Came to India in 2021 to head the kitchen of Delhi’s sought-after nightclub, Khubani, at Hyatt Andaz Aerocity, Chef Gokhan Kesen, has made India his second home, having taken up several hi-profile F&B projects across India, in the last five years. As another 100% Turkish kitchen in Delhi NCR is shaping up in Bianchi at sector 48 Gurugram, where Chef Kesen is joining hands as Brand Ambassador with restaurateur Dhruv Chawla, the eighth generation Ottoman Chef, shared his experiences of working in India and his core philosophies in life.
“With Bianchi, I am returning to Delhi NCR with my second 100 percent authentic Turkish food. In Bianchi, we have 50 percent Mediterranean, 40 percent Japanese and 10 percent modern Indian,” he said. The restaurant is slated to open at the end of this month, he said in an interaction with HospitalityBiz India on the sidelines of an annual convocation ceremony of International Institute of Culinary Arts (IICA) in Delhi.
Started his culinary journey at a very young age of 10, working alongside his predecessor, the seventh generation Ottoman chef from the family, Chef Kesen is the inheritor of a family legacy. While Chef Kesen had to toil hard for nine years before his predecessor shared the secret recipe, today, he is taking a very different approach to that legacy — teaching his recipes and techniques to anyone willing to learn.
“There was a lot of pressure, a lot of tough times,” he recalled, adding that the experience taught him how to handle pressure, manage operations and find solutions.
Unlike his earlier generation, Chef Kesen goes around imparting training on Turkish cuisine to students. “I like to spread my cuisine, my recipe everywhere. It’s not about money. It’s about my life,” Kesen said. He holds regular culinary master classes for students at IHM Pusa, IICA, culinary students at Amity University, Le Cordon Bleu Gurugram, Indian School of Hospitality, among others.
Whenever I am going to the class, I get full attention,” he said, pointing to the growing global popularity of Turkish food on social media and in restaurants.
Before coming to India, Chef Kesen has travelled and worked in over 30 geographies. He was Executive Chef of JW Marriott Hotel in Indonesia before coming to India.
“Turkish food and Indian food are very much similar. The only thing is spice and oil,” he said. Turkish cuisine, he explained, uses considerably less spice and oil, allowing the individual flavours of ingredients to stand out. He also believes the growing interest in healthier and fresher food after the pandemic helped Turkish cuisine find a wider audience in India.
After nearly two years at Khubani, Kesen moved into consultancy and began working with restaurants and hospitality projects across India. His portfolio has included Diablo, Gazebo in Mumbai, Indian Beer House in Bengaluru and Terrace in Srinagar, besides other culinary and hospitality assignments. Indian Beer House, he said, went on to win multiple awards as best Mediterranean food restaurant in consecutive years, he said.
His India journey has also shaped his understanding of working across cultures. Having worked in several countries, Kesen says his ability to adapt helped him settle into India, even though the first year came with its own challenges. “I am not here to change people. I am here to offer my solutions,” he informed. On a personal note, he said that “finding the right people and connections” are important while working in India, and once that is in place, “everything becomes smooth”.
