I originally planned to study medicine, but when that path didn’t work out, I turned toward cooking — something I had always been drawn to. Growing up in Istanbul, my curiosity for food started early and led me to study Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.
After graduating, I worked with a celebrity TV chef, developing recipes for cookbooks, television, and media, before moving into restaurant kitchens. In 2015, a chance encounter with Australian hospitality figures led to my first cook in Australia at an ANZAC Day event in Malmsbury, Victoria.
I later moved to Australia with my husband and opened Anason in Barangaroo as a sous chef with Somer Sivrioglu, spending four years across Anason and Efendy. During this time, I reconnected deeply with Turkish cuisine, learning from family, tradition, and lived experience.
I then joined Ester, where my cooking style fully evolved. After three years, I began developing my own identity through pop-ups across Sydney and Melbourne, including Ester, Aplenty, Wildflower, Baba’s Place, Carriageworks, and Little Andorra. After my pop-up at Baba’s Place, I joined the team as a sous chef.
Now, as Head Chef of Olympus, I’ve completed one year since opening, and the journey has been incredibly successful. I’m deeply happy with the community we’ve built, the crowd that comes through our doors, and the daily responses from our guests. We’ve achieved so much in just one year, and this year feels even more important. We’re focused on refining every detail, raising standards, and making Olympus stronger than ever — building something lasting, meaningful, and truly special.
