Changa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Changa is a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey, established in 1999 and located close to Taksim Square. It is owned by restaurateurs Tarik 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 compliments 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]
[edit] Branches
Changa has made a joint effort with a renowned hotel in Bodrum openning 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]
[edit] References
- ^ Changa at Peter Gordon's personal website
- ^ a b c d e Changa Restaurant/Bar/Private Dining Room. Changa official website. Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
- ^ Restaurant Magazine- The World's Best 50 in 2002
- ^ Archnet Digital Library-Changa Restaurant
- ^ Fusion Food: Cooking without Borders December 11, 2007
- ^ Göltürkbükü Restaurants
- ^ Restaurants January--News&Notables. Time Out Istanbul (2005-09-15). Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
