Turkish chefs fly high

Turkish cuisine and chefs are getting more popular day by day. Every single day a new Turkish restaurant opens in another corner of the world. Street-smart old Turkish chefs leave their thrones to school-smart, highly educated chefs with international experience and global knowledge. This situation brings more potential to Turkish cuisine and the dining industry in Turkey.

The first chef I would like to mention is Muharrem Tenekeci, the executive chef of The Galliard Restaurant in Etiler. Like many other Turkish chefs, Tenekeci is from the famous Turkish province of Bolu. As you can understand from the presentation of his food, he has quite a creative and dedicated personality. The mushroom risotto served in a parmigiana wheel on fire is one of the examples from this restaurant I would like to mention. The parmigiana on fire gets melted in its wheel and the chef adds risotto on top of it. Imagine! Just perfect! On the other hand, organic marrow and caramelized onion is another signature dish of Tenekeci.



The slowly cooked marrow is served inside of its bones with fried breads on the side. It looks different and tastes different. The taste is a little bit heavy but definitely worth to try. A new dish of this season, the 60-centimeter beef sausage is a very eye-catching item on his menu as well. Although he has many flashy recipes, nothing can overshadow his chocolate show. The Galliard's favorite desert called "Surprise" is a real surprise for chocolate lovers. This round-shaped chocolate shell has three profiterole balls in it. Each ball is filled with pomegranate sorbet. It comes with a hot chocolate pot and all of the chocolate is poured on the top of the shell by the chef. Your surprise profiterole balls are right there for your pleasure!

The Galliard is on Nispetiye Street but still far from the noise of this popular and crowded area. Olive trees and green bushes by the street are smart dividers. It has classy decorations but is still young and vibrant. Prices are reasonable and service is above standards. I congratulate Chef Muharrem Tenekeci and owner of The Galliard Ersin Süzer for having such an amazing restaurant.

Last week I attended a dinner by cookbook authors and chefs at Azzur Restaurant in Mövenpick Hotel in Levent. Along with the exclusive chef of the restaurant Giovanni Terracciano, acclaimed cookbook authors Dr. Ayşegül Çoruhlu, Bengi Kurtcebe, Professor Dilistan Shipman, Ece Zaim, Elçin Oflaz, Eyüp Kemal Sevinç and Hülya Ekşigil showcased their signature recipes. We savored a combination of enticing delights from alkaline shots to healthy snacks and homemade breads to tempting Turkish cuisine. I especially liked the cocktail appetizers prepared by Elçin Oflaz. The organic smoothie with beetroot and eggplant with creamy walnut are excellent detox recipes. Oflaz has amazing raw food event experience with Hollywood stars including Demi Moore. She brought all of her knowledge to Turkey from the United States a long time ago, which has made a big difference in the raw food market here. Great job!



By the way, I should confess that Azzur Restaurant is a very affordable venue to have dinner while still offering a high-end atmosphere. The American-style seating booths, high ceilings and gigantic paintings on the walls made me feel as if I was in a restaurant in Manhattan. I recommend that you visit this restaurant at the first chance you get. Mövenpick Hotel is located in the heart of Levent and is a good idea for dinner after long business hours.

Finally, I would like to mention three amazing chefs: Arif Kemal Doğan, Orhan Demirok and İbrahim Erkut. These gentlemen took us on a very nostalgic journey last week. As part of the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Pera Palace Jumeirah Hotel, they prepared a nostalgic menu inspired by the old menus of the hotel and served them at their new restaurant Belle Epoque Pasha. The chicken liver parfait, dry cured duck breast, homemade smoked eel, brie cheese and citrus chutney were excellent appetizer items. As for the hot starter menu, the seasonal wild mushrooms and shrimps and the puffy pastry with fresh herbs were mouthwatering. During the dinner I was also really impressed with the sorbet service. Many venues do not serve this "palate cleaner" at all, and even if they do, most of them use regular ice cream instead of real sorbet. So, the citrus sorbet I tried at Pera Palace was as good as original sorbets in Italy; it was fresh and creamy. The main course of Beef bourguignon with potato cream, buttered green beans and shallots were also quite appealing. The bitter chocolate souffle with fresh cream and icing sugar was the final item of this nostalgic dinner menu. I congratulate the patisserie chef İbrahim Erkut. With very little sugar and organic chocolate he made a delicious lightweight souffle - perfect for nighttime. Thumbs up!

If you would like to feel as if you are dining in the 1920s, visit the historical Belle Epoque Pasha Restaurant and experience the same authentic menu. This splendid menu will be accompanied by fresh roses, silver chandeliers, antique furniture, a white jacket crew and live jazz music at the venue. Until the end of May 2017 you can take advantage of this privilege at Pera Palace Jumeirah Hotel in Beyoğlu. Once again, I congratulate the chefs and the manager of the hotel Pınar Kartal Timer for aiming high!

Tips of the week

Top 3 Venues of the Week

- The Galliard / Etiler
- Saigon / Şişhane
- TOI / Kuruçeşme

Top 3 Hotels of the Week

- Ilgaz Mountain Resort / Kastamonu
- W Hotel / Akaretler
- Güral Hotel / Afyon

Top 3 People to Follow This Week

- Pınar Küçükşabanoğlu / Businesswoman
- Zeynep Çilek / Artist
- Ömer Can Cirit / Singer