Where the Fire Is Always On

Okan GORUR February 12, 2026

We leave at 11:30pm on Thursday night after celebrating Engin’s birthday. The restaurant was full, and there was another big table as loud as ours. The noise level was high. Very high. It was exhausting for everyone.

The next morning, I’m still in recovery mode. But I’m heading back to L.Auberge des Crus to do this interview. I meet Charles Laborde. It feels like I was the one working in the restaurant last night and he was the guest. He’s fresh, cheerful, smiling, ready for lunch service. I look destroyed.

It reminded me — again — how hard this job is. Between 2010 and 2016, that was my life. Every single day is a brand-new performance. You have to prove yourself and your restaurant again and again. It’s like being a professional athlete. After a few bad days, nobody remembers your past, and all your hard work can evaporate. So you have to stay in shape. Every day.

My advice: don’t get into the restaurant business! 😂😂😂

But Charly did. So if you’re going in, you better do it properly. And honestly, I think he does. Every time I come here, I leave happy — both from the food and the service. In a short time, he’s won over a lot of locals like me. People genuinely light up when they see him. A bit of conversation, a bit of consultation, and then — boom — he glides back to the tables.

The clientele is mostly a certain age. People whose taste is developed. People who know what they want. Once you capture that audience, the job becomes both very easy and very difficult. Easy because they won’t leave you — you become part of their lives. Difficult because you must always be good. You must control the details. Otherwise, they’ll move on quickly. This is Paris. There’s no room for mistakes here. 😬

Charles Laborde — who jumped into this “crazy” business — doesn’t exactly come from a soft background. He spent 17 years in advertising. But he always dreamed of owning a restaurant. Having Pascale Gardinier (Taillevent, Drouant, and more) as his godfather brought him even closer to the industry. He helped restaurateur friends, moved through every section of both kitchen and dining room. At one point, he told me he was eating out every single day. At that frequency, you learn things — whether you want to or not.

Eventually, he couldn’t resist the passion anymore and entered into a partnership at a bistro in the 6th arrondissement. But things didn’t evolve the way he had imagined. So he moved to the next step: opening his own place.

And as always, next to every successful man… there’s a strong woman. Same case here. Caroline is Charly’s biggest supporter and the person responsible for social media and press. And she does it for free. 😁 (Because she’s his wife.) I hope she likes this article. 🤞🏻

In 2024, the dream becomes reality and he takes over the place and named it L’Auberge des Crus. The décor wasn’t exactly what he imagined, but finding a working fireplace in Paris — especially in a restaurant — is almost impossible. So he compromised. A few changes in the space and voilà… doors open.

Charly was born and raised in the 16th arrondissement. He knows the people here. He understands their behavior, their expectations, what needs to be done to satisfy them. I had been here before, under the previous owners, and I always felt a certain fatigue — in both the food and the service. Charly almost confirmed that for me. The former owner had kept the place open every single day for 22 years and built everything from scratch. Respect to him. But he can rest easy now. The restaurant is in good hands.

Okay, you meet Charly and immediately like him. But what if the food isn’t good? How long does that affection last? Be honest. 🧐

This is where 29-year-old Taiwanese chef Dani Lin steps in. His CV includes two very serious names: Anne-Sophie Pic and Alain Ducasse. Don’t expect flat, basic bistro plates just because this is a classic address. There’s always a touch. A gesture. A bit of aesthetic thinking on every plate. Go see the leeks with vinaigrette presentation. If you’re not in Paris, check their Instagram and add this beautiful team to your list. Next to Dani is Basile Daniau. Kitchens are teamwork — never forget that.

And is Charly alone in the front? Of course not. With full seriousness and discipline, there’s Paul Lamour de Caslou. Bocuse-trained, and involved in management as well. A harmonious partnership. 💪🏼 A key piece in making the restaurant full every night, very quickly.

Let me add a small Turkish cultural touch here. 🧿 (Charly actually knows our culture quite well.)

Now let’s talk about the second most important item in this place for him: WINE!!!!

1,400 references. 24,000 bottles. 💪🏼

And what a cellar… 😋

Charly has a goal. A dream list. He wants to complete it as much as possible through hard work. I can’t even explain how much I love that idea. It inspired me too. But when I went home and told Ayça about it, I realized building a list like that would take me much longer than it would take Charly. 😂😂 Maybe I should go back to running a restaurant? 😂

He buys directly from producers. He keeps prices as accessible as possible because he genuinely believes drinking good wine is everyone’s right. If you know even a little about wine, he’ll happily talk with you. Whenever I’m given the task of choosing the wine, I immediately hand the responsibility back to him, eyes closed. I haven’t had a single ordinary bottle here.

For example, a Languedoc Cinsault — only 4,000 bottles produced. Or a Côte du Rhône blend of five grapes speaking in total harmony. And then a Loire Sancerre that isn’t loud or flashy, just beautifully made and dangerously easy to drink.

Charly and I share something: we both love Languedoc wines. They carry the generosity of the sun but never lose balance. Easy to drink, honest, sincere wines come from that land. Maybe that’s exactly what draws us — no exaggeration, just authenticity.

That’s also exactly what I look for in restaurants. 🎊🎉🎊

Earlier I mentioned Charly feels close to Turkish culture. You might wonder why. The south of Turkey is where his family spend their summers. They’ve experienced both the beautiful and the difficult sides of it. Maybe that’s why our connection was immediate. That’s why we became Charly Abi and Okan Abi. 😍

(Abi = big brother.)

Oh — I just remembered. I was supposed to find him some proper Turkish spices. He misses them.

Then Came Belén

Okan GORUR January 29, 2026

When we first drove through the Arc de Triomphe, I said to myself, “This is where everything ends.” Even though I come from a city with a chaotic traffic system like Istanbul, I had never seen anything this wild. For a while, sitting in the car, I couldn’t quite understand how we made it through — or how we suddenly found ourselves heading into the calm streets of the 16th arrondissement.

As we drove through the streets of the 16th with the real estate agent who was showing us apartments near my daughter’s school, I realized this was not the Paris I had seen before, nor the one I had imagined. There were few restaurants, almost no bars, limited social diversity — it felt much more like a residential area. My first impression was, honestly, rather negative.

But after moving in, things slowly changed. The presence of Bois de Boulogne, the swimming pool in Dauphine, Le Petit Marquise’s croissants, Béchu’s traditional baguette, Androuet’s cheeses, Fred of Paris 16, Sébastien from Paul Chêne, Didier — the wine expert at Saint-Vincent — and, most importantly, the calm and safe streets my daughter and I walk every day on our way to and from school… all of this made me fall in love with the 16th.

Later on, when Noir opened and Furkan & Zeynep came back, it felt as if nothing was missing from the neighborhood anymore. That was until Belén — something we didn’t even realize was missing, simply because she had never been part of our lives before 😁

It turns out that with Belén, nothing would be missing in our neighborhood at all.

On Rue Gustave Courbet, a street we very rarely went to for burgers, and more often stopped by just to drop my daughter off at her jewelry workshop (now closed), a small shop suddenly began to show signs of life. And then, almost just like that, with its green façade and the big smile inside, Belén entered our lives.

à empoter, s’il vous plait ! (photo by: Amber)

From the very first moment, a customer-plus-friendship relationship formed naturally. I was hooked from day one. With my first bite of empanada, I was instantly transported back to my childhood — to my grandmother’s kıymalı puf börekleri. That onion, that minced meat 😋

Then came a spinach pastry made with puff pastry, and once again I was back in my childhood — this time at my aunt’s kitchen, watching her roll out spinach börek by hand…

As for croissants, I had always kept my distance because of À la Petite Marquise — until I tried Belén’s signature zahter croissant 😂😂 Now I sometimes catch myself craving a zahter croissant out of the blue in the late afternoon.

Recently, we celebrated Belén’s first year — a year built on hard work. She didn’t turn me down and gave me a small interview so my followers could get to know her better.

Please, read on:

PBW: When and how did your culinary journey begin?

BG: My journey kind of started unofficially when I was growing up in Argentina — food was everywhere, part of daily life, family, memories… all that 🍑👩‍🍳.
But officially, it started when I moved to Paris at 30 years oldto go to culinary school.
That’s when I really said: okay, this is my path now.

PBW: How did you decide to open your shop in Paris? Did you have fears? Who supported you?

BG: I realized Paris had become truly home after having my son ❤️.
As a family we decided we were staying here, and suddenly opening in Paris made sense — even though my original plan was actually to open in Buenos Aires.

Was I scared? YES 😅.
Paris is intimidating. The level of pastry here is insane.
I kept wondering if I could really make it here.
That self-doubt and imposter syndrome followed me for years — always thinking I wasn’t ready, that I still needed to learn more.

Then one day, I just let go and went for it.
And honestly everything happened so fast once I found the space that I didn’t even have time to overthink 😂.

My biggest supporters? My husband (who’s been telling me to open since the day we met 🤣💛), my son, and my amazing friends who always lift me up.

PBW: Why the 16th arrondissement?

BG: Because it’s where I live and where I built my Parisian life 🏡💚.
It’s a neighborhood I know really well.
When I opened, there really weren’t many modern or “cool” pastry places around — mostly traditional shops.
I felt my concept would fit perfectly.

