If you are reading this review and debating whether or not to book one of the Culinary Backstreet tours - book it now. You will not regret it!! We did the Two Markets, Two Continents tour with Benoit. From the minute we met him, Benoit made us feel like we were having a tour with an old friend. He is so passionate about Istanbul and Turkish culture, as well as food history more generally. He is also very kind, warm and welcoming. As for our tour, we started with traditional breakfast at an Ottoman caravanserai. It was delicious. We thought - ok, now we will walk around and snack until lunch, but that is such an understatement. Benoit took us to several stops as we walked along Karakoy, ordering us various snacks and dishes that we would never have thought to order on our own. It was clear that all of the places he took us to were not only excellent, but were very local and also welcoming to us! Next, we took a short ferry to Kadikoy on the Asian Side. Right away, we went to a small shop that I know I would never in a million years have been able to find out about on my own. We continued to eat amazing dishes all afternoon as Benoit told us the history of the neighborhood, its various cultures and cuisines, and the art and architecture of its buildings. It would take me too much time to type out all of the places we stopped and things we ate, so just take my word for how wonderful it all was! Plus, the tour is very "flexible" in that Benoit clearly knew of countless dishes and places for us to stop at, but would stop at certain locations or take the time to elaborate more depending on our group's interests and preferences. He was so patient and informative the whole time. Throughout all of this, though, we ate the entire time yet never felt too full to continue. He did an amazing job and I will refer all of my friends to take this tour in the future!