Fatih Tutak (born 31 August 1985, Istanbul) is a Turkish chef and restaurant entrepreneur. He received his professional culinary education at the Mengen Culinary School in Bolu, after which he worked in kitchens across Türkiye, China, Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Hong Kong, and Thailand. He served as head chef and director of kitchen operations at The Dining Room of The House of Sathorn in Bangkok. After returning to Türkiye, he opened TURK Fatih Tutak restaurant in Istanbul in 2019. The restaurant received two Michelin stars in the 2022 Michelin Guide Istanbul selection. Tutak developed a culinary philosophy that reinterprets traditional Turkish dishes, regional ingredients, and culinary memory through contemporary techniques. He prepared the official gala dinner menu for the 36th NATO Leaders Summit held in Ankara in 2026.

Fatih Tutak was born on 31 August 1985 in Istanbul, where he spent his childhood and youth. He received his professional culinary training at the Mengen Culinary School in Bolu. At the beginning of his career, he worked in professional kitchens in Istanbul and completed an apprenticeship under French chef Paul Pairet. Pairet’s techniques and approach to food significantly influenced Tutak’s introduction to innovative restaurant cuisine.

Inspired by Paul Pairet’s professional career and culinary creations, Tutak turned his focus toward Asia. He later stated that his collaboration with Pairet was decisive in shaping his decision to work abroad. To further develop his professional knowledge, he chose to gain experience in kitchens outside Türkiye and spent a substantial portion of his career in various countries.^【1】

Fatih Tutak’s international career began in the kitchens of Qingdao, Beijing, and Hong Kong in China. This was followed by assignments in Singapore, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Bangkok. Tutak emphasized that working in different countries allowed him to observe global culinary developments and expand his professional vision, stating that he would not have reached his current career level without having worked in seven countries.^【2】

In Singapore, he worked in the kitchen of Marina Bay Sands. In Tokyo, he joined the kitchen team of Nihonryori Ryugin, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant under chef Seiji Yamamoto. There, he gained experience in modern Japanese cuisine, ingredient processing techniques, service organization, and detail-oriented kitchen operations.

In Copenhagen, he worked at Noma under René Redzepi. His time at Noma became one of the most formative experiences of his career, particularly regarding the use of local ingredients, seasonality, preservation methods, and the creation of a unique restaurant language rooted in the local geography.^【3】

Tutak’s professional development was profoundly shaped by his work with Paul Pairet, Seiji Yamamoto, and René Redzepi, whom he regards as visionary creators of new culinary styles.^【4】 While he does not consider international experience mandatory, he affirms that working in different countries significantly contributed to his understanding of global trends and the development of his professional vision.^【5】 He associates his career directly with the experiences gained across seven countries.^【6】

In 2015, Fatih Tutak became head chef of The Dining Room of The House of Sathorn, located within The House of Sathorn in Bangkok. He later assumed the role of director of kitchen operations. During his tenure, the restaurant ranked 36th in the 2017 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list and 43rd in 2018. It also received a Michelin Plate in the 2018–2019 Michelin Guide Thailand selection.^【7】

One of Tutak’s notable creations during his Bangkok period was a dish called “From My Mum,” inspired by his mother’s mantı. This dish, whose name translates to “From My Mum” in Turkish, was a reinterpretation of Turkish mantı.^【8】 After receiving positive attention for this dish, he began offering a menu at The Dining Room of The House of Sathorn based on Turkish cuisine.^【9】

After working abroad for an extended period, Fatih Tutak decided to return to Türkiye in 2019. While in Hong Kong for discussions regarding a restaurant project, he shifted his focus to opening a restaurant in Istanbul. In December 2019, he established his own restaurant in Istanbul and began continuing his career in Türkiye.

TURK Fatih Tutak is a fine dining restaurant opened in 2019 under Fatih Tutak’s leadership, located in the Bomonti neighborhood of Istanbul’s Şişli district. The restaurant’s name was chosen as “TURK” to directly reflect its connection to Turkish cuisine.^【10】

The restaurant’s culinary philosophy is built on using regional ingredients, creating a “new alphabet” for Turkish cuisine, reinterpreting familiar flavors in modern, refined, and minimalist ways, conducting research, and developing new techniques.^【11】

In Tutak’s kitchen, ingredients from different regions of Anatolia, childhood memories, and traditional recipes are reinterpreted through contemporary techniques.^【12】 The tasting menu dated 18 October 2022 featured items such as pide baked in a wood-fired oven, butter, Hizan karakovan honey, isli Denizli yogurt, Tire eggplant, milk-fed lamb, flowering okra, and buffalo yogurt.^【13】 The restaurant’s introductory description also highlights dishes using lamb, fermented vegetable broth, mackerel, artichoke, legume purée, olive oil, cheese, and caviar.^【14】

In the 2022 Michelin Guide Istanbul selection—the first time the guide evaluated Istanbul—TURK Fatih Tutak received two Michelin stars. It became the only restaurant in Istanbul to earn two stars.^【15】

Fatih Tutak said he expected the restaurant to receive one star before the announcement and that the two stars came as a surprise to him. He expressed joy for his team and family, emphasizing the importance of team motivation.^【16】

The restaurant retained its two Michelin stars in the 2024 evaluation.^【17】

Tutak argues that a chef must be present at the heart of the kitchen and operations to earn a Michelin star. He stated that he would continue the same working methods he had applied since the restaurant’s opening, noting that the restaurant had evolved since its inception and that service quality was a decisive factor. He did not list a third Michelin star as a current goal but acknowledged that such an outcome could be possible in the future.^【18】

Fatih Tutak prepared the official gala dinner menu for the 36th NATO Leaders Summit held in Ankara on 7–8 July 2026.^【19】 The dinner, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was attended by leaders of NATO’s 32 member countries, invited heads of state, and high-level delegations.^【20】

^{Fatih Tutak Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesinde (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Preparations for the gala menu spanned several weeks. Tutak oversaw every stage of the process, from ingredient selection to plate composition.^【21】 The menu featured examples from Anatolian Turkish cuisine and ingredients sourced from various regions of Türkiye.^【22】 It was developed in accordance with the principles of seasonality, local production, and sustainability.^【23】

The menu included pide baked in a stone oven with Trabzon butter and Hizan karakovan honey; zeytinyağlı sebze bayıldı with burnt Denizli yogurt; sea bass with tarama; Urla gum artichoke with Tokat grape leaves; lamb belly with mushroom-stuffed firik bulgur; beef short ribs cooked in tandır with burnt Trabzon butter and eggplant; mantı with smoked Ayaş tomato paste; “sütlü baklava,” pistachio foam, and Maraş ice cream.^【24】

Although some publications referred to the dessert as “Sütlü Nuriye,” Tutak clarified that the dish was called “Sütlü Baklava.” It consisted of clotted cream, pistachio foam, crisp baklava pieces, Maraş ice cream, and bergamot.^【25】 The mantı was prepared as a single large piece rather than small portions and served with smoked Ayaş tomato paste.^【26】

French President Emmanuel Macron chose the sea bass, U.S. President Donald J. Trump selected the beef short ribs tandır, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez opted for the dessert.^【27】 Staff from the White House requested the recipe for the beef short ribs tandır from Tutak. Macron also encouraged Tutak to open a restaurant in France.^【28】

^{Fatih Tutak ve Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Tutak shook hands individually with the leaders and later met with President Erdoğan after the meal.^【29】 A significant portion of the ingredients used in the menu were sourced from producers across different regions of Türkiye. Traditional Turkish flavors were reinterpreted through contemporary techniques and elegant presentations.^【30】