Also, being close to the Eiffel Tower helps bring a nice mix of locals and tourists 👀✨.

PBW: What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?

BG: Honestly… dough 😂.
I know it’s not “technically” an ingredient, but it’s my favoritething to work with.

If I have to pick a real ingredient → vanilla.
If vanilla beans weren’t so expensive, I’d put them in EVERYTHING 😍.

PBW: Is there an ingredient you don’t like but include because customers love it?

BG: Avocado 🥑😅.
I personally don’t love it, and it’s hard to find perfectly ripe ones in Paris.
But customers love our avocado toast, and it’s that “healthier” option among all the buttery stuff… so yeah, it stayed.

PBW: An ingredient from Argentina you’d love to use in Paris but can’t?

BG: YES 😭 → membrillo (quince paste).
You can find it here, but it’s not the same as the Argentine one I grew up with.
I tried using it, but French people found it too sweet, so I kind of gave up.

PBW: Would you ever share your “chipas” recipe? 😁

BG: YES I would 😄🙌
Here’s the link! Chipas !

PBW: A product that started small but became essential?

BG: Empanadas!!! 🥟
I NEVER thought they would become such a hit, and now we make a ton.
They were definitely not part of the original “main” plan.

Also: our vanilla flan has become huge since September — and I’m super happy about that because I worked on that recipe for a long time. I think we finally nailed it 🎉💛.

PBW: Have you considered hosting workshops?

BG: OH MY GOD YES 😍🎓.
It was in my original business plan back when I thought I’d have 100 m² instead of 34 m² 😂.

I love teaching — I’ve done it before — so it will definitely happen.
I just need to figure out where: here in the shop or in a bigger space one day.

Workshops would be:
🥐 pastry
🍞 sourdough
🥟 empanadas
🍷 wine (obviously)

PBW: Is there someone who inspired you? And what qualities do you want in people you work with?

BG: Yes — many people inspired me:

✨ My aunt, a talented and passionate chef 👩‍🍳
✨ Julien Boscus, my first “real kitchen” boss — insanely creative, generous with his knowledge
✨ My friend Shaheen from Miel Bakery in London — she showed me it was possible; she absolutely rocks 🤘

Qualities I want in people I work with?
Kindness, passion, curiosity, generosity, attention to detail… AND a growth mindset.
I love people who are always learning.
People who think they already know everything don’t interest me 😅.

PBW: Publications you follow to improve yourself?

BG: I love:
📘 Fou de Pâtisserie
📚 lots of cookbooks — I look through them to see what’s out there and try new techniques
✨ I prefer doing stages rather than reading: I trained at Conseil Bellouet, and next year I’m doing one at the École de la Boulangerie in the south of France because they specialize in sourdough.

PBW: Who are your favorite pastry chefs and pâtisseries in Paris?

BG: My absolute favorites 😍:

🍰 Mori Yoshida — elegant, refined, perfect
🍓 Claire Heitzler — queen of seasonality and fruit
🥐 Du Pain et des Idées — iconic viennoiseries that make everyone happy

PBW: Favorite restaurants? Guilty pleasure?

BG: My favorites in Paris:
✨ Origines
✨ Canailles Pigalle
✨ Bistrot Paul Bert
✨ Le Servan

And my guilty pleasure?
Hot dogs 🌭😂
Every time I eat one I regret it… but also love it.

The Paris Chefs Who Got Me Ready for Tokyo and Kyoto (Part II)

Okan GORUR January 8, 2026

Before you start reading this, let me ask you one question:

Have you read the first part?

If not, please go back and read it first. Because the chefs in that initial piece were among those who started my Paris. The chefs in this one are the ones who shaped it, refined it, fine-tuned it.

It’s not easy to shake off the Tokyo and Kyoto effect.

So while the inspiration is still fresh, I feel like I need to keep writing.

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Épopée – Yurika Kitano

Just like in almost every field, there are fewer female chefs in Paris’s food scene — but that certainly doesn’t mean less success. The first names that come to my mind are: the chef’s chef Raquel Carena (Le Baratin), Tatiana Levha (Le Servan), Julia Sedefdjian (Baieta), Olive Davoux (Sur Mer), Alcidia Vulbeau (Bonne Aventure), Delphine Zampetti (Chez Aline), Erica Paredes (Mischief & Reyna), Priscilla Trâm (Tram 130), Paola Vialetto (Le Comptoir Canaille), Lucie Boursier-Mougeot (Pétrelle)… And of course, two of my absolute favorite pastry chefs: Claire Damon (Des Gâteaux et du Pain) and our neighborhood’s daily source of happiness, Belén Gowland (Belén).

If you find yourself at any of these addresses, you’re in very good hands. Just let go and enjoy the ride.

Yurika Kitano is among the chefs creating the most elegant plates in this group. Her new chapter is Épopée. After her background in Japan, she worked in Paris at Margo, Clamato, and Pilgrim. In 2019, she received the San Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility.

I’m sure I must have eaten her food at Clamato, but the dishes that truly stayed with me were at Pilgrim. She probably doesn’t know this, but she’s the only chef who has ever made me enjoy cod. Normally, it’s a fish I find painfully bland — the kind I cross off the menu the second I see it. But with Chef Kitano’s sauce, I remember being genuinely happy that day, feeling like I was eating a completely different fish.

What matters most to her is working with local, seasonal ingredients.

And once that’s the case, she’s already won my heart.

My bet? You’ll be hearing her name a lot more in 2026. Just saying.

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Mokonuts – Moko Hirayama

Chef Hirayama is the most recent Japanese chef to enter my Paris life — and honestly, that’s on me. Why did it take me so long to go? Anyway, better late than never.

She immediately joined the list of all the chefs mentioned above in my head. Her approach to guests is incredibly warm and genuine. Even while ordering, she’ll say things like,

“You already have this ingredient in the starter — choose this for the main so you can try something different.”

That kind of guidance only comes from someone who truly knows their kitchen and their food.

Her main expertise is pastry. Many places boldly claim she makes the best cookies in Paris. Yes, I’ve tried them — they’re incredible. But I’m not really a cookie person, so I can’t make a serious comparison. I’ll need to consult my daughter on that one. 🥰

That said, I trust Merve — she says they’re among the very best.

And honestly, when a chef does so many things this well, there’s no need to focus on just one product anyway.

Born in Tokyo, she studied law in the US, then worked in London before saying “enough” and turning toward food. In an interview I read, she mentioned that her mother’s habit of baking French pastries at home played a big role in that shift.

She moved to Paris with her husband and found herself working in Michelin-starred kitchens. Then, at some point, they must have thought: enough working for others. In 2015, she and her husband Omar Koreitem opened this small but powerful spot.

You could describe the food as a mix of Lebanese, Japanese, French, and American influences. It may sound complicated, but the plates are incredibly clear — and delicious.

Their cookbooks are on everyone’s lips. The place is always full. Reservations are recommended, but you can still poke your head in and ask if there’s a table.

Sometimes miracles happen.

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Aux Plumes – Kazuhiro Fujieda

I proudly call this one of my best discoveries in Paris.

Why? Ask yourself: who goes to the 14th arrondissement? Who walks into a tiny, completely understated restaurant with zero façade drama?

Me.

Okay, confession: I went because Nurdane told me to. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it while walking by. It’s that quiet, that focused — a true chef’s restaurant.

It’s now one of my two go-to options at the end of my 14th arrondissement tour. Lunch and dinner menus are different, and the lunch menu (a fixed menu with choices) might be one of the best quality-to-price deals in the city.

Chef Fujieda’s career starts in culinary school in Japan, passes through L’Arpège in 2002, then continues around Montmartre at Moulin de la Galette, Chamarré (now closed), and Au Clocher (also closed).

I guess he got tired of the crowds and tourists, because he eventually opened his own place on this quiet street. 😁

Whenever I hear “L’Arpège background,” I automatically assume uncompromising ingredient quality — especially if the chef knows how to use it properly.

Another place whose seasonal menus consistently make me very happy.

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Le Gentil – Fumitoshi Kumagai

I had confessions in the first piece; here we go again.

For some reason, I always end up at Le Gentil on days when I’m not in the best mood — feeling a bit lonely, a bit grumpy. Pure coincidence. But by now, I’m convinced this place and its food have healing powers. 😁

I usually go for lunch, and when the meal ends, I genuinely feel lighter and happier heading back into my day. The delicacy of the plates, the calmness of the food, the harmony between ingredients and sauces — it all does something to me.

A glass of white wine probably helps too.

Chef Kumagai and his wife opened Le Gentil in 2024. The simplicity of the space and the light instantly remind me of the small, intimate restaurants we saw in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Just because I sometimes go without a reservation doesn’t mean you should. One lunchtime in early December, Ceren couldn’t find a table at all. 😬

And one more warning: don’t get confused when you arrive on Rue Surcouf! Tommy & Co., David Toutain, Au Petit Tonneau… they’re all right there. A street full of temptations. 🤭

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Chakaiseki Akiyoshi – Yuichiro Akiyoshi

I’d already shared this special place when we celebrated our wedding anniversary, but after Tokyo and Kyoto, it absolutely deserved a spot on this list again.

Why? The food, the atmosphere — especially how much it reminds us of places we loved in Kyoto — and the tea ceremony at the end of the meal.

