On the eve of his return to Turkey to take up a new post, Erdem Dirbali, head chef of Ishtar in London, talked to Marie-Pierre Moine about the young generation of Turkish chefs who are making their name on the international restaurant scene
The world is an oyster for talented new generation chefs with ambition and a sense of adventure. For Erdem Dirbali, head chef at Ishtar in London’s Crawford Street, a restaurant career was always the right choice. Working in the food business runs in the family. His grandfather had a bakery in Zonguldak on the coast of the Black Sea in Central Anatolia. Two of his older brothers are chefs – one, Barış, represents Turkey in international baking competitions.
Erdem started cracking the oyster in 1989 at the tender age of 11. He became a weekly boarder at the Anatolia Cookery Occupational High School in Bolu, the celebrated place where budding would be young chefs from all over Turkey go to be trained. He spent 7 enjoyable years there, made plenty of friends, went home for weekends. From the age of 15 he got his first taste of the real world of the professional kitchen as a trainee on work placements during the summer holidays. He has kept in touch with fellow students – all boys since girls have only recently admitted to the college – and two of them Muhammet and Elay work with him in the brigade of 10 people at Ishtar. Muhammet takes over from Erdem after he leaves.
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