With their complex, multifaceted blend of the familiar and the strange, the world’s great cities are exhilarating destinations for any curious traveller. Of course, what counts as familiar to any given visitor from abroad depends on their point of origin, and every account of a foreign city will always pass through the lens of a wandering soul with their own personal perspective, tinted by all the cultural background and experiences they bring along with them.

Although its modern profile is far more hushed and humble than that of its glorious past, Istanbul has enjoyed a time as the greatest city in the world, and its former heyday can still be sensed in its metropolitan culture, its historical architectures and the living antiquity of its cuisine. For Istanbul to be memorialised by foodie traveller Ngoc Tran – who bears the frenzied bustle and vibrant flavours of Vietnam with her wherever she goes – is to invite contrasts and comparisons between both exotic destinations, revealing new poetries in counterpoint between Far and Middle East; between Asia and Europe. As a destination that straddles both continents, Istanbul is the ideal ground zero for Ngoc’s Vietnamese take on this corner of the world, bringing readers a fresh interpretation of the ancient Ottoman capital.

In briefly claiming Istanbul as her new home, Ngoc paints an exciting portrait of the city that celebrates her unique cultural perspective. To Ngoc, the astonishing beauty of Istanbul’s old structures are a privilege to behold, but she cannot come to these wonders without first strolling the mazework of its suburban streets – where she immediately notes the manifest respect that Istanbulites hold for their animals; cats, dogs and birdlife roaming wild, free and healthy under the concerted care and protection of the city’s inhabitants.