Its design of raw-inspired wood panels and glossy stone surfaces complements the overall aesthetic at Ororo, enunciated by the presentation of its many and diverse dishes. Beginning with a vegetable gyoza is an appetizing diversion from the norm of tastes that fill the complacent air of Istanbul’s often monolithic kitchen. With a lightly browned surface crisped to sautéed perfection, sprinkled with fresh onions, doused in a deep red oil and sesame sauce, Ororo is a stealthy outfit for prompting a certain order of deliciousness.
In two variations, there is a tempura tofu dish that, true to its Japanese muses, is listed as “dainamaito” on Ororo’s menu. It is a vegan treasure, and comes either as spicy, or suffused with sweet chili. The soft, crackly effect of eating these hints of cherry blossom paradise are tantamount to taking a plunge in the cavernous reaches of the culinary imagination, where a thing as utterly contemporary as tofu takes on an immemorial pulse of palatal familiarity. And with plain or sweet and sour edamame beans, a rich and sumptuous feast is on its way.
The opening suite of plates at Ororo is not entirely vegetarian in the least, but is soaked with the seafood inventions authentic to Japanese dining. Shrimp are a focal point, whether as chips or fried in tempura batter. A step further down the evolutionary chain are delicacies with octopus, namely the “takoyaki,” topped with a salty infusion of sea greens and spread across with the specially piquant house mayonnaise. Although sushi is sometimes best fit for the heat of summer, Ororo serves a wealth of winter-friendly offerings, like their hot, sour chicken soup.
And encompassing not only the food culture of Japan, but of the Pacific region, including the Chinese “bao,” or bun, Ororo prepares it almost in the style of a taco. It is interesting to note that the idea of filling doughy bread with savory nourishments is likely part of a shared culinary and linguistic bridge connecting East Asian cuisine to that of Turkey, as the “bao” apparently originates from a dish popular in Inner Mongolia called, “mantou,” which, with a quick etymological reading, sounds quite close to the Anatolian “mantı" dumpling.
In a quartet of variations, from vegan, chicken and beef to shrimp, the “bao” buns at Ororo have the distinctive quality of integrating such ingredients as caramelized mushrooms or marinated cabbage. As one of their complimentary salads, instead of noodles, they make what they call a “zoodle” out of daikon, served with pieces of pineapple to induce a tropical aura about their transporting fare. The range of their ordinary noodles are exceptional, including a beet-infused Pad Thai and a verdant rice noodle Midori with coconut milk and soy sprouts.
And stretching out with the typical pan-Asian sensibility of most sushi restaurants, Ororo uses wok cooking not only to take on such traditional southern Japanese dishes as “Chicken Nanban,” which is said to have Portuguese influences, owing to the early history of the two countries’ interactions. In the 16th century Portugal was the first European nation to reach Japan, and it can be assumed that, in nearly half a millennium, the peoples must have traded not a few recipes between their comparably exquisite kitchens.
For those in search of Chinese food in Istanbul, which can be a difficult and underwhelming venture, it seems best to look for restaurants that might lead, within, to a recipe from China. As such, Ororo cooks the well-Americanized favorite, General Tso’s Chicken, popular wherever takeout and night life is concerned. But on the breezy, quiet side street of Fırıldak in Kadıköy, it enjoys a more gourmet approach. And performing a welcome crossover with a Turkish street food too, the woks of Ororo fire up a “pilav” rice with steamed vegetables.
Finally, after a course of stimulating appetizers and regional wanderlust, the main event of sushi fans out with a luscious and vivid ink painting of selections, enough to cool anyone to a fixed point within its tranquil cheer. Over a pot of green tea, endless choices of classic rolls, maki options and Ororo specialties are enough to tantalize anyone for an infinite return to the tables and the counter of the restaurant, where chefs are busy, their kitchen open for viewing, as they slice and curate refined adaptations of the sushi concept.
A couple of beloved vegan rolls are the Kabocha, with puréed pumpkin and baby turnip, or the Shiitake, with the famed mushroom fortified by ripe avocado and blue poppyseed. And after rounds of nigiri and sashimi, there are unconventional sweets to be savored, like a roll named Reiko, with homemade peanut butter and delicate rice paper. While people watching on a bright weekday afternoon, or a cozy weekend evening, Ororo is as fine a place as any to sit back with a lavender kombucha and observe one sliver of the world walk by, unnoticed.
