Salmon Plank in Side — Plank-Grilled Salmon by the Old Town | Hawaii Restaurant

If you've been scanning Side's seafood menus for one specific word — salmon — you already know it's a different craving from the whole grilled fish most Turkish restaurants push. Salmon has that rich, silky, deep-pink flesh that behaves nothing like a lean local bream. At Hawaii Restaurant & Bar, in the heart of Side old town on 512. Sk., we cook ours as a Salmon plank — a fillet grilled on a wooden board over our real wood fire and charcoal. This page is a straight, honest look at what that means, why the plank method suits salmon so well, and how it differs from the local whole fish we also grill.

What "plank" actually means

Plank cooking is exactly what it sounds like: the fillet sits on a wooden board while it cooks, rather than lying directly on the grill bars. The board takes the brunt of the fierce charcoal heat, so the fish cooks through a gentler, more even radiant warmth. Two things happen. First, the flesh stays moist — salmon is unforgiving and turns dry and chalky the moment it's overcooked, so shielding it from a naked flame is a real advantage. Second, the wood picks up heat and lends a faint, clean smokiness that flatters the fish without smothering it.

It's the same family of cooking you'll spot elsewhere on our menu. The Plank steak under Steaks & Internationals and the Chicken Plank steak in our chicken section both use that board-and-charcoal idea. So if you already know you enjoy how a plank steak arrives — presented on its board, juicy, with that wood-kissed edge — the Salmon plank is the seafood version of the same technique. Everything at Hawaii comes off a real wood fire and charcoal grill, not a gas burner or a pan pretending to be a barbecue.

Why salmon is different from our local fish

Here's the honest part, because it matters. Salmon is not a local Turkish-caught species. It isn't pulled from the Mediterranean off Side. So we'd never dress it up as a "catch of the day" — it's a chosen, fatty, cold-water fish that we cook well because guests specifically ask for it.

That's the opposite of the whole fish on our menu. Our Grilled Trout, Grilled Black bream and Grilled Sea bass are lean, mild, whole fish — the classic Turkish coastal way of eating, cooked on the bone and often filleted at your table. If you're torn between the two styles, our grilled fish guide for Side walks through the whole-fish options in detail. Quick version:

• Want rich, buttery, boneless and pink? Go for the Salmon plank.
• Want light, clean, whole-on-the-bone and typically Turkish? Go for the trout, bream or sea bass.
• Want something bigger to share? The Mixed sea plate for two puts several things on one platter.

None of these is "better" — they're genuinely different meals, and knowing which craving you're chasing makes ordering easy.

What goes well alongside it

Salmon likes fresh, sharp company. From our starters and salads, a Greek salad or the Goat cheese salad with walnut and honey is a bright counterpoint to the fish's richness — you can browse the range on our salads in Side page. If you'd rather open with something warm, Garlic mushroom or Calamari from the starters both play nicely before a plank of fish. For portions and how any dish is served, always check the live menu or ask your waiter — we don't quote prices or weights here because they can change, and we'd rather you get the real number than a guess.

A quiet, honest note on diets

Salmon is naturally one of the simpler plates to adapt. If you're avoiding gluten or eating light, a plank-grilled fillet with a salad is about as clean as a restaurant meal gets. We don't run a certified gluten-free or vegan kitchen, so please tell your waiter — the kitchen will give you a straight answer about what's genuinely suitable and steer you toward simpler grilled or salad plates rather than promising something we can't stand behind.

Eating salmon in Side old town

We've been on this street since 2000, in the middle of Side's old town, open every day from 10:00 to 02:00, year-round. That means the Salmon plank is on the grill for a late lunch, an early dinner, or a proper unhurried evening. If you're staying a little out of the centre, we offer free hotel pickup from selected hotels (round trip) and an affordable two-way transfer for hotels farther out — details on our free hotel pickup page. Prefer to eat in? A table by the old-town lanes and a glass of Turkish wine turns a fillet of fish into an evening.

Salmon nights fill up fast, especially in high season. Reserve a table at /reservation/, or message us on WhatsApp at +90 533 930 12 83 — tell us you're coming for the Salmon plank and we'll have the grill ready.