Only after our trip did we fully understand the Kyoto connection: Chef Akiyoshi worked in a hotel in Kyoto for nearly ten years.

Like Le Gentil, this is a couple-run restaurant. The chef is in the kitchen, his wife in the dining room. They welcome you in traditional attire, service begins once everyone is seated. No rush. Just calm, maturity, and a beautifully paced experience.

“Chakaiseki” refers to cuisine served alongside a traditional tea ceremony. You can choose the fixed menu with tea pairing. We celebrated with wine, but next time, I’m definitely going for the tea pairing.

They earned their Michelin star in their first year. Reservation required.

And one last note: even after Tokyo and Kyoto, Akiyoshi’s shime saba (mackerel sushi) is still etched in my mind. Outstanding.

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Magma – Ryuya Ona

After culinary schools in Osaka and Lyon, Chef Ona began his professional career at L’As in Tokyo — opened in 2012 and known for serving French cuisine in an omakase style. He then moved to Paris, working with Bruno Verjus at La Table, followed by Chef Sota Atsumi at Maison. Before opening his own place, he completed his final preparations at L’Attache.

He opened Magma in July 2022. We went the very next month. Clearly very curious people we are ! 😁

Back then, there was an à la carte menu, and we basically ordered everything. Later, they switched to a fixed menu — and yes, we went back for that too.

The menus are seasonal and constantly evolving. In one interview, he mentioned that his suppliers sometimes force him to be extra creative (!!!) , sending ingredients that he didn’t ask for or in different quantities — sometimes more, sometimes less than expected. 😁

Even if he objects, I imagine the answer is always the same: C’est la vie! 😂

Oh, and the wine list is excellent too — just so you know.

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Ojii – Yuji Mikuriya

Don’t be fooled by its popularity during Paris Fashion Week. Ojii isn’t just a chic place to be seen — it’s a place where you eat genuinely excellent Japanese food.

Chef Mikuriya is highly experienced, with New York and Paris both on his résumé. More recently, he left a strong mark on the Paris scene with Guilo Guilo.

The sashimi was among the freshest fish I’ve had in Paris. The tempura is top-tier.

It’s one of our favorite places to celebrate special occasions. And one of Paris’s coolest sommeliers is part of the team.

Once again: you’re in very good hands. Just enjoy.

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Bistro S – Shimpei Oie

Another chef from Osaka. His story resembles many European chef biographies: early inspiration from his mother and grandmother.

He completed an internship in Paris with another Japanese chef, but returned to Osaka to attend Tsuji Culinary School in order to better understand the foundations of international cuisine. Then Tokyo, then back to Paris.

In 2019, feeling ready, he opened this elegant restaurant with this gentleman Antonio Arnes Spinoza. My first visit was with April; later, I returned with a group of five for dinner. Both times, I clearly saw how Japanese elegance translates onto the plate.

Chef Oie once again confirms one of my core beliefs: there’s no such thing as bad ingredients — only chefs who don’t know how to use them.

On our last visit, he managed to make my chestnut-hating wife love chestnut soup, and convinced Furkan — who dislikes duck — to happily eat duck breast. 😁

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So yes, inspired by Tokyo and Kyoto, I jumped into 2026 at full speed. I hope I can keep this rhythm going.

The topic of the third piece is already clear — even the fourth one. Just a little patience…

For now, stay tuned on Instagram.

With love.

The Paris Chefs Who Got Me Ready for Tokyo and Kyoto

Okan GORUR January 3, 2026

Tokyo and Kyoto are places where elegance, quality, and good taste still matter. Cities that remind you that greeting someone, smiling, and saying thank you are the most basic forms of human communication. Places where helping others feels like a natural reflex. At least, that was our experience.

That’s why we loved these two cities so much and why we want to go back as soon as possible.

They are also enormous. You can’t really “discover” Tokyo or Kyoto by going once and staying for ten days. And trying to see everything while you’re there doesn’t make much sense either — because then you start losing the value of what you’re actually seeing. You need to slow down and absorb things. Observe the people, the rhythm, the buildings, and of course — for me most importantly — digest the food culture.

Before I connect Tokyo and Kyoto to Paris, let me say one thing. Even if my closest friends and many influencers or bloggers say otherwise, do yourself a favor and make reservations, at least for dinner.

Especially if, like me, you travel with food and wine as your foundation. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself standing around in the evening with thousands of other people, staring at the same restaurant apps, failing to find a table — and eventually eating badly. Yes, badly. Just like anywhere else in the world, there is bad food in these cities too.

So, how do we get to Paris? 😁

Through food, of course. Starting from my own neighborhood, I want to talk about a few chefs who, ever since the day we moved to Paris, have unknowingly been preparing me for Japan.

Dedication. Consistency. Humility. Simplicity. Creativity without forcing it.

These are the common threads among my favorite Japanese chefs in Paris.

Let’s begin.

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Tampopo - Masami Kawabe (first visit: 2017)

Yes, most people assume Tampopo is named after the film, but it’s actually the other way around. The restaurant opened in 1983; the movie came out in 1985. And while the film revolves around ramen, what we eat here is sushi and tempura.

This has been our family’s regular sushi spot ever since we first moved to Paris. We’ve been going for seven years now, but Chef Kawabe has been in France for over forty years, and in this very shop for more than twenty.

No show, no flash. Just traditional sushi décor, incredibly fresh ingredients, real flavor, and craftsmanship. Authentic kaiseki cuisine.

My daughter and I proudly say that the tempura we eat here still ranks in our top three — even after Japan.

Kawabe was born in Ibaraki, north of Tokyo. After working for ten years across different regions of Japan, he moved to Paris. He spent fourteen years as head chef at Chez Miki, which became one of President François Mitterrand’s favorite restaurants. After that, he went south to work at My Sushi restaurants in Monaco, Nice, and Cannes, building a strong reputation as a sushi and grilling specialist along the French Riviera.

At some point, he must have grown tired of all the glamour and spectacle in south because he has been working quietly in this peaceful little shop with his family for a long time. They own the restaurant since 2004.

We often show up without a reservation and cause the family a mild headache, but they still put up with us 😁

We love Kawabe and his family — they are one of our greatest sources of happiness in the neighborhood.

While walking through Tokyo and Kyoto, I kept thinking about a philosophy that this chef embodies perfectly: you shouldn’t accept perfection. Once something is perfect, there’s no progress — you stop. There is always room to move forward, and working toward that is the right way.

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Maison – Sota Atsumi (first experience: 2017, Clown Bar)

Photo is taken from their instagram account

A French restaurateur friend once told me, “His food is too perfect” 😁

My friend prefers looser, more relaxed plates — dishes that aren’t so clearly defined. But especially after my Japan trip, I realized something important: there is no such thing as perfection. There is always room to move forward. And that’s exactly what Chef Atsumi is chasing.

Atsumi is from Tokyo and has an extraordinary CV. His journey began in 2005 at culinary school in Lyon and continued until 2014 alongside major figures like Tateru Yoshino, Joël Robuchon, and Pierre Jancou. He then took over Le Clown Bar, which left a revolutionary mark on the Paris food scene. After winning Le Fooding’s Best Bistro Award in 2015, everyone started talking about him.

We experienced his food in 2017 while we were still trying to understand Paris. Back then, his dishes weren’t as niche or sharply defined as they are today — more wine-bar friendly, but bold. When he left Clown Bar and announced he was heading to New York for a while, I thought we had lost him. But I guess it’s hard for a chef to resist French ingredients — he came back.

His return was a bit unlucky, as his new restaurant Maison opened right during the pandemic, forcing him to wait, or rather endure. But the comeback was spectacular. They found a former industrial building in the 11th arrondissement, completely gutted and redesigned by architect Tsuyoshi Tane. David Lynch created the whimsical Maison logo (turning a house, a fork, and a sun into characters), and JR designed a custom sound system.

Not bad support, right? 😁

Atsumi is creating a new template for how Japanese chefs can honor French tradition and push it forward — without fusion and without ostentation.

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La Table d’Aki – Akihiro Horikoshi (first visit: 2018)

Confessions incoming.

I haven’t been to La Table d’Aki in a long time. That’s not really an excuse, but making a reservation here is not easy. The restaurant has only four tables, and Chef Horikoshi is the only person in the kitchen.

He is one of the most respected chefs in Paris and has been here for over thirty years. He dislikes showmanship and staying in the spotlight. After spending twenty years as head chef at the three-Michelin-starred L’Ambroisie, he opened his own place.

Menus are built entirely around seasonal products, which means everything is incredibly fresh. When it comes to cooking fish, people call him a master.

Two phrases written about him stayed with me:

“Silent mastery through perfect execution” and

“He is the embodiment of the shokunin spirit — lifelong devotion to mastery of craft.”

My second confession: when I first went, I didn’t yet have the capacity to understand how important — and how delicious — simplicity can be. My former partner Didem has always been its strongest defender. Was I a bit thick-headed? 🤔😁

Over time, I learned. And only much later did I truly understand what the chef showed us that night. That’s why I now greet him with deep respect.

After returning from Japan, I became very used to bowing as a gesture of respect, so the fact that this fits into this piece feels perfect.

Final note: this is also one of Vedat Milor’s classics. When we went, the chef learned we were Turkish and immediately mentioned how much he enjoys Vedat Bey’s visits.

