"Abandoning animal-based products forces me to work more creatively than ever, constantly thinking about the future and finding new solutions." This is how Timur Yilmaz, an award-winning chef with experience in the world's finest restaurants, describes it.
Born in Belgium, Timur Yilmaz worked in renowned restaurants such as Pujol in Mexico City, Frantzén in Stockholm, and CODA in Berlin. Now he aims to refine the vegan profile of his Japanese and Buddhist-inspired cuisine. Born in Genk, Belgium, Yilmaz grew up in a family with German-Turkish roots and a unique gastronomic culture. Especially with some Italian influence, food has always played a central role in his life. His German grandfather, in particular, spoiled family members with pastries and cakes on holidays. As a child, Timur was exposed to a rich array of aromas and flavors. Since his parents worked, in his teenage years, he cooked for everyone, creating new taste combinations. "This turned me into a gourmet at a young age," he revealed in an interview with Rolling Pin.
Instead of pursuing a career in he kitchen, Yilmaz took a different path: after studying business economics in Leuven, Belgium, he arrived in Berlin in 2014 to work in the media industry. However, he quickly realized how much he missed the creative work in the kitchen. After applying to various restaurants, he was initially hired as a commis de cuisine at the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Tulus Lotrek. He then moved on to the restaurant Cell, where he worked his way up from commis de cuisine to chef de partie. During the pandemic, he used spare time to learn from the best chefs worldwide, acquiring as much knowledge and skill as possible. This led him to leave Germany and travel all over the world.
The young chef later joined the Swedish restaurant Daniel Berlin, awarded two Michelin stars, followed by a stop at the Frantzén restaurant in Stockholm (three Michelin stars). After a year and a half of intensive training, Yilmaz finally returned to Berlin, where he first worked as a chef de partie at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant CODA and then became head chef at the Merold restaurant in Neukölln, where he gained extensive experience in fermentation.
Now, he feels at home in the Oukan restaurant. Here, he can fully focus on further developing vegan menus, a task that the 32-year-old finds particularly enriching: "Abandoning animal-based products forces me to work more creatively than ever, constantly thinking about the future and finding new solutions. I firmly believe in the 'gut-brain axis' - in other words, you are what you eat. So, for me, Oukan is much more than just a restaurant. I work here with people who have an incredible amount of knowledge and from whom I can learn."
Timur Yilmaz's goal for Oukan is now to change the menu more frequently to use the best and freshest ingredients according to the season. He also wants to produce as many fermented products himself, such as soy sauce and miso paste. Through various techniques, he aims to showcase the intensity of flavors that can be achieved. Furthermore, in the future, he plans to cook more on the grill at Oukan, which should further enhance the taste of the dishes.
