Fatih Tutak: Turkey’s First and Only Two-Michelin Starred Chef

You have worked in some of the world’s most renowned kitchens, including Noma and Nihonryori Ryugin. What are some of the most vital lessons you learned during this time, that you still utilise in your own kitchen today?

I began travelling at age 20, so I've had plenty of chances to interact with people and learn about their cultures. That was an essential step in my professional development since it gave me a more global perspective. Experiencing new cultures broadens your horizons. I began my career as a Turkish chef mostly working in Asia, where multiculturalism—and here I mean multiculturalism between Western and Asian cultures as well as within Asian cultures themselves – plays a huge role. Everything I experienced there has influenced the type of food I prepare at TURK today. Singapore was amazing. Tokyo has most likely had the biggest impact on me because of the incredible diversity of ingredients and cooking methods. The seafood in China surprised me the most because they are used to seeing and cooking the raw ingredients while they are still alive.

My experience at Noma definitely influenced me. For example, I use fermentation in many preparations to combine seasonal ingredients. I met different cultures and learnt so many new things. And at the beginning, this partially concerned me: I was worried my work might not fully fit in Istanbul. But the challenge pushed me further instead of holding me back. I had a goal and was determined to make a dream come true. When I returned and set up back in Turkey, many fears slowly disappeared.

Why did you decide to return to Turkey and open your own restaurant?

After spending a lot of time developing my skills in the kitchen, I finally felt like I was returning to my roots. I wanted my restaurant to be unique, Turkish, contemporary, stylish and welcoming. The major reason I chose to open TURK was that it represents the future of Turkish cuisine. Together with my team, we are constantly developing our ideas and Turkish cuisine.

You have travelled extensively to create your dishes, which present Turkish cuisine as a confluence of civilisations and traditions of its many regions. What were some of the most important experiences and flavours that really shaped the menu?

All of my travels have influenced the way I cook. I like how Turkey's customs and culture continue to influence and educate me. But I also have to utilise it to move my nation's cuisine forward, because we can't stand still. Vegetables are probably my favourite ingredients. It's not simply about how we prepare a vegetable and how it will appear on the plate; we also need to consider whether we can extend its use by incorporating it into sauces and condiments. We evaluate if we can emphasise the adaptability of a flavour element of it (like by pickling, dehydrating, etc). We experiment with times and temperatures when dry-ageing a lot of our meats and fish (that’s what I call 'Cooking with Time'), and depending on the season, we can rely heavily on game meats for our menu.

How have things changed since you received your two Michelin stars?

Since the two stars from the Michelin Guide, many things have changed, and I grew busier every day. As a result, the calm, serene moments I manage to get to myself are very valuable, and I enjoy using them to generate fresh ideas.