Walking past the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque on my way to dinner, it strikes me that Istanbul isn’t just a city – it’s a living presence, a mosaic of meaning. An avant-garde assortment of memories that mirror a deeply textured past. After two weeks here, I’ve come to feel this past as it lingers in the air, etched in stones worn smooth by centuries of belief. It’s also a place of layered stories, where the East doesn’t necessarily end, nor the West begin. In Istanbul, the past speaks in many languages, one of them, unexpectedly, through food. And you can hear it clearly in places like Sakhalin Istanbul.
Tucked into this city of beautiful contradictions, Sakhalin finds its home within the sleek contours of the Zorlu Center, Istanbul’s nexus of luxury and modern living. At one of the city’s most exclusive addresses, Sakhalin offers more than just destination dining; it invites you to enter this dialogue. A space where flavours speak of tradition and innovation in equal measure.
Sakhalin forms part of the Moscow-based White Rabbit Family, a collective known for reimagining fine, and its flagship, White Rabbit Moscow, regularly ranks among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Here in Istanbul, the menu is a collaborative effort between celebrated Brand Chef Vladimir Mukhin and Head Chef Doğukan Kaya, weaving together global vision with local intuition.
As I step inside, a stylish hostess greets me by name, her words wrapped in a soft Turkish accent. Formalities are exchanged, and I’m guided to my table. Sakhalin unfolds in carefully curated layers of texture and tone, imagined by renowned architect Irina Glik. Oversized arched floor lamps cast intimate pools of light across tables. Rich hues of red and pink play against a marble-clad bar and softly lit interior, lending the room a warmth that many, it seems, have come here to bask in.
Doğukan celebrates the culinary Mediterasian language of Sakhalin: a hybrid of Mediterranean soul and Asian technique, built on fresh seafood, vibrant vegetables, and umami-rich sauces. “I grew up in Izmir, immersed in Mediterranean flavours,” Doğukan reflects. “When those ingredients meet Asian-style sauces and techniques, the possibilities are limitless.”
At Sakhalin, Doğukan takes that inheritance and lets it wander. Artichokes from Urla arrive in season and are paired with ponzu-dressed local tuna tartare in one dish. In another, eggplant salad is slow-smoked Turkish-style before being laced with coriander and fresh ginger; two elements rarely seen in traditional Turkish cuisine.
It’s this tension, of restraint and risk, that gives Doğukan’s tasting menu its resonance, and opting for the Turkish wine pairing with the tasting menu felt like the natural choice.
Crispy kohlrabi (also called German turnip or turnip cabbage) came first, holding within it tender crab, elevated by the sweet hit of Turkish lemon. Then the gaburda salad: Kamchatka crab, avocado, and caviar offset by the dry, precise fizz of a Bellussi Prosecco. Each dish is rooted in a childhood spent in Izmir yet offers a fresh new perspective.
Then came a dish that quietly commanded attention. Smoked eel, tamago omelette, and foie gras, finished tableside, flames rising like a slow exhale. The eel’s earthy intensity met the subtle sweetness of the tamago in perfect cadence. Layers of heat unfolded across my palate, while the Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc, with a lemon, green apple, and grassy lift, reined everything in with its acidity.
By now, I was fully drawn in. Then arrived the Urla blue tail shrimp ravioli, its bisque sauce rich and the pasta stained a deep red, folded delicately like the soft candies of childhood. “When I was young, I loved those sweets,” Doğukan later tells me. “And when I came to Sakhalin, I knew I wanted to bring that memory to the plate in the form of ravioli.”
Or the Kamchatka crab, its cottony sweetness gently steamed and served with a caviar-laced champagne sauce and airy milk foam. “The champagne is the ocean,” Doğukan explained, “and the foam is what the waves leave behind.”
The seabass course, my personal highlight, arrived with the grilled skin crackling under the weight of the savoury yet subtly sweet lobster sauce. I sipped on a Turkish Vinolus Chardonnay, adorned with florals and a hint of minerality on the finish, typical of its Kayseri terroir. Not a wine I typically reach for, but at that moment, everything seemed to align. It was the kind of pairing that makes you pause mid-sentence, the world narrowing to just what’s on your tongue.
And then, a Sakhalin signature dessert: caviar-topped tiramisu. Decadent. Playful. Absolutely intentional. Doğukan uses it as a punctuation mark, a wink to the rare, a nod to Sakhalin’s Russian roots and a celebration of the sturgeon caviar’s lavish salinity against the cream. True to Sakhalin’s ethos, the caviar is ethically and sustainably sourced. Indulgence with a conscience.
Sakhalin wasn’t just dinner. It was a chance to listen to Istanbul through the language of food. A place where each course carried the weight of the past and the wonder of what’s still to come.
Much like Istanbul, Sakhalin resists a final note. It stays with you, in flavour and feeling, unfolding slowly. Just as the Hagia Sophia holds the city’s breath in stone, Sakhalin captures its spirit on the plate.
Three lesser-known things to do in Istanbul
Skip the usual tourist crush at the Blue Mosque and head instead to the rooftop of the Blue House Hotel for sundowners with a view. Watch the sun sink into the Marmara Sea as history dances with the present in a play of clouds and skyline.
Love indie-bohemian neighbourhoods? Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet, headed for Kabataş, but jump off at Fener. A short walk will lead you to colourful Balat, one of Istanbul’s most Instagrammable quarters. Look out for the brightly painted New Balat Café, they serve a cracker flat white.
Lose yourself at A La Turca, a hidden trove of art and antiques in Istanbul’s creative Çukurcuma district. Set in a spectacular 19th-century townhouse, its four stories brim with one-of-a-kind finds. Begin your visit as tradition suggests — with a sip of cherry wine and a plate of sweets.