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Double – Tsuyoshi Yamakawa (first experience: 2019, La Crèmerie)

Chef Yamakawa played a leading role in our first Paris experiences with natural wine and shared plates. I’d even say he’s part of the origin story of my Paris.

What sets him apart from the other Japanese chefs is his background: after Japan, he didn’t come straight to France — he spent seven years in Italy. Which explains his deep love for pasta.

While eating soba and ramen in Tokyo and Kyoto, I kept thinking of him. I finally understood his obsession with pasta better.

A small aside: if you’ve never watched soba being cut by hand, it’s absolutely mesmerizing. After ten minutes of watching, my daughter said, “I want to do this for a living” 😅

You can taste Yamakawa’s personal take on pasta at Double. But reservations are essential. It’s a micro-restaurant for twelve people, with two seatings — very Japanese, but much more modern.

Say hello from me. And yes, by pure coincidence we were in Tokyo at the same time, but we didn’t meet — we didn’t want to make the Paris food scene jealous 😜

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Ex – Les Enfants du Marché / Shunta Suzuki (2020)

I still can’t believe I’m writing “Ex,” but every beautiful thing comes to an end. I’m impatiently waiting to see what Shunta does next — and I’ll share it when I hear.

I first tasted his food in 2020. When he took over the kitchen, the first thing people told me was that the plates had become more feminine and delicate. Even without being told, I would have understood it from the very first dish. Suddenly, the food leveled up.

As I spent more time with Shunta, I began to understand his cooking better. His calmness, his love for his work, the way his mind is constantly on ingredients and food — it all deeply impressed me. There aren’t many people around me who love their work this much, especially under such demanding conditions.

Flavor always comes first, but aesthetics are never sacrificed. Always with his black notebook and tiny pencil in hand.

I will never forget the gorgonzola mussels (iconic), the foie gras with smoked eel, and the pig’s feet dishes.

The two-night pop-up we organized with Mika, Shunta, and Mustafa was one of the best weeks of my life. And Shunta getting stuck in Antalya after the event was definitely not entirely my fault — I want that on record 😂😂😂

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Pontochoux Café – Akira Takahashi

I said it at the beginning: don’t exhaust yourself trying to do everything just because you’re in Tokyo or Kyoto. I let things flow a bit with my wife and daughter, and somehow we never crossed paths with a true pastry master in those massive cities 🤔

So I said to myself: Okan, go back to what you know. Go back home. And place yourself in Akira’s hands.

Akira is the former pastry chef of the Michelin-starred Les Climats. In my eyes, he fills one of the biggest gaps in the Marais. He’s the person who finally said “enough” to cafés serving good coffee without desserts worthy of it 😁

I don’t praise sweets easily, but for Akira, “game changer” comes out of my mouth very naturally. I could eat his cheesecake every single day. And the small board of seasonal, inspiration-driven desserts? A completely different universe.

The elegance, delicacy, and subtlety I saw in Kyoto — turned into dessert. That’s Akira’s plates.

Do yourself a favor and go.

Coffee, me & 3micro cafés

Okan GORUR December 19, 2024

The topic of this article is coffee, so let me start by talking about my relationship with it. I’ll get straight to the point—I had no relationship with coffee before moving to Paris. 😅 Surprising, isn’t it? A grown Turkish adult resisting the reality of Turkish coffee! What can I say? I didn’t like it, couldn’t like it. However, shortly before moving to Paris, when opportunities arose to meet other parents after dropping off or picking up my daughter from school, the stress of the inevitable question, ‘Shall we grab a coffee?’ pushed me to take an interest in coffee. With a little research, I realized that Paris wasn’t much different from me when it came to coffee. Parisians drink bad coffee at bistros. I’m talking about 2017. Back then, there were no more than ten third-wave coffee shops in Paris. And yet, the French played a significant role in the global spread of coffee. They smuggled coffee seeds from Madagascar and planted them in their colonies in the Caribbean islands, including Haiti, ensuring they didn’t miss out on the coffee trade. In fact, the first coffee shop in Paris, Café Procope, opened in 1672. And yes, it’s still open today—though it’s no longer a café, but a restaurant.

The third-wave coffee shops I discovered in 2017 all sourced their own beans—they were both roasters and cafés. As I slowly tried them all, I began to explore the vast world of coffee. During this time, I also read three books: Coffee Isn’t Rocket Science, The New Rules of Coffee, and The Curious Barista’s Guide to Coffee. ☕️ Meanwhile, I witnessed Paris’s coffee scene evolve. According to an article I read, specialty coffee sales in France have risen by 14% since 2019, reflecting growing demand for artisanal and ethically sourced coffee. The overall coffee market is expected to grow by about 1.14% annually between 2023 and 2025. Another study suggests that the French coffee market will see a compound annual growth rate of 5.7% from 2024 to 2030. I couldn’t find any official figures on the number of coffee shops opening and closing in Paris. If you ask me, it feels like a new one opens almost every day. 😂 The meaning of the word ‘café’ has also become quite muddled. There are the classic spots selling good coffee and a few pastries, but then there are also places serving tapas and wine. The ‘café’ scene in Paris has grown more diverse and layered. Of course, being an old-school person who enjoys simplicity, I’ve dedicated this article to three micro-coffee shops. I must admit, the idea of running a place like this is always lingering at the back of my mind. While I keep dreaming, let me introduce you to three young men who’ve turned their dreams into reality with their micro coffee shops.

The first café is the oldest among the three. I say ‘oldest,’ but they’re all very new. Mini Café is Loïc’s place, and its location is one of my favorites. It’s been open since January 2023. Loïc spent a few years in Asia, where he had the chance to visit coffee plantations in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Honestly, I can’t think of a better motivation to come back to Paris and open a café. He enjoys all coffee drinks, as long as they’re well-executed. Over time, he’s worked with various roasters, but currently, he serves coffee sourced from Frukt, a Finnish roaster. Loïc’s thoughts on the Paris coffee scene align closely with mine: good coffee is becoming a part of French life, creating opportunities for new investments, concepts, atmospheres, and recipes. Mini Café is located on the Île Saint-Louis, just next to Île de la Cité, the island at the heart of Paris where the city was founded. After visiting Notre-Dame, you can stop by to try their coffee. Don’t worry—the usual tourist crowds aren’t an issue here. Especially on sunny days, it’s a joy to hang out around Loïc’s café.

Since you’ve visited Notre-Dame and made your way to Mini Café, you must have an interest in history. In that case, head over to Bastille, one of the most important squares in Paris and French history. From there, it’s just a 13-minute walk to Abner’s place, Saint Barista. Isn’t that a fantastic name? He opened the shop in June. Compared to the other café owners, he seems the luckiest to me because he was practically born into the coffee business. He said; “My grandfather had a coffee finca in Guatemala, my home country.” Although he didn’t take an interest in coffee until he was 17, he grew up observing how his family managed the business. When he applied for a job at 17, he had to complete coffee training, and that’s when he finally embraced the family trade. Drawing on all these experiences, Abner loves connecting with his customers, sharing both his coffee and his craft, and getting to know the people who walk through his doors. He doesn’t have a preference for coffee from a specific country; instead, like me, he enjoys tasting and drinking coffees that are made with care and passion. Lately, he’s been experimenting with Aeropress brewing and is increasingly pleased with the results. He prefers to work with a different roaster every 2-3 months. While I was preparing this article, he was collaborating with DAK, a Dutch roaster with Canadian roots. He also offers flexibility to his customers by providing two espresso options.Abner hopes to see a friendly community develop in the Paris coffee scene, where business owners and customers take care of each other. From what I’ve observed over my seven years in Paris, if business owners or chefs do their job well, Parisians always support them and show their loyalty. I believe Saint Barista has the potential to thrive for years to come.

Now, let’s move on to our last micro-coffee shop, the newest of the trio. By the way, I assume you’re still continuing your tour of historic squares and have now arrived at Place de la République. 😁 (For some reason?!? 😁) When you’re tired, I have another great coffee recommendation just six minutes away on foot: Press Café. This is the newest spot, having opened in July 2024. I think it’s the perfect time—August in Paris is quiet, making it easier to settle into a new shop and routine.David got hooked on coffee six years ago and has been planning to open his shop for three. He found inspiration in the small coffee shops of Amsterdam and Japan. Colombian coffee is one of his favorites, standing out just a little more than the rest. At Press Café, David works with two excellent roasters. He uses espresso beans from Honduras roasted by Lomi, where he’s found a nice balance. For gentler brewing methods, he chose fruitier beans from Colombia and Brazil roasted by Fève. Another thing I love about Press Café is the music selection—David has great taste. While the shop isn’t big enough to sit and relax inside, you can enjoy the music and coffee outside on a nice day. David also sees the Paris coffee scene as inspiring and full of potential. He believes many neighborhoods still need good coffee shops and quality coffee.

