Executive Chef Mehmet Faruk Yardımcı with lavender-themed special presentations
Interview: Özge Zeki
Within the scope of our Casi Paped Family&Friends project, our guest was Executive Chef Mehmet Faruk Yardımcı, who created amazing menus with his team for Ceres Restaurant within the JW Marriott Hotel Istanbul Marmara Sea. We photographed the flavors prepared by Chef Faruk Yardımcı specially for our Casi Paped service designs at Ceres Restaurant on the shores of the Marmara Sea with a magnificent sea view. Combining the idea of "from garden to table" with a luxurious concept, the restaurant offers guests an unforgettable gastronomic experience with a menu that prioritizes sustainability and the richness of the Mediterranean. We talked to Mehmet Faruk Yardımcı, Executive Chef of JW Marriott Hotel Istanbul Marmara Sea, about his special presentations and his culinary journey around the world.
Chef Faruk, you have prepared wonderful presentations. Can you tell us about the flavors you prepared for the shoot?
We served our lavender sourdough bread with fresh tomatoes, garlic and rock salt on olive oil as an amuse bouche. Then we had Yedikule salad with lavender and goat cheese, and we served marinated melon with it. It had a marinade of lime juice and also the melon itself. We served it with olive oil, Ezine cheese, paprika, cashew nuts and those sprigs of fennel leaves. The other was octopus carpaccio with avocado and olive puree and smoked bread crumbs on the side. At the end, foie gras was served with Yuzu Hollandaise Sauce. We served the baked quince with a sauce that we made by pressing grapefruit, which we call gum and grapefruit reduction. We served it with dried rose petals and walnut jam.
What do you pay attention to in food presentation?
We usually look for colors that contrast with the platelets in the presentation. Here we had very sweet pastel-colored platelets. We tried to serve them in contrasting colors and they turned out to be excellent visuals.
We are curious about the experiences you have gained throughout your career and the journey that brought you to where you are today, can you tell us about it?
I started my vocational education at the Hotel Management Vocational High School in Bolu. After graduating from the Vocational School of Cookery, I gained experience in various restaurants and hotels in Istanbul. I continued my career abroad and worked in countries such as Germany, England, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kazakhstan and Singapore. For more than 10 years, we have been the Grand Hyatt, Sheraton, Marriott, The Ritz Carlton, The Edition, and The St. Louis Hotel. I have been a leader in international hotel chains such as St. Regis. I won "Best Brunch" and "Favorite Brunch" awards at the Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi for 3 years in a row. I have been involved in the opening of many luxury hotels in Marriott hotels. I am currently Executive Chef at JW Marriott Istanbul Marmara Sea Hotel and serve as a member of Marriott International Europe, Middle East and Africa Luxury Brands Culinary Advisory Board.
What inspired you to create the concept of Ceres?
First of all, JW Marriott's globally recognized JW Garden concept provided a great deal of direction in creating Ceres' identity. JW Garden's core principles of naturalness, freshness and commitment to local production were the main elements that shaped the spirit of Ceres. In particular, the lavender we grow in every corner of the hotel has become one of the unique touches of our menu. We use lavender as a signature ingredient in many flavors, from lavender and sourdough foccacia breads to our lavender salad with goat cheese and even our lavender-flavored tiramisu. This natural and holistic approach ensures that our guests find unparalleled comfort and tranquility at the JW Marriott standard.
How did you shape Ceres' menu?
I like to use products from different parts of Anatolia, which are often unknown. It is a great pleasure for me to combine different products to achieve delicious results and to create unique flavors on the plate. It motivates me to use the local and undiscovered products I encounter during my travels from time to time in my kitchen and to share these special flavors with our guests. I am especially attracted to the special products sold by locals on the roadsides. For example, the uhud marmalade of Sakarya Tarakli, the red pepper jam of Hatay Samandag, the black garlic of Kastamonu and the rock grove of the Aegean are just a few of the flavors I often include in my menus.
What role does sustainability play in Ceres' kitchen philosophy and what innovative steps are you taking in this regard?
Sustainability is a cornerstone of our kitchen philosophy. At JW Garden, we compost leftover products within the scope of the zero waste project and send the separated leftover products to shelters. We produce powders, jams and chutneys from fruit, vegetable and seafood peels. We prepare essential olive oils from citrus peels. We use recycled paper for packaging and coffee breaks. We collaborate with local producers and women entrepreneurs to customize our products such as olive oil, jam and cheese. These products are used not only in Ceres, but in all areas of the hotel. The newest step we have taken in the name of sustainability is our vertical garden. In our vertical garden, we grow products with high nutritional value with the soilless agriculture method. We provide our 15-day basil supply from here and we have a 25-day harvest process. These innovative methods allow us to offer our guests a unique experience.
Who is a good chef in your opinion?
Being a good chef is three words for me: Goal, patience and perseverance. In addition, a good chef should be disciplined, have strong follow-up, be able to shape himself according to his location, be meticulous about cleanliness, be 50 percent a dreamer and 50 percent a realist. As for self-definition, as a chef in the kitchen during the operation, I spend time on small problems. I repeat it over and over again so that it doesn't become a big problem. I can say that I am a very meticulous chef about hygiene. I attach importance to general hygiene rules in the kitchen, personal hygiene and uniforms of the employees. For example, I always wear a cap as a Head Chef in the operation and in the service. And I won't let anyone from the team enter the ward without a cap. The cap protects from accidents such as hair spilling on the food and is also a symbol of a chef and cook. Generally, city hotels have symmetrical buffets. At coffee breaks and food buffets, I use my imagination to create impressive presentations with different ingredients from outside the kitchen. However, I am always assertive about brunch. When I make special dishes, I listen to classical violin music and get inspired by it. I take every opportunity to walk around the tables of the guests and watch their facial expressions when they taste the first taste. Getting feedback from guests about the dishes is one of the most important factors affecting success. Besides, I always believe that the food we serve may be forgotten the same evening, but a chef who comes to the table is never forgotten. Because personal attention, conversation about the product offered is very important. For this reason, I also meet some of our guests in social life; I think this is also a difference.
So what is the secret to good cooking?
It is very important to concentrate when cooking. You need to feel the product you are going to use. The structure, softness, flavor and finally the harmony of each product are of great importance. The key to a successful meal is planning and inspiration. I focus on seasonal vegetables for inspiration. Look around you, see what is beautiful, try to be creative. Before you start eating, sit down and think about what you are going to prepare. It can be hard to think while you are cooking. That is why planning is so important.
Which country's cuisine do you like most?
Of course, I love the cuisine of my own country, French, Indian, Chinese, Peruvian and Indonesian cuisines.