What other way is there to arrive in this iconic city than by boat? Bobby Chinn steps straight off the ancient ferry which plies its trade between the Asian and European side of what is one of the  most ancient and fascinating cities in the world. He immediately immerses himself in the street life and cuisine of this melting pot of cultures that has gone by many names but, which we know today as Istanbul.
Lying on the banks of the Bosphorus it is rightly described both geographically and spiritually, as the one place on earth where East meets West without a collision. As ever, Bobby is determined to try some of the local fare and his first port of call is a stall selling cooked sheep’s head. True to form, he eats it all - including the eyes and brain. It's down here in the streets that he meets Hande who runs a local culinary school. She takes him back to her roof terrace overlooking the city and shows him how to cook 2 popular Turkish summer starters which use 2 of the staples of this country: a Cold Yogurt Soup and a Wheat and Parslane Salad.
Next Bobby visits an area called Anavut Couy to check out the amazing old Ottoman architecture as well as three more uniquely Turkish meat dishes. Donner Kebabs, Shish Kebabs and Koftas. Whilst here, he also visits a contemporary Anatolian restaurant to find out how local fusion food looks. Continuing the Ottoman theme, Bobby then travels by tram to the 600 year old, Topkapi Palace, to meet  Ottoman expert Alp Kaya, who gives him the rundown on just who the Ottomans actually were. From here he visits famous local chef, Verdat Basheran, who demonstrates an ancient technique of presenting a fish which has boned itself, strange but true... nearly!
Next off, Bobby hitches a lift on a private charter boat out to the Princes Islands, which lie a couple of miles off shore from the Asian side of Istanbul. These beautiful islands, on which motorised transport is banned, have been a haven for all persecuted peoples of all religious persuasions for centuries. It is here, that much to Bobby’s chagrin, his producers have entered him into a local cooking contest. As in most of Turkey, these local cooking contests are extremely popular. The dish Bobby plans to cook is a local delicacy - but... the competition is tough as his fellow competitors are housewives and grandmothers who have been cooking this all their lives. Thus, he rates his chances of winning slightly less than zero. And he's right! But, in the chaos that ensues, the boundless hospitality of his hosts wins him over.
 Bobby continues his trip with a visit to one of the oldest confectioners in Istanbul where he samples the delights of Turkish Delight, in Haci Bekir’s Turkish Delight shop which has been making the stuff for nearly 400 years. From there, and via, the Turkish coffee stands where he has his fortune told, Bobby visits the spice, cheese and deli centres in the Spice Bazaar where he comes across cheeses matured in goat skin and beef cured under the saddles of nomads.
He rounds off his visit to Istanbul with a night time visit to the district of Nevizade and the tapas style mezze restaurants which have been serving these taster plates of food since the tradition was brought back from Persia by Sulieman The Magnificent in the mid 1500s.
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