Turkey’s Michelin-star chef in Istanbul

by Müge Akgün-Referans

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The Michelin star is one of the most prestigious symbols of the restaurant sector. Being listed in the Michelin guide is a very important status symbol. The names of Michelin-star chefs go down in history, but the real war begins after that. Because it is difficult to preserve this star, chefs have even committed suicide after losing it.

The history of Michelin dates back to a club established by a group of French people who evaluated the restaurants they visited. When tire manufacturer Andre Michelin joined the club, France’s best restaurants began to be listed in the Michelin highway map in 1919 and Michelin stars were given to these restaurants starting in 1923. Today, France has nearly 500 Michelin-star restaurants. Japan ranks second for the number of restaurants with Michelin stars.

It seems that Turkey is far from having a Michelin star, at least for now. But Ender Köse, the owner of Lacivert, one of the best restaurants on the Bosphorus, recently invited the first Turkish chef to receive a Michelin star in honor of the restaurant’s 10th anniversary. Hamburg-based chef Ali Güngörmüş prepared the tasting meal for Lacivert’s 2009 summer menu with the support of the restaurant’s chef, Hüseyin Ceylan, and his team.Güngörmüş, the owner of Le Canard Nouveau in Hamburg, was granted a Michelin star nearly two years ago. The restaurant had a Michelin star before Güngörmüş, but it went bankrupt and closed down. When it reopened, Michelin officials secretly evaluated the restaurant and gave it one star.

Way to the star
Güngörmüş, who used to live in a village of the eastern city of Tunceli, was 10 years old when he went to work for his father in Munich. When he graduated from primary school, he started working at a simple restaurant.

In 1995 he started working for Glockenbach Restaurant, which had one Michelin star. He attributes his success to his mentor, Karl Ederer. "He was despotic, and I was working for 15-16 hours a day, but he led me to that success," he said.

Later on, with Ederer’s support, he started working for Tantris, a restaurant with three Michelin stars. Famous chef Hans Haas was his second major teacher. He became the chef of Lenbach in Munich and later moved to Hamburg in 2005 when he met famous architect Meinhard Von Gerkan, the owner of the Le Canard Restaurant building.

Before earning a Michelin star, Güngörmüş was given 16 points out of 20 by Gault Millau magazine. And he is one of the two Turks listed among 100 promising young brains in Germany.

The first question Turks ask when visiting Le Canard Nouveau is if they serve Turkish meals. Some of them think that they will be offered kebab in the restaurant. Güngörmüş said Le Canard does not get many Turkish customers. He also has not received any positive comments from Turkish officials since receiving a Michelin star two years ago. "I wish the Turkish state would congratulate me," he said.

Güngörmüş said the restaurant offered international cuisine with ethnic traces, mainly fish. He is a fan of good ingredients. He paid 38 euros for a kilogram of morel mushroom last week, though he sells a portion for 25 euros. "If you have a Michelin star, restaurant patrons always want to see and talk to the chef. The people of Hamburg accepted me easily and gave me a chance. I first cook the meal and then see them."

Güngörmüş said he followed Turkish cuisine culture and ingredients. He said Turkish chefs could be given Michelin stars in the next two to three years but he criticizes chefs and restaurant owners.

"Vegetables, fish and meats are cooked with the same method. Meals are delicious, but there is no creativity," he said. According to him, each chef must have a unique recipe, a contribution to the meal. He said he observed bad service even in the most luxurious restaurants in Istanbul. "The wine is too expensive, and ingredients are not standardized. A restaurant can serve 60-70 people at most," he said. "It is almost impossible to get quality in restaurants with a capacity of 150-200 people."

Le Canard Nouveau has a staff of 18. It is open for lunch and dinner. The approximate price per person is 100-120 euros. Güngörmüş said this price is reasonable for a Michelin-star restaurant.

He is pleased with his restaurant, which has a view of the harbor in Hamburg. He said he dreams of opening a place in Istanbul in the future.