Chef Lütfiye Hacıelaziz çiğ köfte, Eminönü

Vegan çiğ köfte, three minutes from the Spice Bazaar.

Spicy bulgur wraps made fresh every morning by Lütfiye, with a heat level you choose. No meat, no dairy, no tourist prices.

Get directions See the menu
  • Open Mon–Sat 11:00–19:00
  • Wrap 70 TL
  • Eat in or take away
A çiğ köfte wrap held in one hand: spicy bulgur on lettuce inside thin lavash bread
Lütfiye in her apron, preparing çiğ köfte at the counter
Lütfiye, at the counter every morning

Is çiğ köfte vegan? Yes.

Çiğ köfte started centuries ago as a raw meat dish from Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey. The version eaten across Turkey today is entirely plant-based: fine bulgur kneaded for an hour with isot pepper paste, tomato paste, onion, garlic and spices until it turns dark red and silky. It is one of the few traditional Turkish foods that was already vegan before anyone used the word.

At Chef Lütfiye every wrap and every portion of çiğ köfte is vegan, and so are the lavash bread, the greens, the pomegranate molasses and the pickled turnip juice. The only two things on our menu that are not vegan are ayran, a yogurt drink, and the Doritos wrap. Just ask and we will point you to what is safe.

Çiğ köfte portion on a plate with lettuce, parsley and lemon wedges

Read the full guide: what is çiğ köfte, and how do you eat it?

Five wraps, one çiğ köfte

Every wrap below is the same fresh çiğ köfte in the same lavash bread. The only thing that changes is how much isot pepper goes in. We named the five levels after the steps of the halay, the line dance of southeastern Turkey: it starts slow and ends fast, and so does this list.

  1. Granino chiliNothing hot in it. Full flavour, zero burn. Start here if you are unsure.
  2. Köza little hotWarm rather than hot. The isot pepper stays in the background.
  3. Dokuzlunine greensMild, with nine kinds of fresh greens rolled in. The freshest one.
  4. YanlamahotThis is where the burn begins. Proper Urfa heat.
  5. Harlamaextra hotThe finale. Finish it without ayran and you go on our wall. Not a joke.

Every one of them is a çiğ köfte wrap, 70 TL — or 95 TL with a drink. Ordering a portion to share instead? You choose the same heat level. See the full menu.

How to find us

Kadıoğlu Sokak No:10, Sarıdemir Mahallesi
Eminönü, Fatih, Istanbul

We are on a small wholesalers' street just behind the Spice Bazaar. It is a three-minute walk:

  1. Leave the Spice Bazaar by the exit next to Rüstem Paşa Mosque.
  2. Walk along Hasırcılar Caddesi, the busy street of spice and nut shops.
  3. Turn into Kadıoğlu Sokak. We are at number 10, look for the black and gold sign.
Open in Google Maps+90 551 163 82 91

Open Monday to Saturday, 11:00–19:00. Lunch is busiest between 12:00 and 14:00; a wrap takes two minutes.

Questions people ask

Is everything vegan?

Almost. Every çiğ köfte item is plant-based. Two things are not: ayran (yogurt) and the Doritos wrap, which uses a cheese-flavoured chip. Sauces are pomegranate molasses and chili; no mayonnaise, no butter.

Is it gluten-free?

No. Bulgur is cracked wheat and lavash is wheat bread. If you need to avoid gluten, this is not the right dish.

Is it really raw?

The name means “raw meatball”, but there is no meat. The bulgur is softened by kneading with hot water and pepper paste, not cooked. It is eaten cold, with lettuce, parsley and lemon.

Can I pay by card?

Yes, card and cash. No minimum.

Do you deliver?

We are on Yemeksepeti for delivery around Eminönü. In the shop it is eat in or take away.

Türkçe

Eminönü'nde çiğ köfte, halay dürüm faslı, esnaf ve öğrenci fırsatları için Türkçe sayfamıza geçin.