Fatih Tutak: the chef redefining a culinary landscape
As with everything involving creativity, regardless of how highly praised current aspects of that industry may be, we are constantly striving for innovation and development. This exists within the realm of cooking, as while we all have a favourite dish and have eaten excellent food, we are constantly looking for the next plate. In light of this, we need creative and passionate minds to continue moving forward and progressing in the industry.
“My passion for gastronomy began at a very early age,” Fatih Tutak said. Tutak, a well-travelled chef who currently runs his own restaurant, is also using technology as a means to advance traditional dishes in a way that hasn’t previously been thought of. Like so many of us who are passionate about food, his love for the art of cooking originated in his kitchen at home.
“My first memories of food are connected to watching my mother cooking and accompanying her to the local market to get the ingredients,” he adds. Some of the food he made with his mother can be tried by people who attend his restaurant, TURK. However, before he arrived at this restaurant, making his current menu, Tutak travelled around the world, trying different food and broadening his pallet.
“I am always keen on learning new techniques, new combinations, be adventurous with flavours,” he tells me, “Each and every place I visited in Asia allowed me to learn so much about different cultures and culinary techniques, whether they be big cities but also the smaller, less popular areas. From Qingdao, where food is very light and full of fresh flavours, to Thailand, where the strength of the flavours truly just punches you.”
He continued: “It has been definitely an important step in my formation, as that’s where my cuisine, between the East and the West, comes from. Paying respect to the heritage of the East while feeding my creativity and techniques with the Western influences.”
After travelling the world and working in various restaurants, Tutak finally decided to open his very own restaurant, TURK. It immediately took off, and people travelled far and wide to try his food. There are a few reasons for this. First, and most simply, there is the fact that the food is good. He taps into the memories of cooking back home with his mother, adding what he learned worldwide to revolutionise traditional dishes.
“Food can touch the heart, and it’s very important for me to explore our roots. My goal with TURK is to translate Turkish cuisine through a contemporary lens,” said Tutak. “Connecting with the guest is part of building the relationship. I clearly remember a group of guests dining at the Dining Room – when I was working in Bangkok – who were moved by an early version of my dish ‘From My Mom’. After finishing it in under 30 seconds, they asked to speak with me. They said how, despite being quite a simple dish, it was incredibly delicious and really made an impression on them. It was meaningful for me to prepare it and I was able to transmit that to my guest.”
Of course, while food might be an excellent way to put your memories and your life on a plate, there also needs to be a constant look towards the future. People want innovative dishes that surprise them, to taste fantastic, but also to give them a sensation they haven’t found before. Tutak believes he has found a way to continue to surprise the consumer that lies in technology. “Our dishes are rooted in the past, but look at the future, with the intention of pioneering a New Turkish Cuisine,” he admits.
Using artificial intelligence, Tutak is redefining his menu. “We are embedding the use of AI in recipe creation more and more…” he said, “Technology becomes a great ally in challenging our creativity and speeding up some of the steps from the idea to the final result. We have a dessert in our current menu, which started as an adaptation of the traditional Turkish recipe, the Sour Cherry Kadayif. After a few back and forth with AI, I asked to evolve the presentation, the textures and flavour profiles of the recipe. Led by my instructions and adjustments, we came up with the new version currently in the tasting menu we offer to the guests.”
Tutak is currently straddling the fine line between embracing technology and not losing the human touch within creativity. As he attests, cooking at home and eating his mum’s food triggered his love for it, and human connection is at the centre of all of this. If you were to remove that from cooking, it likely wouldn’t have the same impact as it does now. It means that technology could never fully take over the process of putting together a recipe, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be used.
“Although AI cannot replace a chef, it has proved to be a useful tool for sparking ideas and alternative approaches to developing dishes,” summarised Tutak, “I use it to visualise and analyse the dish while still in the development phase. What AI suggests is always filtered and discussed with the team.”
