PASAJ Cook & Book

AYCE vegetarian buffet for ₺20! I stuffed my face with two big plates. When I went, here were the choices: bread, mini cucumbers, cheese, bulgur rounds in tomato sauce, cheese polenta squares, roasted potato, stewed cabbage, chickpea rice, warm hummus, lentil köfte, and black eyed pea salad. They also give you a personal-​sized pitcher of water.
Everything was so tasty. I’m wouldn’t say that I’m a diehard carnivore, but I mostly think that some sort of meat usually rounds out a meal. I didn’t miss it at all here!
Really liked the place. It had coffeehouse vibes (like I could hang out there for hours leeching their wifi with my laptop, or reading a good book) but with excellent food.

We spent an absolutely idyllic afternoon here, eating to our heart’s content, using the WiFi, and making new friends with the staff. My husband and I just happened upon Cook & Book as we were roaming through Kadikoy on a beautiful day, and they had mint-​lemon water that looked delicious, so we sat down. Soon, we were hooked. We received a delightfully friendly welcome, and came back the next day to stay for longer. Nurhan, one of their chefs, speaks great English, and this small and family-​friendly place is sure to satisfy young and old alike.
The menu is buffet style, all-​organic, all-​vegetarian. There are tons of vegan options. The best poppy-​seed walnut cake I have ever tasted. We finished off the last piece of cake, and then I was taught the recipe, step-​by-​step! Delicious food, featuring lots of traditional Turkish mezze and also some harder-​to-​find things like quinoa on the menu. Great salads. Tasty tea. All you can eat, only $ 15 TL. The only caveat: If you take more than you can eat, they threaten to charge you double. Seriously. These guys are serious about their environmental ethic and they are equally serious about their food.
The ambiance is mellow, this is a nice place to sit and work on a laptop, and good music (no abrasive Euro-​pop… more like jazz and bossa nova). Ciya may get all the fame, but Cook & Book is also doing something special in their own unique way, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
I’ve got only love for this place. Next time you’re in Kadikoy, don’t miss it.