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july 21, 2021 - Lotus

TURK Fatih Tutak Reopens in Istanbul: Preserving Lockdown's Natural Bounty

Internationally acclaimed Chef #fatihtutak has reopened his #restaurant, TURK Fatih Tutak, after a lengthy lockdown in #istanbul

Located in Now Bomonti in the Şişli district of #istanbul, TURK Fatih Tutak is a modern, refined #restaurant set in a contemporary, light interior with a strong Turkish ethos. Since opening in December 2019, just a few months before the lockdown, TURK has already established itself as one of the best restaurants in Turkey. Fatih won Best Chef of the Year 2020 in Time Out #istanbul and placed no.89 in the World's Best Chef Awards, where he was the only Turkish chef in the top 100.

Using the techniques and skills acquired on his travels (see notes to editors), Fatih creates refined reinterpretations and recalibrations of traditional flavours. Celebrated for his creative approach to ingredients, his dishes are micro seasonal with a strong emphasis on sustainability. Whilst the lockdown presented many problems; it also offered opportunities to look further into Turkey's bounty of exceptional local produce. Fatih and his team threw themselves into research and development, educating themselves further, never standing still. Fatih works closely with Turkish farmers, fishermen and artisan producers to source his ingredients, and during the lockdown, he wanted to continue to support these producers. He continued to buy the products, so while the #restaurant may have been closed, no season went untapped. Last year's produce has been preserved in the form of garums, misos, Tarhanas, pickles and many other fermented ingredients to pair with their fresh counterparts this year(see notes to editors for complete list). Utilising these techniques helps to elevate humble ingredients into something extraordinary.

Example dishes include Eggplant, Buffalo Milk, Basil -  Eggplants from Adana, Turkey are carefully selected, peeled, salted and weighed down to remove the bitter juice, then fried and glazed with preserved eggplant tarhana soy five times in the oven. Finally, the eggplants are served with fresh basil leaves, capers, puffed yoghurt made from buffalo milk, with its flavour enhanced by dried and fresh tomatoes and an intense tomato cream. Lamb Saddle, Kebab, Koji, Lamb Garum - The saddle is marinated in koji and milk, then grilled and served with vegetables preserved from last year, aged spring garlic and smoked lamb fat. The sauce is made from lamb garum and fermented lamb fat, finally providing the perfect balance after two years in the making. On the side, a hand minced lamb rib kebab is served traditionally.

Fatih says, "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 on every menu. He continues, "We are responsible for respecting the essence and tradition of Turkish cuisine and developing it for future generations. That is the foundation of TURK's creative style and unique cuisine." 

Fatih is available for; interviews, comments (especially on fermentation and Turkish Cuisine), brand ambassador programmes, brand collaborations, social media collaborations, chef collaborations and recipe features.

If you think Fatih would be perfect for something you are currently working on, please let us know. We would love to support you in any way we can. Please also let us know if you have plans to visit Istanbul.