Internationally acclaimed Chef Fatih Tutak’s returns to his roots with his first restaurant, TURK Fatih Tutak, opening its doors 5th December 2019.

Located in Now Bomonti in the Şişli district of Istanbul, TURK Fatih Tutak will be a modern, refined restaurant set in a contemporary, light interior with a strong Turkish ethos.

Fatih explains “Having worked overseas for so long, it has been a joy and a privilege to work again with produce that is so familiar to me. TURK is my first restaurant in Istanbul, but is more than a restaurant…it is my homecoming after many years.”

Celebrated for his creative approach to ingredients, his food will concentrate on a central à la carte menu of four courses, each with four continually evolving dishes and an optional, additional course of artisanal Turkish cheese. Dishes will include for example, veal, radish, bulgur miso followed by pine mushroom, tarhana, yeast, then mains of duck, sour cherries chestnut and finishing with persimmon, lemon verbena snow. He has worked closely with Turkish farmers, fishermen and artisan producers to source his ingredients and adds, “I really missed the diversity Turkey provides. The vastness of the country with its many landscapes and seas, means we have access to some of the finest produce in the world here. I want to celebrate that in every menu.”

Using the techniques and skills acquired on his travels and combining them with Turkey’s more historic cooking styles, Fatih will create refined reinterpretations of traditional flavours. He continues “We are responsible for respecting the essence and tradition of Turkish cuisine and protecting that. But we will lay the foundation at TURK of a more creative and original cuisine style.”

Drinks will mirror the chef’s approach in the kitchen. A bespoke cocktail menu has been created to either enjoy individually or to pair a tasting selection with each meal. Non-alcoholic mixes give a wine-like sensation and include Pomegranate – cinnamon, sage or Sparkling Mandarin - ginger, lavender. Alcoholic versions have been inspired by the culture and tradition of Turkey’s seven geographical regions and include for example Mediterranean – black carrot, vodka, black pepper, basil, citrus blend and Eastern Anatolia – Apricot cognac, mulberry, grape.

Wines are exclusively Turkish, made with both natural and conventional methods and will marry the country’s ancient viniculture tradition with 21st-century techniques and award-winning labels. From the western coastal sea regions to the plateaus and highlands in the east, many of the indigenous grape varietals are still largely unknown outside Turkey and a concise selection has been chosen from each region. Kalecik Karasi, for example, compares to the more common grape variety, pinot noir; Emir to pinot grigio; Narince to chardonnay and Boğazkere to cabernet sauvignon.

Interiors are contemporary and light, with simplicity and sincerity at its core. The design, like the dishes of TURK, take inspiration from Turkey’s cultural past. Letters from ancient Orkhon inscriptions, the oldest form of the Turkic language dating from the 8th century, have been added to the design of the walls and floors are adorned with Seljukian patterns, originating from Anatolia in the 11th-13th century.

Equal care and consideration have been taken with tableware, with four different ceramic artists chosen to work with Fatih in the design process. Table knives too have been selected from a 100-year-old family business and third-generation craftsman, who has created a series from natural materials bespoke to TURK.

Turkey has a unique geographical location and throughout history, it’s land and water routes have been used as the crossroads for the movement of people, goods and ideas between the two great continents of Europe and Asia. Over Millennia its food has evolved and adapted, to create a cuisine uniquely its own and of a moment in time.

These are the roots on which TURK Fatih Tutak are built.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Chef Fatih Tutak Chef Fatih Tutak was born and raised in Istanbul and after his apprenticeship with the avant-garde cuisine under Paul Pairet and in some of the city’s finest hotels and restaurants, he worked his passage around S.E. Asia, Russia, China, Japan and Denmark. With time spent in Copenhagen under Rene Redzepi at Noma; in Tokyo with Seiji Yamamoto at Nihonryori Ryugin and in the now iconic, resort hotel, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, he headed to China’s port cities of Qingdao, Beijing and Hong Kong, before settling in Bangkok as Head Chef at The Dining Room of The House of Sathorn. For two years, from 2017-2018, he led his talented team to international accreditation, both in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (No.36 in 2017) and in the Thailand Michelin Guide 2018-19.

Celebration Opening Dinner For one evening only on Friday 6th December, Chef/Patron Andoni Aduriz of 2 Michelin starred Mugaritz in San Sebastian (No 7 on the World’s 50 Best List 2019) will join Fatih and the team at TURK for a collaborative and unforgettable 12-course dining experience. For further information and reservations, please contact info@turkft.com TURK Fatih Tutak will be located at Now Bomonti, on Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, Silahşör Caddesi, Yeniyol 1. Sokak No:2 Bomonti-Şişli.

Website: www.turkft.com Turk Instagram Fatih Tutak Instagram

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