Turkey chef’s Kunming dream

Turning away from the hustle and bustle of Baoshan Street in downtown Kunming, there is a cozy and elegant restaurant sitting a few meters above your head.

Mikail, a 25-years-old chef, comes from central Turkey’s Cappadocia.Although he has always been obsessed with culinary arts, what he studied at university was car engineering which had nothing to do with his interest. “I’ve never been to culinary school myself, but I love cooking since my childhood under the impact of my mom who holds a genuine chef certificate,” Mikail stated.

 As a major tourist magnet in Turkey, Cappadocia has hundreds of hotels and restaurants erecting in town, serving cuisines from various parts of the world.  Driven by both the environment and his own interest, Mikail has been involved in restaurant business by working part-time at kitchens that his relatives run since the age of 14. And from then on, learning from other chefs and perfecting his culinary skills have become a main goal of him.

In early 2018, Mikail arrived in Kunming and kicked off his study as a language student at the Kunming University of Science and Technology in Chenggong. And more surprisingly, he also received a special gift which was a job offer from the Romantic Turkish Restaurant in downtown Kunming. “Compared with the Europeans and Turkish, the Chinese people prefer to add spices with strong aromas into their dishes,” he said. To Mikail, food is a mirror through which cultures from different places can be clearly observed.

 Having been keen on improving the quality of his food, Mikail, however, never confines himself to the so-called “tradition” in terms of flavor. “Manti is a kind of Turkish dumpling which doesn’t contain spices, but my local colleagues in Yunnan told me that I have to add more chili powders on top if I want it to sell them,” he said, laughing.  In addition, more spices and chilli peppers have also been added onto the pizzas in the restaurant, in order to satisfy the cravings of native consumers in Kunming.

Like China, France and Japan, Turkey is also a country known for its abundant culinary culture. But as I can tell, Turkish food is still new to many citizens in Kunming,” he said. Therefore, Mikail hopes that he can bring more Turkish cuisines, particularly those from his hometown to Kunming.      

Turkey chefs Kunming dream

Turning away from the hustle and bustle of Baoshan Street in downtown Kunming, there is a cozy and elegant restaurant sitting a few meters above your head. Mikail, a 25-years-old chef, comes from central Turkeys Cappadocia.Although he has always been obsessed with culinary arts, what he studied at university was car engineering which had nothing to do with his interest. Ive never been to culinary school myself, but I love cooking since my childhood under the impact of my mom who holds a genuine chef certificate, Mikail stated. As a major tourist magnet in Turkey, Cappadocia has hundreds of hotels and restaurants erecting in town, serving cuisines from various parts of the world. Driven by both the environment and his own interest, Mikail has been involved in restaurant business by working part-time at kitchens that his relatives run since the age of 14. And from then on, learning from other chefs and perfecting his culinary skills have become a main goal of him. In early 2018, Mikail arrived in Kunming and kicked off his study as a language student at the Kunming University of Science and Technology in Chenggong. And more surprisingly, he also received a special gift which was a job offer from the Romantic Turkish Restaurant in downtown Kunming. Compared with the Europeans and Turkish, the Chinese people prefer to add spices with strong aromas into their dishes, he said. To Mikail, food is a mirror through which cultures from different places can be clearly observed. Having been keen on improving the quality of his food, Mikail, however, never confines himself to the so-called tradition in terms of flavor. Manti is a kind of Turkish dumpling which doesnt contain spices, but my local colleagues in Yunnan told me that I have to add more chili powders on top if I want it to sell them, he said, laughing. In addition, more spices and chilli peppers have also been added onto the pizzas in the restaurant, in order to satisfy the cravings of native consumers in Kunming. Like China, France and Japan, Turkey is also a country known for its abundant culinary culture. But as I can tell, Turkish food is still new to many citizens in Kunming, he said. Therefore, Mikail hopes that he can bring more Turkish cuisines, particularly those from his hometown to Kunming.