I’m not sure what all the Loving Hut restaurants have in common other than their names and veganism because LH Istanbul bears no resemblance to any of the other ones I’ve been to. That doesn’t matter though, because LH Istanbul is DElicioius! It’s a teeny-tiny little place with maybe five outside tables and a chalkboard menu. It’s known for its burgers and they didn’t disappoint. The burger patty was moist and flavorful and it came with a yummy vegan mayo plus pickles, lettuce and tomato. My VERY non-veg boyfriend even enjoyed it. I had a pasta topped with veggies and seitan sausage. It was delicious, although, I have to say, my American stomach was not happy with the tiny portion. Veggie baby Jane enjoyed both the burger and pasta immensely.

All in all, we had a great experience. On a side note, Turkish vegans are all about respecting animals and healthy living…except when it comes to smoking, ‘cause they were all lighting up! Oh, and absolutely NO signs of Supreme Master. No Supreme Master TV, no pictures of her or of veggie celebrities, no sort-of-Vietnamese food – nothing!

There are only a handful of veggie places in Istanbul and this one is consistently rated the best on HappyCow.com. So, if you’re in Istanbul, head to the Besiktas neighborhood (which is a really fun neighborhood to hang out in) for a meal and some shopping and sight-seeing.

Update: I just asked about SMTV and lo and behold, there’s a teeny-tiny TV screen tucked away inside playing it!