Kitchenesia sat with Ottoman-cuisine Chef Sezai Zorlu to discuss about his restaurants and his opinion on the 2022's food trend.
Kitchenesia.com - You may be familiar with Sezai Zorlu as the restaurateur of Turkuaz and Warung Turki; both restaurants drew rave reviews from Jakarta’s foodies. His restaurants also earned him a slew of accolades, including Adikarya Wisata 2019 for best Middle-Eastern Restaurant.
Or, if you are a fan of cooking shows, you may know him from his several television appearances, most notably as a gritty, in-your-face contestant on Iron Chef Indonesia 2017. Zorlu’s authentic, back-to-basics cooking approach drew the judges’ praises, and made him the prominent chef he is today.
“Fusion is confusion,” said Sezai Zorlu on Iron Chef Indonesia 2017, episode five (05/6/2017).
Celebrating his Turkish roots, The Jakarta-based chef makes it a point to put authenticity at the forefront of his restaurants. Walking either into Turkuaz or Warung Turki is a bit like entering the miniature of Turkey – and that is exactly what the chef aims for.
Both restaurants also explore less-known Turkish foods that casual enjoyers may find unfamiliar, such as tahini patlıcan or adana çorbası. Much of the menus are inspired by Chef Sezai Zorlu’s roots and expertise – his value in bringing the authenticity of Turkish cuisines and cultures – along with his specialty as an Ottoman-cuisine chef.
“You cannot find sambal (Indonesian chili relish) in my restaurants,” said Chef Sezai Zorlu at L’Ambassador Event at Warung Turki, South Jakarta (12/15/2021), organized by MLA (Meat & Livestock Australia) Indonesia.
During an exclusive interview with Kitchenesia, Sezai Zorlu reflected on his career as a chef and restaurateur, his guilty-pleasure food, and his hot take on the food trend in 2022.
Why do you choose Australian lamb for your restaurants?
Australian lamb is free-range and predominantly lives in pastureland. Most importantly, they are also grass-fed. These factors allow the lamb to be healthy, lean, and rich in iron and vitamins. Grain-fed lamb is indeed different in quality. Grain is not lamb’s natural food, thus definitely affecting the meat’s quality.
As an Ottoman-cuisine chef, my aim is to provide Sultan-like eating experiences to my guests. Consequently, quality is a must. Australian lamb is pricier by 10-15 percent. But for such quality, the prices are worth it.
As a restaurant owner, I’m here to stay, not to play.
What makes Indonesian people love Turkish cuisine?
Turkish cuisine is in the top five in the world. For that alone, most everyone agrees that Turkish foods are superb.
Religion also plays a pivotal role here. Most Turkish and Indonesians are Muslim, thus sharing a similar diet. That’s why Indonesians trust, and eventually like, Turkish foods.
What foods do you usually cook at home?
I cook meat pretty often: lots of steak and beef wellington – my daughter’s favorite. I also love to cook spaghetti with seafood. My cheating food is bitter-bean fried rice, but for occasional indulgence only (laugh).
I cook about twice a week at home. My wife is the main cook in the household.
Read also: Simple Yet Delicious: Chef Vindex Tengker Spills How To Enjoy a Perfect Steak Like a Boss
What is Ottoman cuisine? What makes it different from Turkish cuisine?
Some seem to be mistaken Turkey, as a nation, is the present-day Ottoman empire. Well, the center was in Turkey, but its territory spanned almost all of the Balkans, the Middle East, and even North African countries.
Their food cultures interacted and influenced each other, thus enriched the Ottoman cuisine. In a nutshell, Ottoman cuisine synthesized the regional culinary cultures that the empire conquered. On the other hand, Turkish cuisine is the cuisine of the Turkish nation.
But for the cooking technique, Ottoman and Turkish cuisines are more or less the same. You can say same difference.
What is your prediction of 2022’s food trend?
I believe quick-prep foods are going strong this year. At the same time, they should benefit for body and be easy to cook. People have less time to cook and eat nowadays; however, they are more health-conscious.
My restaurants have anticipated this trend, as well. We plan to serve pre-made foods so that customers can take less time to cook. There will be a lot of grilled and pressure-cooked foods. Grilled food only takes five-minute prep. Everything is all about time now.
Learn what Chef Sezai Zorlu predicted for 2022's food trend on a video below.