One common feature of these three places is that, as long as there isn’t a line behind you, you can enjoy a delightful conversation with Abner, David, or Loïc. The chats often start with coffee but naturally flow into life. This even made me wonder—could baristas take the place of bartenders we see in movies, the ones who love to chat and listen to people’s troubles? 😁

My Routine

Okan GORUR March 17, 2024

It's clear that I haven't been able to establish a rhythm for my writing habit. We can debate whether I'm putting in enough effort, but after a certain age, when you change countries, many old and new habits take different durations to settle into a routine than you might expect. Especially, like me, if you come to a country with your spouse’s assignment without finding a job, and if you don't know the language at all, then your situation becomes even more challenging. It's essential to find activities that will become part of your new life and keep you disciplined. It could be something as simple as taking your child to and from school. This is very important to me; chatting with my daughter while going to and from school, witnessing her growth, is one of the most enjoyable ways. As she grows older, our walking time has decreased, but that's okay; every age has its pleasures. Next year, she'll be in sixth grade and will prefer going to school without her father. This means that I'll need to develop a new habit for mornings next year. It might be exaggerated, but wouldn't it be great if I started doing sports, right?!?!

My second routine in Paris became "going to the market." Except for school holidays, you can see me every Wednesday at Avenue President Wilson market. Located between Iéna Square and Alma Square on Avenue President Wilson, the market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, opening early in the morning and closing at 2:30 PM. Frankly, the variety of products on Saturdays is much better than Wednesdays; if you have the chance, I recommend going on Saturdays. I'm not saying this because I go there regularly, but among the markets I've seen while walking the streets of Paris, this is one of the best. One of the characteristics that make up the city's spirit is each neighborhood's own shopping streets and local markets. The Parisians' commitment to this culture is one of the most important factors for me to love this city. Watching an elderly Parisian with a grumpy look and a seller who you wouldn't believe enjoys his job sharing recipes with each other in a butcher's shop is a wonderful moment for me. So when the "home delivery in 15 minutes" initiative came to Paris, I told my friends it wouldn't work, and I was right. Especially in food shopping, reducing or cutting off the contact between seller and customer, like trying to change the culture of Parisians, is also not possible.

In the 20 arrondissements of Paris, 72 markets are set up. You can check where and on which days they are set up on the city's official website. To rent a space at the market, you need to obtain permission from the local municipalities. The process typically begins with the applicant applying to the relevant administrative authority, which evaluates the suitability of the vendor and the products they plan to sell. Among the key requirements are providing fresh and locally sourced products, offering a variety of items, keeping the stall clean and organized, and clearly displaying prices. Additionally, local authorities expect vendors to create a friendly and professional atmosphere by communicating with customers in a warm manner. Generally, the places where the products come from and the production methods (such as organic-bio) are indicated on the labels.

Seeing dried grapes, dried apricots, dried figs, and quinces coming from Turkey through the labels makes me very happy, indeed. Here, at one of these stalls, there's Azdine. I can say that I made my first attempts at speaking French with him at the market. He's so polite that he has been putting up with me for years. In addition to dried fruits from Turkey, his stall also offers many varieties of nuts, mezes, and the types of olives that I buy most frequently. In France, olive and olive oil consumption is significantly lower compared to Italy, Spain, and Greece. So finding olives that suit my taste is not easy either. Thanks to Azdine, he allows me to taste 2-3 varieties before deciding which olives to buy. He has been doing this job for 30 years. Azdine's attitude reminds me of the vendors in Yeşilköy market from my childhood. Always cheerful, always talkative, and always loud. The flower stall across from him is his favorite because the scents wafting from there especially in spring make him very happy. He says that chatting with customers is the most enjoyable part of his job, and indeed, in the small question-answer interviews I conducted, all the vendors mentioned that chatting with customers is their favorite part of their jobs.

Azdine was the last to reply to my e-mail so he deserves my “sympathy” (photo: Amber)

One of the most enjoyable conversations you can have is with Carine, right next to the Azdine’s stall. She has been at the helm of her own company, BaraPatates, since 2007. In my opinion, she's the queen of the market. The quality of the products on her stall is always top-notch, and she has a variety of mushrooms that you won't see at any other stall. Because she also loves cooking at home, she pays great attention to ensuring that the products on her stall are as high-quality as those she brings home. She doesn't put any product on the stall that she doesn't like. This attention to detail and pursuit of good ingredients is a tradition passed down in her family because Carine's family has both a catering company and butchers. Now she's passing this tradition on to her children. One of my favorite moments at the market is when Carine shares recipes with a very chic Parisian woman. I know, this might get me into trouble in the future because when I improve my French to that point, Carine won't want to see me around her stall anymore because I'll be trying to ask for a new recipe every time. One of the things market vendors dislike doing the most is carrying crates, and Carine thinks the same way, rightfully so, she even had to undergo shoulder surgery because of it.

Kneel before the queen of mushrooms ! (Photo: Amber)

Another market vendor who doesn't particularly enjoy the setup stage is Herminia 'Mimi' Pereira at the Saint Vrain cheese stall opposite Bar a Patates. Setting up Mimi's stall is more challenging. The care needed to transport cheese and other dairy products is different from that needed for potatoes and onions, of course, so preparing the stall requires a serious level of concentration and patience. Once that's taken care of, the job becomes easier. Mimi's favorite moments in her job are when customers are told to her how satisfied with the products they purchase. I recommend visiting the Saint Vrain stall especially on Saturday mornings; the variety of cheeses there can be overwhelming. Lastly, let me tell you why Mimi and I get along so well: Both Mimi and I love comté cheese the most among all the cheeses. Actually, this isn't all that rare because it's really hard not to love comté. It's made from unpasteurized cow's milk in the France-Comté region near the Swiss border in eastern France. It's one of the most produced cheeses in France, and its production process undergoes strict controls, including calculating how many cows can be on how many square meters of land. These standards are referred to as French Appellation d'origine Contrôlée (AOC). By the way, Comté pairs beautifully with the white wines of the Arbois appellation in the Jura region. You should try it when you come to Paris.

note for the smart-a.. ; we are aware that the cheese is not *comté but we like this photo the most.*
(*photo*: *Amber*)

Talking about white wine immediately brings fish to mind. I confess, I never used to buy fish from the market in Turkey, so I didn't buy it here in the early days either. Then I put an end to this nonsense and started buying it. After making a few changes to the stalls over the years, I've been benefiting from Jean Pierre's 40 years of experience for the last 2 years, and I started buying fresh fish and seafood from his stall. His advice on how to cook them has improved the quality of our fish dinners at home. Jean's advice is very accurate because he cooks at home. Of course, Jean's least favorite thing about the market is the cold weather. The reason he complains more than other vendors is actually quite clear: in winter, having to clean fish with hands exposed to water! He's not entirely wrong, don't you think?

gratter & vider ; the first 2 French words i learned for fish shopping. (photo: Amber)

When Jean wants to buy something from the market, of course, he prefers vendors who bring organic products from their own gardens. One of these stalls is ValdemarBerreira's. They grow their products on lands 40 minutes outside Paris. You should see the variety of herbs in spring; they are incredibly colorful and fragrant, and towards the end of summer, they have various types of tomatoes. Valdemar took over this business from Joël Thiébault, who was famous as a supplier for starred restaurants, in 2016. His wife, Zilda, also joined the team. Like her colleagues, Zilda doesn't like the cold of winter or the "canicule" (heatwave) of summer. Since such good products pass through her hands, she uses them all in her own kitchen, and she can't resist sharing them with her customers if the new recipes she tries turn out successful. As a customer, what more could you ask for? Good ingredients and recipes; it's hard not to love this stall!

We've got the vegetables, fish, cheeses, and nuts; but where will we get the fruits? I'll answer right away; fresh fruits await you at Mourad's stall. Especially if you love berry varieties, they're always very fresh here. I can say that my daughter's obsession with Fuji red apples started because of this stall. I always have the opportunity to taste whatever fruit I want, just like I'm used to from Turkey. I'm always offered the fruit I want according to the season; this warmth and sincerity are the behavior I value most. Mourad might be the youngest person at all the stalls I shop at, both in terms of age and work experience: It's only been 10 years. I was there at 7 of it Mourad! He can't cook at home, but learning to cook is among his future plans because the products he sells put pressure on him. He says it doesn't seem possible to stay away from the kitchen when such good products pass through his hands, well, go ahead Mourad !

She knows why that apple is there. (photo: Amber)

Finally, let me tell you about the stall that makes me the happiest when I see it at the market. It's the stall of İbrahim and his family, meticulously making “gözleme” in their pristine white outfits. The only downside here is that they can't come on Saturdays because they set up their stall at the Versailles market on Fridays and Sundays. İbrahim also cooks at home because it's part of his family's traditions. They have different varieties of “gözleme” at their stall. My favorite is the one with baby spinach and feta cheese. They make sure all the ingredients they choose are additive-free. Therefore, the taste is equally excellent. We can't enjoy many good Turkish meals outside our home in Paris, but İbrahim and his family's varieties of "gözleme" delight us.

İbrahim’s flour toss. (Of course, he doesn’t do anything like this, it was just my absurd idea.) photo: Amber

Among the regular customers of this market, there are also famous chefs. During my Wednesday routine, I sometimes come across Matthias Marc and Takuya Watanabe. Of course, even though I feel excited to be buying ingredients from the same place as them, the lack of any similarity of the final dishes between what we cook at home and what they cook brings me back to reality. 😃

LEM était en Turquie

Okan GORUR August 16, 2023

One party entered my life with piyaz with fennel, the other with razor clams. I want to share with you how I combined these two choices that seem very far from each other and how two pop up evenings that turned out to be more beautiful than I’ve ever imagined. I want to start with the host; Mustafa Otar, the person who has the biggest share in making this organization full of flavours.

