Turkish Food Festival opens in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD - Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul on Thursday inaugurated an eight-day Turkish Food Festival, where guests had the opportunity to meet the renowned chefs from Çiragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.

Serena Hotels as part of its Cultural Diplomacy initiatives has invited Serdar Ongel, Sous Chef, Davut Kutlugun, Chef de Partie, and Servet Kanat, Pastry Chef de Partie, from Çiragan Palace to bring the flavours of Istanbul to Islamabad, according to a press release.

The festival is being held at the Zamana Restaurant and a lucky draw would be held on November 1, the last day of the festival for two return tickets to Istanbul with a two-night stay at the Çiragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.

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The Embassy of Turkey has also arranged a waiver on the Turkish Visa application service charges from Gerry’s International.

Food is an important part of Turkish culture as significant as it is in Pakistan. Influences and interactions between the cuisines of countries surrounding Turkey as well as a fusion of Asian and European cuisines are reflected in Turkish cuisine which uses a lot of vegetables, meat (mostly lamb and beef), cereals and yogurt for the sauces.

So, the people who come to Serena Hotel this week will enjoy Turkish food and music. As one of the famous Turkish novelist said: “Do not underestimate the dish by calling it just food. The blessed thing is an entire civilization in itself!”

Ambassador of Turkey to Pakistan, Ihsan Mustafa Yurdakul thanked the chefs and musicians who came all the way from Turkey to promote Turkish culture among the ‘Pakistani brothers’ and to Serena Hotel for supporting such an event.

Turkish cuisine, formed by the intermingling of peoples, is an amalgamate, geography-oriented and very delicious kitchen. Indeed, geography plays a role.

When the Turks migrated from Central Asia towards Anatolia, they brought the elements and practices they picked up along the way, including the food culture. Moreover, empire characteristics of the Seljuk and Ottoman states have contributed to the diversity of Turkish Cuisine.

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Michele Galopin, GM Islamabad Serena Hotel, said, Serena was delighted to welcome back sous chef, Serdar Öngel, chef de partie, Davut Kutlugün and pastry chef de partie and chocolatier, Servet Kanat, who are responsible for many of the superb meals at the Çiragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul. “They visited us for an extremely popular festival last year,” he said.

“Serena Hotels delighted to be able to give our guests the opportunity to experience unique aspects of other cultures and countries. We collaborate with diplomatic missions to successfully conduct such festivals and we are privileged to collaborate with the Embassy of Turkey and the enchanting Çiragan Palace to transport the flavours of Istanbul to Islamabad.”

Dating back to the 17th century, the only Ottoman imperial palace and hotel on the Bosphorus, Çiragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, is unique in its splendid style, superb location, fascinating view and resort ambiance. It is also renowned for its superb hospitality and the rich variety of restaurants, from the ultimate Ottoman dining experience at the Tugra Restaurant to the delicious comfort food and regional specialities of the Laledan Restaurant.