Culinary trip to Anatolia at Carlton Cannes
Already present in the Middle East and London, this concept has set up shop in the prestigious Croisette palace and for a second season offers generous traditional Anatolian recipes, colourful and brought up to date.
The streets of Cannes are once again alive with kirik hava music, this short rhythmic song accompanying a spinning dance that we hear as we approach the Carlton. We celebrate the reopening of the restaurant after a winter break. This year, the restaurant plans to be open without interruption to offer its customers in summer and winter this culinary alternative imagined by the visionary restaurateur Umut Özkanca. Rüya, which can be translated as “dream”, is synonymous with sharing cuisine better known as mezze . Traditionally served in meyhane , where the atmosphere takes priority above all, the mezze were served in small quantities, in small bites, so as not to disturb the conversation!
The Riviera version of the concept is at its peak here. The menu skillfully combines sophistication, freshness of ingredients and refined spices whose taste is highlighted in multicolored compositions that celebrate the crunchy, the smooth, or the melting. This obsession with bringing ancestral and varied recipes from vast Anatolia to the plate is also a form of homage to the multitude of culinary cultures of this territory.
Remarkable Levrek , a sort of sea bass ceviche enhanced with apple vinegar, cucumbers cooked in salt and radish petals. Diamond-shaped Turkish pizzas ( Pide ) are also in the spotlight, cooked in a traditional oven, an ultra gourmet version for the one with two Black Sea cheeses accompanied by a candied egg. We find the taste of Karadeniz tel Peyniri , this artisanal cheese presented in the form of strings. Sparkling crunchy herb salad with maxi corn croutons. Regressive Börek , traditional filo pastry cigars stuffed with feta, carrots and walnuts. Pyramidal trio of lamb chops combined with smoked eggplant and mint yogurt. Amazing barley risotto with mushrooms, truffle and sage.
As for cocktails, an impressive, particularly aesthetic collection, a play on the foam with the blue eye (usually considered a symbol of protection), a successful variation around a cubic Negroni. The head bartender brilliantly combines the exotic notes of cardamom and rose with the zesty freshness of citrus fruits and mint. Entering Rüya is preparing for a journey to discover the Levantine lands and as its name suggests, it is an Anatolian culinary dream, palace version.
Rüya restaurant at Carlton Cannes, 58 boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes. From Wednesday to Sunday then every day from May 1, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tel: +33 (0) 4 93 06 42 00. carltoncannes.com