The first three pieces of information I want to share about him are that he loves the soil, he is in love with the sea, and he is fond of his freedom. Since the day I met him, he has been talking about the fruit trees in his homeland and the vineyard he dreams of. He goes and touches the soil at every opportunity and easily becomes a part of that life. I would also like to mention that he recently realized his dream of a vineyard. I am eagerly waiting for the wines that will come from that vineyard when he believes that it is 100% ready. I first heard about Mustafa in Istanbul from another chef friend of mine whom I admire. She was doing a consultancy for a restaurant and after working together for a while; she described him as creative, quick, takes initiative and knowledgeable. Some time later, in another restaurant in Bomonti, I heard about the lamb shank he prepared in the wood oven that became famous by word of mouth and was ordered in advance during the reservations. However the day that was etched in my mind was in a much more cosy environment. It was sincere but challenging. We were 14-15 people who had been working in the food and beverage business for a long time including some chefs. This group could easily be arrogant and on top of that he cooked in an unfamiliar home kitchen. Very few of us helped with the preparations and Mustafa fed us all with great patience. I cannot forget the piyaz with fennel on the menu. Despite preparing everything in front of us all evening, none of us could understand how he cooked that piyaz so deliciously. Later, we strengthened our friendship at the raki tables. Mustafa has a strong character, is knowledgeable and never hesitates to share his knowledge, mature enough to know that those around him must be very good when a collective work has to be done. The young and dynamic staff in the restaurant we saw when we came for this organization was like a proof that Mustafa left nothing to chance. The team's motivation being at the highest level eased the work of the Les Enfants du Marché (Lem) team. They did a wonderful job with great discipline. I also want to thank the team from here. Thanks to you, the kitchen organization went seamlessly. You are all wonderful.

Mustafa's first meeting with the Les Enfants du Marché (Lem) team took place when he came to Paris in November 2022. Of course, I took Mustafa to Lem, just like I took all my friends who are in search of good food. The satisfaction in all the dishes we ordered was reflected so quickly on his face that I was relieved. So, how did I meet Lem? Let me explain it right away. As you know, I walked all the public streets of Paris. I did these walks with a plan which is, arrondissement by arrondissement. (Paris consists of 20 arrondissements and is in the shape of a snail) While walking the 3rd arrondissement, I came across a covered market and threw myself into the Marché des Enfants Rouges. This is Paris's oldest fruit and vegetable market, established in 1628. Over the years, some politicians have set their eyes on it, but those living in Marais have never surrendered and have protected their market. In 1982, it was added to the "historical monument" list and gained a complete protection . My first visit was in 2019. After touring the inside, a stall that distinguished itself from other food stands with its energy and spirit caught my attention and I sat down.

And yes, as I mentioned in my first sentence, my first order was razor clams. It was a classic; with garlic, parsley, and white wine sauce. I couldn't help but wonder how this dish, which I sometimes come across in Paris, could be so tasty. Just like Mustafa's piyaz.

I started to go there frequently over the years. I took every friend who was after good food in a casual environment here. As I went often, I saw how good a boss Michael Grosman is. His most important feature is his love and respect for his job. He is always at work, smiling, full of energy, a disciplined boss who communicates very well with his team and his customers. He is modest enough to say that they are not doing rocket science and adds “we are just after making good food with good ingredients.” Mika's food knowledge and management experience is a legacy passed on to him from his family and developed by himself. Mika, who is from Southern France, learned everything in the businesses owned by his family and frequented by very famous people (Mick Jagger, Elton John, Madonna...). Later, he became one of the founders of the Japanese bistro Soma, which I love very much in Paris. In 2017, an opportunity came up and he took the place at Marché des Enfants Rouges. Menus are created with whatever ingredients found at the market seasonally. Natural wines accompany it. The wine list is of course mostly French producers but there are also wonderful Greek, Austrian and Italian natural wines. Wine is also the area of expertise of Lem's chef Shunta. He became interested in wines in Japan and did his study. In fact, after coming to France, he worked for a wine producer in the Rhone region for 6 months and improved himself about wine production. After his experiences in Japan, he participated in pop-ups in Thailand, Singapore, Germany and Iceland. In Paris, he worked at the one-star Restaurant Sola and with chef Sota Atsumi (at Maison Sota), whose food I have loved since Clown Bar. After Shunta took over at Lem, where he started as a sous chef, an extra elegance appeared on the plates. The harmony of the ingredients he uses is really striking. Spending a week with Shunta, his black notebook which he never lets go of, taking notes about the new ingredients he learned and writing down new ideas that came to his mind was a great experience for me. Even while chatting about daily topics, thinking about the ingredients and the dishes he will make in the background was a sign why he is different.

Now that I have introduced both sides, I can now tell you about our week-long adventure.

First of all i need to say that Mustafa seemed to have prepared everything in his head before the Lem team arrived. He was just impatient to learn Lem's menu. Therefore, the first two days were hard for Mustafa. Lem team was not in a hurry either because they first wanted to get to know Mustafa, then the city and Yazz, and feel the energy. They observed a lot and learned a very important piece of information: You don't joke with raki!

On the first evening, Mustafa took us to Girida Port, the best fish restaurant in the region. There, the night was full with both seafood and hospitality. From the moment dear Shunta learned that raki was our traditional drink, it was a pleasure for me to watch him start thinking about how he could find a place on his own menu and try it with other flavors on the table, and to listen to him exchange ideas with Mika and Mustafa. Of course, we didn't need to drink so much Raki to let Shunta understand it totally. We struggled a bit the next day. But even for this situation, Mustafa already had a solution, he immediately took us to a great döner shop. Once we calmed our stomachs, it was the time for the team to enter the kitchen. Under Mustafa's guidance, Shunta and Mika's requests began to be prepared quickly. Both were stunned to find such a good team. They immediately got in tune with the team and the preparations began at full speed. The hardest part of the second day was expected to be the wine tasting, but it immediately became easier at the first try. The Turkish pet nat and natural wines that Mustafa wanted the chefs to taste received positive notes from these two experienced Parisians. Especially dear Seyit Karagozoglu's pét-nat turned into a pleasure drink in the evening even though we started as a tasting. We spent our second evening tasting Mustafa's dishes at the hotel. Thus, the Lem team fully learned about Mustafa's style and understood the quality of the food served at the hotel. We were just about to go home when there was another surprise from Mustafa. On Saturday evening, we were the first to try Mustafa Otar's botarga, which will be presented to the guests coming to the chef's table. Honestly, botarga is not one of my favorite ingredients cause it takes over everything it gets into and creates very difficult situations for someone like me who always seeks balance in meals; however, I learned a lesson. Dear readers, there are no bad or tasteless or strong ingredients, there are very good chefs who know how to use ingredients! Mustafa's Botarga is now a reality in my life and botarga is a beautiful thing."

Wednesday and Thursday passed with the preparations of the main ingredients and sauces in the kitchen. These two days showed us the differences between the working cultures and how important it is for some people to take time for himself/herself. Mika and Shunta showed that they set aside 1-1.5 hours for themselves every day, no matter how intense they work, and they invest in areas outside of their works by doing sports/yoga to clear their minds. (Mika participated and completed the Paris Triathlon a week later) Moreover the two great developments of Thursday were the arrival of Mika's family and Alca (Mustafa’s partner) Now all the motivation factors had been provided for the two meals at the weekend.

Friday morning started early because we went to the farmers’ market that Mustafa talked about before we arrived. It was a wonderful market. Producers coming from surrounding villages and towns were showing how valuable lands Türkiye has. The Lem team was very pleased to be at this market. But there was a significant risk of visiting such a good market. Chef Shunta might want to change his menu... and he did! But we saved the printed menus by guaranteeing that he could do whatever he wanted with the side dishes, provided that we could not touch the main ingredients.

After the market, we moved to the hotel and the final preparations for the evening began. Lem, Mustafa, and the team prepared the final dishes in perfect harmony and the evening meal started to be served to all hotel guests around 7.

The menu created by the Lem team and Mustafa was a flavor storm. The festive, which started with two different pieces from the back and belly part of the tuna presented with different spices by the Lem team, followed by smoked bonito with licha and a touch of Bouillabaisse, a traditional dish of the Marseillais. As a main course the Japanese touch to the Turkish lamb, namely panko frying, satisfied our stomachs. The dessert was greatly influenced by the first night of Fethiye: Raki. That is two slices of different structures were presented by infusing raki into a watermelon that had been cooked on a wood fire for a long time. On the other hand, Mustafa added the most loved ones from his own menu, considering the more traditional guests of the hotel. As the starters, tzatziki and hummus were served. Because of the incredible tastes, now a few friends can't eat tzatziki without almonds and fennel. Also the slices of dried and smoked lamb thigh served in cold starters still enter my dreams with its slight spiciness. You can eat the tempura corn with anchovy mayonnaise served in the hot starters three meals a day without getting bored. Mustafa's main course option was grilled grouper. He served it with smoked carrot puree and tiger de leche he prepared. If I hadn't met the team, I could have thought that there was a very good Peruvian chef next to Isa, the lahmacun master from Kilis. (I can write a separate article for lahmacun because I ate lahmacun every lunch for 4 days, thank you master Isa) As the end of the night approached, our joy increased because the reactions from the guests were very positive. Especially at the end of the dinner, the dialogues Mika established with the guests increased everyone's joy one more time. After we all switched to party mode, Mika and Shunta disappeared at one point (we thought one of the yacht owners kidnapped them 😁) and excited us. But when i saw them spending time with the team in the resting area of the kitchen, it was a proof of why this duo were the rising stars of Paris. They know that success is a team job, that both difficulties and fun will increase the team spirit when shared together, and they enjoyed being part of the fun of the team that has been working hard for a week. Of course, Friday was not the only night and none of us should have been drunk (!!!) with victory.

