“I have been in the sector since I was 9 years old. I started to work under tutelage of my brother; I washed dishes, became his apprentice and then a master. My elder brother was my master. Then I became a master myself.’’ A working career beginning at the age of 9. It is easier said than done. And it brings the same question to the minds. What is the secret behind these tasty meals?

“What matters most is that we are in love with our occupation. I come to work at 7 AM, work in the kitchen till 11.00 AM. After finishing the preparations until noon, I work in the kitchen till 3-4 PM. Then, I go to the hall, I welcome, see off and talk to the guests. I listen their compliments and possible complaints. I visit each table. This is very significant to me. Criticism is our guide.”

We host 600 guests in the winter and 900-100 guests in the summer on daily basis. We served food to 1200-1300 persons at the same time in Ramadan. Diced Lamb Chops Fried on Iron Plate, Stuffed Lamb Ribs and lamb neck are the most popular meals. They are followed by grilled food. We have 40 different meals in our menu. Stuffed eggplant and kebbah are our popular hors d’oeuvres. We serve steak tartar a la turca in the evening. We bring yoghurt for ayran from Bala district of Ankara.’’

“We have great breakfasts; everybody talks about them in Ankara. Our breakfast is really a 10, our stuff comes from Diyarbakır. And all of our cheese types are special. For example, we make cheese on Fridays and serve it on Sunday.’’

“I visit England, check out our businesses and restaurants and follow them closely. I improve myself based on my impressions. My first goal is to open a restaurant in New York. I always think about it. The first thing you should be honest person, a honest tradesman. Otherwise, things don’t go well.’’

“Our semolina halva, it has no match in Turkey or abroad. We use plain butter and it only comes from the provinces of Bingöl and Van.’’ In Chef Zeki’s menu, everything is natural.