Friend’s Dinner

May 25, 2023 Gastronomic society of Türkiye gathered at Çok Çok Pera to taste a menu specially prepared by Thai Royal Chef Khun Nuch, head of Çok Çok Thai, the leading representative of classic Thai cuisine in Turkey, and Çok Çok Pera, which offers contemporary Thai cuisine.  The event began with tastings of Royal Kitchen and Rakı Hot Chili cocktails from Ernest’s Bar by Fatih Akerdem in Istanbul. It continued with the presentation of Chef Nuch’s menu, accompanied by Doluca Tanit, Signium Roze, and Karma Merlot & Boğazkere wines. The dinner highlighted the harmony of spices, hot and sweetness, the prevalence...

March 6, 2024 On the evening of March 6, Gastronomic Society of Turkey came together at the Friends Dinner themed "Between Two Rivers", which brought the flavors of the fertile lands between the Tigris and Euphrates to the table. At the beginning of the night, Ni&Ce rosé made from Kilis vineyard grapes from this very region was sipped. Then, as the 18th term board of directors started the night with a ceremony, the special menu prepared by Arça Restaurant & Grill's chef Cenap Öztekin Varol began to be served to the tables. Menu; Starting with lettuce tarator “terettür” with walnuts...

Nowember 23,2023 / Moda Sea Club The 2023 Gala Dinner, held with the aim of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic as Kitchen Companions, took place with the theme "Restaurants and Signature Dishes, the Cornerstones of Modern Life on the 100th Anniversary of the Republic." The gala dinner, held on November 23, 2023, took place at the Moda Sea Club. The dinner, which started with the delightful taste of bisque, a prevalent flavor of the era, featured signature dishes from renowned restaurants that left their mark on the Republic era, such as Mayonnaise Marinated Sea Bass from Karpiç, Volovan with...

April 27, 2019, Feriye Guest Speakers: Dr. Lee Clare and Erdinç Çatak Göbeklitepe, the place where the story of agriculture, wheat, and beer - the things that will change the future of humanity - began, is undoubtedly one of the greatest assets we have both for our tourism and gastronomy. With this in mind, we dedicated our gala dinner to Göbeklitepe this year. A significant event in this regard took place on November 6-7, 2018, in Brussels. The 2018 Cultural Heritage Year event "Göbeklitepe: The lands where cultures meet; from history to gastronomy," organized by the TuR&Bo Office to promote Göbeklitepe...

Yakut Cuisine Yakut Turks are a people who still preserve Shamanism, an authentic Turkish belief system that we are not very familiar with. Generally, Yakuts, who mostly rely on domestic and wild animals for food, are able to go through 9 months of the year without using a refrigerator thanks to the harsh continental climate. The abundant delicious fish found in the region has also played a role in the formation of the national cuisine. Reindeer meat holds a prominent place in the kitchen. As for their preference in red meat, horse meat is most commonly chosen. Our chef, Nikolai...

April 20, 2017, Kiva-Sandal Bedesten-Beyazıt In Kiva Sandal Bedesten, we gathered around a Sufi-themed Iranian table dedicated to Mevlana and Tebrizi. Our renowned chef, Hazer Amani, whose heritage traces back to Iran on his father's side, prepared a special menu for the evening. Hazer Amani embarked on a journey inspired by Mevlana and Tebrizi, reinterpreting Iranian cuisine using the rich products of Anatolian geography with modern techniques. Event Menu: ...

June 20, 2016, The Marmara Esma Sultan Yalısı In memory of our esteemed friend Muhtar Katırcıoğlu, who played a significant role in the development of written culture in this field with his writings and translations, and who had one of the most important menu collections in our country, we presented a menu from his collection. Our concept was "In the Light of Muhtar Katırcıoğlu; A Century-old Palace Feast." We tasted a menu that was served to German Emperor Kaiser II.Wilhelm during his visit to Istanbul by Sultan Mehmet Reşad on the evening of October 18, 1917 (18 Teşrinievvel 1333) at Dolmabahçe...

