improvvisazione

I'm not big on Mediterranean food but wow, this was great! The team is very attentive, the space is beautiful, and the food is both gorgeously plated and tasty without being fussy. We hosted a ten person dinner and had a blast. Taksim is good for both solo dinners *and* larger gatherings.

Taksim is a modern take on traditionally Mediterranean foods and techniques -- with a particular focus on Turkish cuisine. Just like its converted airy modern-industrial setting, the food invites you to enjoy its novel-yet-familiar character while imagining its original inspirations.

After eating through an array of starters and mains, it's clear that each item on the menu has been carefully thought out. I'd definitely recommend sharing food family-style, as an efficient way to try a bit of everything! Cocktails here were also tasty and creative.

Particular highlights for me were:
- Lamb Carpaccio: I found the flavors of the various ingredients here to work together very well.
- King Shrimps: The shrimps used in this appetizer were shockingly fresh, and the crunchy texture from the kadaif pushed the dish into "wow" territory.
- Branzino: The fish was fresh and well-prepared (notably, flesh was not dry while skin was crispy), and the portion was generous. But besides that, the naturally-salty sea beans and the anchovy rice pilaf both complemented the branzino nicely to produce a well-balanced entrée.
- Turkish Donuts: This dessert actually has chocolate prepared 5 different ways. The donuts themselves were not that sweet, but were still chock full of chocolate flavor.

Overall, this was an enjoyable dining experience, and I'll definitely be back to try the items I didn't/couldn't get to this time.

Uzak bir ülke ama yakın tatları deneyimleyeceğiniz harika bir restaurant. Hikayesi de yemekleri kadar renkli. İki genç girişimcinin çabalarıyla açılmış mekan, şimdilerde San Francisco’da seçili restaurantlar arasında yer alıyor. Türk mutfağının, değişik sentezlerle hazırlanması, rakının farklı kokteyllerde sunulması, kadayıflı karidesi, fasulye yatağında kuzusu, hem göze hem de damağa hitap ediyor. Tatlı çörekler enfess…Tabii dekor ve ambians çok keyifli. SF, California’ya gidince mutlaka uğranacak bir mekan. Şiddetle tavsiyedir.