Kem Küm

At the age of 17, I've met wonderful people so far. I've seen the most beautiful places in this amazing city. Coming to Istanbul was the best decision I've ever made, and there are some specific reasons why.

There's this one certain place in Moda, Kadıköy. It's a special zone where I feel the familiar comfort that I used to get while visiting my hometown. It feels safe and when I come inside I see a peaceful, small room full of colorful gifts and authentic ornaments. It smells delicious and seems like a tiny little space filled with sincerity like the depiction of one's secret hiding place. It's called "Kem Küm" The people who work here, the food they serve, and even the gestures and conversations they make with guests are the things that turn this place into a home for literally anyone. And that enlightening feeling that grows in my heart every single time I come here, which will probably last forever, reminds me of the warmth of an understanding and accepting family within the care and love that this place holds onto.

The most exciting thing about Kem Küm is probably the fact that everything on the menu consists of unique ingredients that are brought from Egypt by the owners of the place, who are the sweetest and kindest family that involves our talented chef and her generous partner who takes care of the management with their thoughtful friends helping him. Moreover, everything is vegan. Whatever I've tried so far is not only so delicious with rich flavors, but also full of excitement that comes with trying something new. A magical touch that takes me to the middle east with the concept of the decorations, splendid music, and that remarkable smell in the air. Knowing that each bite I have is so incomparable that I can never have a pleasant day anywhere else as much as I've had here.

To be honest, what makes somewhere special for me is how far it is from being just ordinary. There are loads of enjoyable places with decent tastes and hospitality that I got the opportunity to visit yet, Kem Küm is not just about those incredible traditional dishes such as weekend special Koshari, beverages like Zerkade or Egyptian coffee, and the vegan chocolate cake, that is always freshly baked, the best dessert I've ever had in my whole life. Since, whenever I see something new on the shelves or someone new coming in, giving such unbelievable compliments and putting the biggest smile on their face, shortly everything related to Kem Küm in that coziest room has a story. There is always something to get curious about the stories that never end. I'm glad that they never end, obviously, which gives me so many reasons to come back to the same table with a huge interest in talking to them about anything that comes to my mind so that I can get to know them better each day, learn about the brightest memories they've got, about how this awesome couple met and decided to start this business, how Kem Küm ended up with being the first vegan place in Kadıköy with all that hard work.

The idea of having a tiny little place that feeds both my soul and stomach is invaluable, so Kem Küm turned out to be one of the crucial locations in my Istanbul journey, and I feel like I belong here. They don't see their guests as meaningless customers, and to be honest that means a lot to me nowadays. They are truly welcoming to everyone. After having little chats with those lovely people in Kem Küm, I realized that even I have a part in these gorgeous stories of the place by adding my memories to these plates. That realization is so precious to me. Kem Küm is such a whimsical fairy tale that brings everything that I need together with only one table: the yummiest meals, the unbelievable aura, peaceful music behind the scene, waves of laughter, the great moments that I share with my dearest friends sitting next to me, just like a portray of the happiest version of a life for me.

Şevval Karpuzcu