March 13, 2016, 1924 Istanbul (Rejans) This famous Russian restaurant, known for hosting many famous figures of the time from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to Greta Garbo and Agatha Christie, has been a place where White Russians who fled to Istanbul from the Russian Revolution have introduced their own cuisine to us since its opening. Lemon vodka, traditional Russian beet soup and piroshki, beef stroganoff and Kievsky have all entered our lives thanks to this. Under the name "1924 Istanbul," Chef Mike Norman continues this valuable culinary tradition, and we had the opportunity to taste classic flavors in their most original forms. Event...

December 15, 2015, Moda Sea Club Guest Speakers: Ceni Franko, Karen Gerson Şarhon, Mariya Simyonidis, Selİn&Ayda Tokatlıoğlu, Takuhi Tovmasyon The Istanbul Cuisine is one of the most unique examples of the synthesis of Eastern and Western influences in culinary culture… Classic Turkish flavors combined with the traditional cultures of minorities inherited from the Ottoman era such as Greek, Armenian, and Jewish. The Istanbul tables, blended by minority cultures from Byzantium to the present day, are a colorful mosaic. Of course, it's not possible to introduce each of these magnificent cuisines, each containing its own richness, in a single evening event. In...

May 21, 2015, Bomonti Hilton The concept of the menu prepared by Greek Executive Chef Yannis Manikis for our Gala Dinner was Nostimo Meltemi (Meltem Flavors). The menu for this special evening also reflected Chef Manikis's kitchen and life philosophy. The chef says, "I act with respect and responsibility for all the beauties provided by Mother Earth. For me, the most important thing is to provide an unforgettable experience with all these flavors offered to us." ...

February 11, 2015, Raffles Istanbul Zorlu Center Since its opening, Raffles Istanbul has been in the spotlight with its two restaurants: Arola and Rocca. Sergi Arola, a pioneer of innovative Spanish cuisine and Michelin-starred Catalan chef, along with Ali Ronay, known for his interest in Anatolian cuisine and successful interpretations, lead these two restaurants. These two esteemed chefs collaborated to prepare the wonderful menu for our Gala Dinner. In this dinner, which was held beyond the classic service and presentation approach, Arola and Ronay treated us to a taste duel with their individually prepared small plates. Event Menu: https://youtu.be/7jkV-iEz3qM ...

April 29, 2013, Moda Sea Club - Moda Chef: Head Chef of Moda Deniz Kulübü, Feyyaz Doğan In the early years of our Republic, the only gastronomic center in the capital city of Ankara was the restaurant of George Karpovitch, known as Baba Karpiç, who fled from the Russian Revolution and settled in Ankara. Invited by Atatürk to Ankara, Karpiç's restaurant became the most important cultural institution that taught kitchen culture to the young Republic's MPs and high-level bureaucrats. His apprentice, Serj Homyak, later changed his name to Süreyya and continued his master's line at his own restaurant in Ankara for...

March 12, 2013, The Marmara Taksim Guest Speaker/Chef: Executive Chef Rudolf Van Nunnen At our gala dinner themed around Rossini Cuisine, held at The Marmara Hotel, we achieved another "first" befitting Kitchen Companions. Rossini is one of the greatest composers in music history. Inspired by Turks in two of his operas - "Il Turco in Italia" (1814) and "Le Siège de Corinthe" (1826) - yet his greatest passion besides music was food. Around a oval table for 100 people, 99 kitchen enthusiasts took their seats at our gala dinner. A large chair, perhaps barely able to contain him in life, was...

January 10, 2013, Sancak Restaurant - Pendik Guest Speaker: Adnan Sancak At Sancak Restaurant, renowned for Bosnian flavors for nearly 40 years, we not only tasted Bosnian cuisine but also listened to their stories from Adnan Sancak. Yeni Mahalle, where Bosnian immigrants settled in the 1950s, is a charming district. Sancak Restaurant, opened in 1974 by Fehim Sancak, who migrated from the Sandžak region of former Yugoslavia, has been a neighborhood favorite for years. Event Menu: ...