On Saturday evening, a chef's table was organized, and the most important feature of this evening was that the new kitchen set up for Mustafa was filled with equipments that operated entirely on wood and charcoal fire, and it was the first time they were being used. Doing this with the Lem team was truly a great start. From here, I wish Mustafa many more wonderful meals in that amazing kitchen. The biggest difference that set this evening apart from the others was the presence of guests who were very knowledgeable and experienced in the food&beverage industry in their respective fields, which meant there could be critiques. However, I believe that the knowledge, experience, love, and respect for their work from Mustafa, Mika, and Shunta reached such a high level that they all chose to simply enjoy the dishes that were served. The superstars of the second evening were Mustafa's botarga, the dried, smoked, and grilled mackerel with peas, and Lem's tuna fish with Bouillabaisse sauce.

In conclusion, both of our evenings were filled with a storm of flavors. As the orchestrator of the meeting between Mustafa and the Lem team, I can't help but give myself an extra point for being a part of this culinary journey. It was a perfect match, a week filled with inspiration. Throughout the week, I witnessed the incredible talent and passion of Mustafa Otar and his young team. I am delighted to have the opportunity to touch the team’s professional lives. I hope they realize the international caliber of Mustafa's knowledge, talent, and vision, and how fortunate they are to work alongside him. The time spent with Mika and Shunta from different cultures was a treasure trove of techniques, perspectives, and new ideas that will shape their future.

Lastly, I would like to thank Yazz Collective for fully supporting Mustafa Otar's knowledge, talent, and hard work, and for opening their doors to us and ensuring that the organization was carried out smoothly.

Les Enfants du Marché - Source of Happiness

Okan GORUR June 3, 2023

I had two different ideas for the first sentence of this article. The first one was to write about how fast I walk on Rue Réamur & Rue de Bretagne until Les Enfants du Marché after getting off at Arts et Métiers station. The second one was that I had actually wanted to write this article many times before, but I gave up thinking that something might be missing if I wrote it now.

I'm writing both of them because I still can't decide which one to choose. My relationship with Les Enfants du Marché began in 2018 when I was exploring the 3rd arrondissement. While walking down the streets, I came across the entrance of Marché des Enfants Rouges. I was very excited when I went inside because I had discovered a covered market with different stalls inside, just like La Boqueria in Barcelona and Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, which I had seen on previous holidays and enjoyed more than just eating. It seemed like a guarantee that I could find good food. This market is the first covered market in Paris. It was established in 1628 and has been protected as a "historic monument" since 1982. I went inside and examined everything, and then it was love at first sight !!! At the far end of the market corner, there's a team working like bees, led by a boss who clearly seems like he loves his job, and customer base made up of locals and tourists sitting on high bar stools. I have to be honest, when I first saw the bar stools, I never thought they would be comfortable, and even after all these years, I still feel the same way, even though I can sit on them for up to three hours at a time. But I've learned not to get hung up on these details in Paris. If the main product, i.e. the food, is really good and the accompanying wine supports it, then the plate, glass, music, and decor are all in the background and most people don't care, including me. So if you're someone who gets hung up on these things, you won't be happy here. Imagine you're sitting on uncomfortable bar stools with limited space at the bar in front of you, and no heating. Plus, you can't make a reservation. Who would want to come here? Let me explain. Anyone who loves to see seasonal ingredients on the plates, enjoys simple but creative dishes, focuses on savoring every bite of their food, loves natural wine with their meal, respects to people who love their work, is patient, and follows the rules will be happy here. I am happy every time I come here. That's why I walk here quickly with excitement every time I get off the metro.

Would you like me to share my experiences? I imagined you said “yes” 😁

Ok, let’s go; coming here on my birthdays was the best gift I could give to myself. Last summer, I was lucky enough to celebrate my sister's birthday here too. Actually, I recommend this place to anyone who comes to Paris and loves good food. Especially if i have the time and can meet these people, I'm coming right away.

For example, I have come here with Defne and her daughter Ilayda in February and sat in 3-4 degree cold weather, but still left very happy. Another 2 different times, I have seen the sparkle in the eyes of my two favorite chefs from Istanbul, Inanc and Mustafa, when they tasted the food. In fact, Mustafa and I even decided that the crispy pig’s foot couldn't be any better. Every adventure here teaches me something new, when we made Burcu wait in line for about 30 minutes with Banu, we thought she might be annoyed with us, but we learned that no one could get between her and a good onion soup. In January, I saw the respect and love in our experienced chef Seray’s eyes to the young chef Shunta after she tasted mussels with Gorgonzola. All of these signs were encouraging me to write this article, and on March 14th, there was a small wine tasting event. I had the opportunity to taste international wines (There are very good Greek wines, just so you know.) While tasting, i also had a chance to chat with people from different countries whom I had never met before. Both amateur and professional people shared their stories and knowledge about food and wine, and for a few hours, we forgot about the difficulties of life. Therefore, I saw once again that Mika and his team have done a great job of creating an international community that pursues good food and wine. Then I decided that it was time to write this article because I felt like i am also a small part of this community.

Perhaps my indecisiveness for the opening sentence helped me in creating the entire article. It is fantastic, right? But I wish I had also talked about Mika a little bit in my article. I wish I had talked about how disciplined he is despite looking very relaxed while doing his job. I wish I had talked about how he helps his entire team during lunchtime, especially on weekends and holidays, between 12:00 and 14:30, by working at the rotating very crowded market how he maintains order and ensures that no one cuts in line without losing his composure. I wish I had written about how he confidently handed over the reins to his assistant chef Shunta when his former chef Masahide wanted to start a new adventure and supported Shunta in taking his dishes to the next level. I wish I had written about how Shunta added more elegance to the plates after taking over the role. I wish I had written about how Shunta's smile adds positive energy to those around him. I wish I had written about Shunta's passion for vegetables.

Oops, I guess I wrote them all.

Serenity in Paris

Okan GORUR April 2, 2023

When I started this blog, I thought that I would be writing regularly, but I have not been able to do that. Unfortunately, it has been a while since I’ve written something new. When I first started the parisbywalking account on instagram, my aim was to walk all of the streets of Paris and post pictures of buildings, statues, museums, graffiti, restaurants and views that I liked. I wanted to share these along with their stories and facts which I found amusing. The blog came later as a tool to share all this in more detail without the restraint of the limited space Instagram allows. Well, but what was next when all of the above was done? That part I hadn’t yet contemplated.
In the end, I walked and I walked and at last the city ended and there was nothing left to see. I thought, “So what now?” Yes there are still around 200 restaurants that I want to go to but I decided that I don’t want the next step to be to turn my account into a restaurant rec account. There are already a lot of accounts that do that, and they do it with a lot more technical background info added.
But then what could I do? I kept thinking and decided to focus on a question that I have been receiving from a lot of people around me lately: “We always go to the same places. You have been around the whole city, why don’t you take us to different places?”
It was around this time that on a wednesday at the Marché President Wilson one of my followers approached me and told me that she loved my photo and was always curious about the places that I posted about and asked me if I would recommend her a route to wander through. This suddenly helped me put it all together and come to a final decision.
I had to organize walking tours in non-touristic parts of the city!

When I write it like this, it seems really easy right? Well for me, it was not so.

All my life, making decisions about business has given me nightmares and it has always taken me a long time to decide. Although in the end, my decisions never fail me, still this knowledge doesn’t make it any easier to take that final leap. Well it is also because since I was 18, all my work dreams and plans have been taken away from me by outside factors in the end. Therefore you might understand me when I say that whenever I get a new idea, the second thought that comes to my mind is “Why bother, it won’t probably work out in the end” Maybe this is something that I should discuss with my own therapist and not here. 🫣

Well, if there are any psychologists among you, please DM me. 🤓

Ok, maybe it’s better I get back to writing about Paris.
In the end, I took that leap once again as a “micro-entrepreneur” to start my one-man company and finally I’m beginning to organize my walking tours. I have already done a couple of test runs. I have already announced the structure of the tours on Instagram and I will soon be announcing upcoming tour dates. Here I wanted to explain in more detail why I’m starting from 20th Arrondissement. In a documentary I watched recently, they were talking about the benefits of writing since it allows you to come up with and realise things that you hadn’t thought of before. Let’s see what writing about the contents of the tour will bring out about the 20th Arrondissement. Before all else, we should all agree that I’m not a professional tour guide, which means these will not be tours full of historical and technical information about the area. More likely, they will be sightseeing tours where we chat about our own Paris stories. In our last trial tour, two friends who have moved to Paris at the same time as us confessed that they hadn’t seen any of the streets on my route before even though the route was only 30 min away from their home by metro. But like they also commented, it is way easier to have someone guide them through what he has discovered before rather than trying to find these places by themselves. I believe the fact that no one has any time to waste any more helps a lot what I’m doing.

