On March 9, Department of Tourism and Hotel Management 1993 alumnus and MasterChef Turkey host and judge Somer Sivrioğlu gave an online talk via Zoom to members of the Bilkent community and the Alliance by Institut Paul Bocuse.
In his presentation, titled “Turkish Cuisine: Carrying Tradition to the Future” and subtitled “A Chef’s Perspective on Our Food, How It Is Perceived Internationally, and Challenges, Possibilities and Solutions for the Future,” Mr. Sivrioğlu shared his knowledge and experience. The event linked members of the Alliance by Institut Paul Bocuse (a global network of schools specializing in the culinary arts and hospitality industry) situated in various countries, including France, Finland and Peru.
A native of İstanbul whose mother was a chef/restauranteur, Mr. Sivrioğlu graduated from Bilkent and subsequently moved to Australia to pursue an MBA at the University of Technology Sydney. He fell in love with the country and remained there, starting a Turkish restaurant, Efendy, in 2007, and a second restaurant, Anason, in 2016.
The chef is also coauthor of a well-received cookbook, “Anatolia,” printed in five countries in three languages. But he is undoubtedly best known in Turkey as a host and judge for the television reality show MasterChef Turkey, having recorded more than 300 episodes since 2018.
Mr. Sivrioğlu’s career as a restauranteur has in a sense come full circle, with a new branch of Efendy opening in his hometown this week. There, he will offer examples from traditional Turkish cuisine with an innovative touch, putting into practice the philosophy of “carrying tradition to the future” he outlined in his talk.
The talk is available via the department’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/BilkentUniversityTHM