-IHMS)"'un İstanbul kampüsü ve Türkiye'nin önemli uluslararası otel işletmeciliği ve aşçılık akademileri arasında yer alıyoruz. Öğrencilerimize çok uluslu ve çok kültürlü bir ortam sunarak sürekli gelişen ve büyüyen otelcilik, yeme-içme sektörünün profesyonellik ve kaliteli hizmet anlayışını USLA ekibi, tedarikçilerimiz ve iş ortaklarımızla daha üst seviyelere taşımak ana hedefimiz

I loved this class. I got to meet a group of people interested in food and history and current…read moreevents - and learn how to cook delicious food. It was amazing. If you're in Istanbul and love cooking, take this class!

Selin is awesome. Her passion for food and travel makes her the perfect host for international…read morevisitors. She guided us through the Spice Bazaar to give us a background on what is at the root of Turkish cuisine before taking us on a scenic ferry ride to her kitchen in Istanbul's Asian side. Cooking with Selin was like cooking with family. We joked, drank wine, and tasted - all over our international love of food. It was great. Although we were making several dishes at once Selin's instructions and approach made it very enjoyable and felt like a breeze. We made an amazing lentil soup special for the cool and wet Istanbul day while prepping our eggplants for the meat stuffing that was already simmering on one of the stoves. We grated and chopped vegetables like a pro - but not as professional as Selin and her rose bud tomato, but still pretty great. I could go on about how great it was to feel like I had a family in a foreign country and how amazing the food was smelling but really the proof was in the pudding, and by pudding I mean stuffed eggplant, lentil Soup, pastry rolls, salads, and stuffed apricots with clotted cream. It was all so good and so flavorful. Spending a day cooking with Selin and Turkish Flavors was by far my favorite time in Istanbul - both on the Europe and Asia sides. It's not often you get the chance to spend the day cooking with someone who makes you feel truly at home their country, city, and apartment. Selin and Turkish Flavours can do just that and more. Highly recommend for foodies and those looking to feel at home in the largest city in Europe. For more see my full review which includes lots of delicious pictures! http://www.thislifeintrips.com/reviews/turkish-flavours-review/