We purchased a few things but one of our personal faves, especially with summer officially here, is Uludağ Gazoz is one of Turkey's most beloved soft drinks, with a history stretching back to 1930. Named after the famous Uludağ mountain in Bursa, this iconic soda has been a staple of Turkish summers, beach trips, and childhood memories for generations. What sets it apart from your typical fizzy drink is its lighter, more refined sweetness. We also purchased, Gaziantep pistachios which are basically the gold standard of pistachios — Turkey is famous for them, and Gaziantep is the city that produces the best quality ones in the country.

Ending your meal with Turkish coffee, tea, and rice pudding isn't just dessert — it's the full cultural experience. Turkish coffee is rich, thick, and intensely aromatic, served in a small cup with a piece of Turkish delight on the side, meant to be sipped slowly and savored. The tea, served here in a plastic cup(we look it to go), but usually poured in its signature tulip-shaped glass. And that rice pudding — known as sütlaç — is creamy, silky, and delicately sweet, with those signature golden-brown caramelized spots on top that give it a subtle depth of flavor.

This is Turkish dining at its finest. The İskender Kebap is an absolute classic — thinly sliced döner meat layered over torn flatbread, drenched in a rich tomato sauce and hot butter, served alongside a cool dollop of yogurt and flame-charred peppers and tomatoes. It's the kind of dish that's hearty and bold but somehow perfectly balanced, with the yogurt cutting through the richness in exactly the right way. On the side, the çoban salatası is everything a salad should be — bright, fresh, and simple, with finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and herbs tossed in lemon and olive oil, finished with a handful of cured black olives. It's the perfect counterpart to the warmth of the kebap, refreshing your palate between bites. Together, these two dishes tell you everything you need to know about Turkish cuisine — generous, flavorful, and made with an honesty that doesn't need to be dressed up.