The 20th Arrondissement has been a later addition to the Paris city limits. Charonne village which used to have vineyards is also a part of this arrondissement. A part of my tour takes us through the village’s main road which still exists today. A lot of the streets on the route have an architectural style completely different from the rest of the city. It actually feels like a small town. I think this is the main reason why I decided to start my tours from this area. When we first moved and before I started my Instagram account I remember very clearly thinking that what makes Paris so powerful and famous cannot only be the grandeur of the citycenter, there must be something more and I have to find that out. As I walked through all of the arrondissements I believe I understood it better. I think the power of the city comes from the variety it offers. Both the variety in human profiles and the variety of architectural styles work to form an harmony that adds to the magic of the city. What sets the 20th apart from other arrondissements is that it also includes a agroecological farm. Although it is stuck between buildings, it still maintains a sustainable farming system that also gives job opportunities to those in need, while also arranging workshops for students and gives the city habitants a chance to connect back with the land. You can also buy fresh vegetables and herbs for your own kitchen. I have read that there are also a couple of restaurants in the area that source their produce from this farm.

What else is on the tour? In summary; for example, although it doesn’t appear very exciting on the first look, the street where the tour begins from has been around since 1672. Then we walk though a street where obviously the most plant loving neighbours of the city have come together to live and come upon an extraordinary artdeco church. From there we move onto the part where the vineyards used to be, although they have lost their battles to urbanization long ago. However we discover that there are still some dead-end alleys in the area curiously. We come out on a plaza that I love which was chosen in 2020 by The Guardian as the most authentic neighbourhood of Europe and we use this opportunity to take lovely pictures of the place. Next we see one of the biggest and therefore most unexpected statues of the city and ask ourselves “Why?” Right after, we see another building where we once again ask “Why?”, I try to explain you the why, although I’m not sure how convincing the answer is, because personally I, myself, am not convinced. We come to “La Môme” Square where we discuss the statue made in his honour and what the architect was probably thinking when he was creating it. When we reach the square, it means that we are almost done but you have to soldier on for a small climb up two more streets to finally reach the really surprising and awarding end of the tour. We end in a totally unexpected neighbourhood where we cannot help ourselves and start the actually pointless discussion of what it would feel like to actually own one of these homes and wondering who lives here. In the end, if you have enjoyed the tour, I will also be recommending 2 restaurants and a wonderful café to rest your tired feet and enjoy yourselves. The cafe is both a nice way to end the day after lunch or for those who want to skip the lunch part. Especially the serene part at the end of the tour makes one feel as if they have gotten out of Paris, therefore I decided to name this tour “Serenity”. I loved to give this tour such an appropriate name without thinking that now I would have to keep naming all my forthcoming tours. 🤦🏻‍♂️

A Serious Wine Article or not !

Okan GORUR January 12, 2022

A “philosopher” with whom I’m very close says that “The wine you like the most is actually the best wine”

Taking courage from these words, I decided to write an article on wine. However, I must confess up front that I might be way in over my head. I have many friends who know a lot about wine, I even have friends who are professionally involved in wine. While they are all out there, it’s me who’s attempting to write about wine. That’s some courage! Or maybe foolishness, we’ll see.

I will not bore you by starting with the fact that wine is an alcoholic drink produced from fresh grapes or grape juice through the process of fermentation, neither will I explain all technical details such as how during fermentation the yeast produces 1 degree of alcohol for each 17 g of sugar it consumes. Nor will I talk about how sometimes, when vines are planted too close by, they get stressed by the competion and send their roots as far as 20 m underground. However, I would still like to taste a glass of wine one day and turn around to tell my friends that “This wine has never aged in an oak barrel, it was aged in a steel tank into which oak shavings were added. It just doesn’t have the smoothness, that’s how you can tell.” Even imagining the shocked expressions of those around me is enough to give me joy right now.

Just like all other Turkish teenagers in that time, my first introduction to wine was probably by Kavaklıdere Yakut. I don’t actually remember because it has been so long, and as someone who started their drinking life with the awfully insufferable vodka and sourcherry juice, I really don’t want to go into my previous drinking experience. My true introduction to wine has come very late. When I first went into the restaurant business in 2010, I had my first chance to learn about the old and new Turkish wine brands, local grapes and their prices. That’s why it’s really not very realistic to expect a deep range of knowledge from me in such a short time, please don’t stress me with very high expectations!

When we were opening our restaurant in 2010, it was already decided that our menu would be based on fresh and local produce, therefore by selling only Turkish wine, we wanted to do our part to support the business. Another rule we had was not to have any sponsorship agreements with bigger brands so that we could include smaller producers we liked in the menu. You can see that we were very free-spirited. I saw now that we had wines from 16 different producers on the menu in 2015. It’s not bad at all for a small restaurant that seats 50 people. Of course you should never think that we forgot to take care of our customers who claim that Turkish wines ‘give them an headache’. We included 2 white and 2 red French wines for them on the menu as well. Naturally I did not see French wine as I see it now. But still I see that we still managed to choose good French brands, such as the 140 year old winery Joseph Drouhin, whose wines I had a chance to taste here in France later on. They are a 4th generation family-business in production in Burgundy. We had their Pinot Noir and Chablis on the menu. This reminds me of a joke I heard the other day. . “What gives people feeling of power?” Money? Status? Knowing that Chablis is Chardonnay? Correct answer is the last one.

Since we’ve mentioned French wines, let’s continue in that line. When it was confirmed that we were actually moving to Paris, I decided to learn more about French wines. I started studying the wine menus at each restaurant we went to. After a couple of times, I realized that almost no restaurant has the same two producers on the menu. The menus are sometimes like little novels, pages long but still 95% of the wines are from different producers. That got me discouraged and I just thought there was no way I could accumulate any sort of knowledge. I can hear some of you saying “Don’t be ridiculous.” For those of you, I have prepared just the right analysis. And I believe this huge study deserves its own paragraph.

While we were stuck at home during the pandemic, as a way to keep myself busy, I decided to save to an excel file every single wine we drank between April 2017 and April 2021, collecting all data from my Vivino account and my phone. Yes I really did that, and I already had every wine we drank saved somewhere. The results are pure madness. To start with, in the last 4 years, we have drunk a bottle of wine every 3.5 days. However let me say, we are certainly not alcoholics. For example, I’ve been on antibiotics for 5 days and I drank a half-glass of red wine, only twice. See, I am able to control myself! I also want to give an idea on the price data I’ve collected so that you can see that there is a certain price range. Looking at that, you can understand the vastness of the French wine industry when you include all the more expensive and cheaper wines out there. Apart from a couple of specials occasions, the wines we drank are all between 20€ and 70€. This includes both supermarket and restaurant prices. It’s time to reveal numbers. In the past for years, 95% of the time with Ayca, we drank a total of 299 bottles of wine. Of these 167 are white, 123 are red and only 9 are rose. (There might a few more roses but they probably did not leave a mark strong enough to be recorded) But what is most amazing, is the number of producers these 299 bottles are from. We drank 299 bottles from 259 different producers. This is a mind blowing number for a Turkish person who has had a brief encounter with the restaurant business. I’m still analyzing the list, therefore there might be more articles about that coming your way. For now, I’ll leave it at that by finally mentioning more numbers about the regions of those bottles.

76 bottles from Burgundy, 57 bottles from Loire, 47 bottles from Rhone, 30 bottles from Languedoc-Roussillon, 28 bottles from Provance, 25 bottles from Bordeaux, 13 bottles from Alsace, 8 bottles from South-West, 5 bottles of Beaujolais, 4 bottles from Savoie, 3 bottles from Corsica, 2 bottles from Jura.

Looking at these results, we can see that as a couple we drank mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, followed by Sauvignon Blanc from Loire. Are we a bit boring? Why always the same classci grapes while there were so many options out there?!?!? Ayca, let’s think about this a little, he?? Hahahaa Talking about different grapes, some of the grapes that I heard of for the first time were Poulsard from Jura, Rolle from Provance, Marsanne from Rhone, Clairette and Roussanne, Jacquère and Gringet from Savoie. I must also say that I tasted 3 of these grapes in Septime, one of my favourite restaurants in Paris. And I remember buying the rest of them from a wine store in our neighborhood. Every year at Christmas I set myself a certain budget to gift myself some new wines. This selection is usually chosen by Didier to take me on a wine adventure. Every year is a new excitement. Didier is extremely knowledged about wine. Every year I show his selection to my philosopher friend mentioned at the beginning of the article, or should I say my friend ‘the talker’? And Didier’s selection passes his evaluation with flying colors very year. Well, if Didier has managed to pair our Turkish style chickpeas with lamb and rice with butter with an amazing bottle of white wine, what more can one say about his skills. It was an amazing pairing. In case you are able to come across it one day, it was Rieffel Winery’s Granite, from the Alsace Region.

What deserves respect in France is the amount of varity available, and the effort all producers put into keeping high-quality standards in a sustainable production approach under the pressures of the threat of enviromental change. I’m impressed by and envy how the whole society works to own and preserve their food culture.

PS: The talking philosopher whose knowledge and friendship I value immensely is Levon Bağış. Nothing should stay hidden!