Etiler Dönercisi (CLOSED)

Serkan Mutlu is someone who has capitalized on his 20 years of expertise in the döner business by offering consulting services to restaurants in both Turkey and abroad. In recent years he’s worked with a number of eateries from China to the U.S. with the aim of introducing the world to superior döner before taking on his latest project: Etiler Dönercisi. Mutlu beams with pride as he talks about the iskender served here: thin slices of döner are served atop pides (which are also baked on premises using a blend of milk and whole-wheat flour), then topped with melted butter brought from Bursa. The menu isn’t just limited to iskender, of course: you’ll also find dishes like beğendili döner (served with eggplant puree), çökertme döner (served with French fries) and altı ezmeli döner (served on a bed of tomato paste). Prior to finding success and opening his own restaurant, Mutlu spent years working at a variety of döner shops in Kartal, Maltepe and Ataşehir on the Asian side of Istanbul. He also gained experience working at Bayramoğlu Döner, one of the city’s top döner spots in Kavacık, before branching out into the world of restaurant consulting with his first international client in Russia. “The same way a musician needs to practice his instrument daily, I need to feel the knife between my fingers each day,” he says. “The way I skewer two rows of beef, followed by a row of lamb, is similar to how a weaver toils before the loom.” Mutlu also places great importance on training his staff, as he wants them to play an active role in sustaining the level of quality at international restaurants where he offers consulting services. Mutlu & Co.’s focus on excellence has quickly made Etiler Dönercisi one of the best places to enjoy döner in the city – and we’re happy to report that they’ll be opening a second location soon.