Stars gleaming green

“İzmir’in dağlarında çiçekler açar!” / “Flowers bloom on the mountains of İzmir!” These words of the much-popular Izmir anthem were ringing in my ears as I left the celebration after the Michelin Guide ceremony in Istanbul. The second edition of the highly anticipated results for Türkiye was announced on Nov. 9. This time, the scope of the list was expanded to include Izmir, Urla, Alaçatı and Bodrum in addition to Istanbul. A total of 111 restaurants are recommended, including 15 in İzmir and 19 in Bodrum. Supported by the TGA-Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the Michelin Guide will be an important step to put the Aegean region on the world gastronomy map. Urla, a lovely district of Izmir, was indisputably the one who brought these beautiful words of the Izmir anthem to life, with places gleaming with Green Stars, just like the blooming flowers of Izmir mountains, giving hope for the future in terms of sustainability as well as gastronomy tourism.

Last year, there were criticisms on defining the boundaries of Istanbul, a megapolis that stretches a massive area. Last year, I remember boring Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, with my endless questions on that issue. Poullennec has a talent for speech, he knows how to give the very same answer no matter what the question is, and he masters how to deliver his answer in a very long and detailed way, in such detail that at a certain point you get lost and left with the feeling that you have not got the full or exact answer to your question. Last year, the question of how the borders of Istanbul were defined remained largely unanswered, he had to admit that sometimes in certain locations, the guide remains more in the center, despite their intention of not leaving a single stone unturned. It is not easy to cover every corner of a megapolis like Istanbul, but last year many people were appalled why Casa Lavanda in Şile, a district of Istanbul less than an hour away from the center was not included in the list. This year, why this establishment is still left out, remains a question mark. Moreover, the place has such strong connections with the soil, forest and producers in immediate surroundings, that it should at least get a Green Star in terms of sustainability.

It is obvious that every corner of Istanbul cannot be reached. Fearing that the same would happen with the expansion to Izmir and Bodrum, I had previously asked the same question. This time, I was informed that Izmir would not include all its districts; for instance, Foça, Bergama, Seferihisar, Ödemiş, Tire would not be included, only the center and Urla and Alaçatı would be evaluated. This was indeed the case. However, in our tourism promotion strategy, the Aegean region, which is now defined as "Turkaegean," as the Turkish side of the Aegean Sea, deserves to be addressed more broadly. We hope that in the coming years, with the inclusion of other districts of Izmir, the North and South Aegean, and even the Mediterranean, the list will be more in line with the promotion strategy, of course, without neglecting the core reason for the Michelin Guide, which is to change the route for the sake of exceptional food.

 Going green

The most pleasing point in this year's list was undoubtedly the increase in the number of places receiving the Green Stars with the addition of 4 new committed restaurants. Last year, Neolokal by Maksut Aşkar was the only Green Star winner. This year, a total of four new places, one in Istanbul and three in Urla, received the Green Star. The Michelin Green Star is an award given to honor restaurants that are pioneers in the field of gastronomy in terms of being environmentally sensitive and to emphasize sustainability. In Istanbul, Circle by Vertical is truly worthy of a Green Star recognition, true to its name, sustainability is an integral part of this establishment, circular economy and vertical farming is the key here. Chef İbrahim Tunç says: “Our composting machine converts food waste into compost or animal feed within 24 hours. We transform waste oil into liquid soap. We maximize the reuse of leftover ingredients in the kitchen and bar. We strive to make our processes as circular as possible. As well as working with local suppliers, we run our own vertical farm, which uses significantly less CO2 and water than traditional agriculture.” Well, hats off to such a great commitment to sustainability in the midst of an urban jungle like Istanbul!

When it comes to Urla, going green seems to be the natural way to go. Hiç Urla stands out as its founder Duygu Özerson Elekdar and chef Ekin Can Kün at Hiç Urla, had based their entire setup on the olive forest, forest being a term deliberately chosen, referring to the wild olive trees meticulously grafted, and together with medicinal plants that naturally grow in the 240-hectare land, creates an ecosystem that feeds the restaurant and its olive oil, edible greens and herbal tea production. The other Green Star shins with Od Urla. Since its establishment, Od Urla has not only been located in an olive grove but has created a complete ecosystem with the agriculture they carry out on 110 hectares of land, even growing their own potatoes on their land in Ödemiş. Owner/chef Osman Sezener stresses the fact that the very core of the establishment is founded on this basis of sustainability, even before such terms were not used much in the restaurant scene. He was the star of the night also getting One Star for his two restaurants, Od Urla and Kitchen in Bodrum, but also getting a Bib Gourmand for Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik in Izmir, collecting four recognitions in one go. He has been working on edible flowers with French garden expert Pascal Garbe for three years now, adorning his plates with over 100 different varieties of flowers and aromatic herbs, and his happy picture together with a table full of flowers explains it all, as if the manifestation of the blooming flowers in Izmir anthem.

Another winner of Urla was definitely the lovely couple of Vino Locale, Ozan and Seray Kumbasar, getting a One Star and a Green Star for their establishment, but the wife Seray was awarded with the Michelin Sommelier Award. In fact, all the places in Urla and Alaçatı that made the list or received a star are gleaming with green stars in our hearts, all of them buy their products from local markets and producers, and they reveal a lifestyle that is in touch with nature and at peace with nature. Among the other places on the list, İsabey Bağevi, located in a vineyard, and of course One-Starred Teruar Urla by Osman Serdaroğlu, for the importance it attaches to the terroir, could also be candidates for a sustainability recognition. The same applies to Ibrahim Tuna at Fauna in Istanbul, which shows a unique meticulousness in product selection, and Claudio Chinali, who somehow was left out, deserves another, what he does in Terrazza Italia located within Eataly is totally in line with Slow Food movement, establishing a strong connection with the producers that sustain the famed Good, Clean and Fair policy. Michelin Guide always stirs debates and discussions, my criticism of not giving enough emphasis to one-dish eateries, street food or meyhanes remains, opening a special category or introducing the Plate Category for such establishments could have been a solution. Afterall, we all change our routes for a good “pide” place, or a “köfte” joint, but let’s hope that the inspectors will be investigating this aspect in the future. At the end of the day, now we have a total of 111 establishments listed, all of the previous year’s entries still hold their places, which is for good, and the Green Stars give hope for the future, hopefully to make especially the TurkAegean region most densely Green Star populated area on the globe.