Five chefs, 10 dishes: One magical night
The highlight of this summer’s gastronomy events in Türkiye turns out to be the “Gault&Millau Türkiye Tour” tasting dinners. Originally started in France, Gault&Millau is one of the most prestigious restaurant rating systems in Europe, now rapidly spreading worldwide. Brought to Türkiye by the Sözen Group in January 2023, the acclaimed list is already established in Istanbul, Urla and Bodrum.
This exciting five-part series of chef’s meetings titled “Signature Dining Experiences” offers the opportunity to savor famous chefs’ signature dishes on a single menu for night only. The third edition of the series took place at OD Urla, a celebrated restaurant owned by chef Osman Sezener, who holds a Michelin star, a Green Star and three Toques from Gault&Millau, among many other accolades. Previously, the first event in the series had taken place at Teruar Urla, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, while the second gathering was held at Karma Bodrum. This time, both the number of guests and chefs was particularly sizable. Five chefs served to a group of around 90 guests a 10-course menu. The guest chefs were John Angus, from HIDE Restaurant in the UK; João Oliveira, from Vista Restaurante in Portugal; and Fabrizio Fiorani, the founder and pastry chef of Zucchero in Italy. From Urla, there were two notable chefs in the kitchen: Atilla Heilbronn of Narımor and Osman Sezener of OD Urla.
This series of dinners is part of the celebration of the list’s third year in Türkiye and is meant to strengthen the bonds among the chefs represented on the list. Gökmen Sözen, the CEO of the Sözen Group and the mastermind behind the organization, points out that these events also give foreign chefs the opportunity to discover Turkish cuisine, find about the local flavors and, most importantly, to explore local ingredients. In my opinion, the latter is particularly important, not only to promote Turkish ingredients worldwide, but also to open new horizons in using local ingredients in unexpected creative ways.
Inspired from land, sea
Urla is nestled in the heart of the Aegean’s bounty, where the fertile land is bursting with olives, grapes and figs and the shores are blessed with the generosity of the sea. The abundance of the land and the sea was naturally reflected in the chefs’ dishes. The amuse-bouche, prepared by English chef Josh Angus, was a hearty village bread spread with a tarama cream topped with a mixture of sun-kissed tomatoes and red summer fruits. His other choice was lamb, which he served on labneh with a cherry, caper and pine nut sauce. João Oliveira, the Portuguese chef, naturally turned to seafood. He prepared a shrimp dish with green apples and sea beans as a starter, and as a main course, he served sea bass on a bed of seaweed and mussels, with a fish collagen with a strong smell of the sea. Desserts were entrusted to Fabrizio Fiorani, who prepared a dessert plate of meringues and red fruits and served playful chocolates molded into shapes of the filling ingredients, such as peanuts, coffee beans and almonds.
To be honest, Urla-based star chefs Atilla Heilbronn and Osman Sezener stole the show that night. Atilla Heilbronn, a German born with Turkish descent, has extensive experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels in Germany and Switzerland. However, his move to Türkiye and arrival at the small boutique hotel Narımor are relatively recent. He was offered to open a restaurant in a small space at the property, and he ended up starting his own place offering a fine-dining experience for just 14 people and for four nights weekly. He started with small steps, but we’re sure to hear a lot more about him in the future. One of the most creative dishes of the evening was his watermelon and Ezine cheese plate, paired with raki and cheese whey drink. The Ezine cheese ball, wrapped like a bonbon in a thin, tulle-like watermelon leather, had a surprise filling of watermelon rind jam, like a hidden gem right in the middle. The watermelon and cheese duo left a lasting impression on both memory and palate. His second plate was again a vegan take on eggplants layered with pistachios, red peppers and smoked dates, an unusual but delightful combination.
Chef Osman Sezener’s inspirations were from the sea. Calamari, cooked to perfection and nestled on fava flavored with caramelized onions, was a perfect blend of land and sea flavors. His other dish was a masterpiece that was a favorite of his fellow citizens. It was an interpretation of Izmir-style mussel pilaf; however, he turned the dish inside out, resembling a stuffed mussel in taste rather than the mussel pilaf that the dish looked like. It was a creative example that evoked images of foamy sea waves with its frothy sauce and the fresh fragrance of fennel that gave a whiff of a sip of rakı.
“Signature Dining Experiences” aims to strengthen communication between the chefs. Exchange of ideas fuels the creativity of chefs, enriches their culinary knowledge and contributes to the development of gastronomy worldwide. This dinner showcased that chefs tied strongly to their territory are sure to shine. There is a famous Turkish saying: They say, “A stone is heavy in its own proper place.” This means that a person’s true worth is best appreciated in their own environment. We should add that chefs are heavy in their own place, close to their terroir. If the purpose of these chef gatherings is to inspire one another, then I can easily say that the guest chefs certainly did not return empty-handed. Thanks to our Urla chefs, they had an experience that will spur their creativity.
