Signature Dish

Every guest of Kempinski Nile Hotel should try our special signature dish, available at Osmanly restaurant, during their stay.

Hünkar Beğendi, a mouth watering braised beef tenderloin dish served on a bed of creamy roasted eggplant puree, offers an incredible combination of exotic flavours. Steeped in history, this Ottoman dish has two potential origins.

The first is that, back in the 1600s, Hünkar Beğendi was created for Sultan Murad IV (1612 - 1640). The name of the dish is believed to translate as "the sultan/sovereign liked it", which many claim directly reflects its exclusive origin.

Which chef is behind the flavoursome dish remains unclear, but it is rumoured the meal was conjured up either in the palace kitchens or in the kitchen of a house Murad IV once spent a night in on his way back from a hunting trip. As the translation suggests, he was delighted with the outcome!

Alternatively, rumours indicate the smoked yet spicy Hünkar Beğendi was served to Empress Eugine, the wife of Napoleon III, during her visit to the Sultan in Abdülaziz's Beylerbeyi Palace in 1869. The dish was so well received, that the empress asked the reluctant chef to share his recipe, which still remains in circulation to this day.

Regardless of its origin, Kempinski Nile Hotel is delighted to offer such an influential dish to guests. Perfect for lunch or dinner, it is very popular throughout Turkey, Greece, Egypt and the Middle East.