about it or how it got into my list, but I am glad that it did. Walking into Istanbul, we immediately noticed a large family of middle-eastern descent just wrapping up their dinner. Always a good sign to see ethnic locals in any restaurant. Despite walking in 30 min. before closing, the owner/chef didn't put up any fuss and we were seated right away. The interior was fairly functional. It was neither the "hole-in-the wall" dive that shit-hole Korean restaurant Don Day epitomizes, and neither is it classy, upscale or anything similar to those. It simply is. Neither good, nor bad. And random. On our way out, we were delighted to discover on of those old school fortune-telling machines near the entrance. Of course. Why not. On to the food. I was a bit disappointed with the menu as I was expecting a plethora of vegetarian options. However, the menu was heavily tilted towards meat-based options, with most of the vegetarian options relegated to the starters and salads. I guess I was expecting a menu similar to Persian or Moroccan cuisines, where vegetarian dishes are a-plenty ( I think you've forgotten what Persian cuisine is like -- Richard ). Maybe this is a Calgary thing? I loved the stuffed grape leaves. The subtly-spiced rice was so delicious that you couldn't just have one. If there were 10 pieces there, I would have popped them all into my mouth. It also helped that for some reason, the oily coating reminded/smelled like