Chez

You proudly carry the phrase "a Fethiye brand." How did the story of Chez La Vie Eatery begin in Fethiye? What drove you to this city and to bring this concept to life?

We came to Fethiye in 2017 with a classic Istanbul escape to a small town story. Shortly after settling here, the pandemic began. Our children were newly born, and we really needed to establish a business that would meet basic consumer needs. That's how we found our first shop in Karagözler; one day, while passing by, we stood in front of this shop, which looked like a parking lot, and without knowing what to do, we rented it.

Then we wanted to create a French Patisserie atmosphere, a place where people could take away homemade chocolates and desserts. As you know, there was a pandemic and seating restrictions in cafes and restaurants. While searching for a name, the story inherent in the word "Chez" struck me. For years, we all worked in businesses, contributing our good and bad experiences. Then, with what we learned in our pockets, we set out on other paths. You know, Michelin awards stay with the restaurants. Chefs who worked at Michelin-starred restaurants during the period the star was awarded, but later left, started using restaurant names beginning with "Chez" to emphasize this. Like Chez Alice, Chez Alexander…

Since we couldn't use "Chez Selin," we used the word "Hayat" (Life), which my wife and I use to address each other, and which many people, even our neighbors, think is my name. And so Chez La Vie was born.

Being both a chef and a business owner is a great passion, but also a great responsibility. Are you a strict and meticulous chef in the kitchen, or a leader who gives their team freedom?

In the kitchen, I am an incredibly disciplined, very rule-abiding, very meticulous, and highly focused chef. I want my team to be equally focused during service; some people call me crazy. However, we have chefs who have been working with us since we opened. Some started working when they were children… With every menu change, and we change menus very frequently, we gather with the whole team for days, and I always ask them to add new products to the menu. I give my team a lot of freedom in experimenting with new products and ingredients.

How much inspiration did you draw from local and Aegean flavors when creating your menu? Do you collaborate with local producers?

When creating our menus, we are, of course, inspired by the ingredients. Just as a painter uses paint, so do we use ingredients. The ingredients determine what kind of color you want to add. The geography we are in, like every region of Turkey, is incredibly rich. Even though I'm not from Fethiye, there were many products I researched and included in my menu that surprised even the people living in the region. Being able to access fresh ingredients at all times is a priority with every menu update. However, constantly processing oranges and lemons just because we're a citrus city, or Urla constantly processing artichokes, seems very iconic and showy to me. Ultimately, we all have fresh products grown in other regions on our menus. But beyond all that; especially in the winter months, we definitely shop at the Friday market. We source and collaborate with local producers in our region for many ingredients such as olives, olive oil, oranges, and honey.

Your profile features "Brunch" and "Food" as prominent categories. Which is your signature dish on the menu that you would say, "You shouldn't leave without trying this"?

We put a lot of thought into each item on our menu, it's like asking which child you love more. But the Karagözler menu's shredded meat dumplings, and our signature dish, Reddish, are definitely worth trying. The Community menu's triple mushroom sour sauce, fried bean pickle, red wine-scented oven-baked grapes, raki-infused sea bass ceviche, chard rolls, and lamb chops… They are all very, very delicious.

The "Spica Asian Pop-Up" nights are attracting attention. How did the idea for this event, which brings together different cuisines, come about? What kind of feedback are you getting from your guests?

Recently, after the Spica event, we held another pizza pop-up at our Community branch. It was incredibly enjoyable. I think that growing our existing audience in the region, contributing to tourism, and taking the region to a higher level in terms of tourism is only possible by working together.

Another fantastic Pop-Up is coming very soon.

Chez Community, which developed right next to Chez La Vie Eatery, has today become an entity with its own identity. What was the starting point of this idea?

We couldn't serve alcohol at our Chez La Vie branch. It was high time we met our guests under the identity of a restaurant. However, we only recently found a place that truly reflected our spirit. In fact, Community became a place where we accumulated years of things we wanted to do, and now we've brought them all together. Imagine a garden where almost everyone greets each other, knows each other; you feel like you've entered a friendly garden, not a restaurant.

Today, people are looking not only for good food, but also for a sense of belonging. How do you think Chez Community responds to this need?

I think I've already answered that question with my previous answer. Chez is a community where almost every customer knows each other, knows what they eat and don't eat, knows what and how they drink, and all employees know all the guests. Consumers are very conscious these days. They carefully evaluate a good product at a reasonable price. When a Chez customer arrives, they know they will receive good service, good food, and most importantly, that we truly care about them. Among our guests are people who have traveled the world, experienced many great restaurants, and been to the finest fine dining places; but now people want something more casual, something to feel comfortable and special.

You go beyond the classic restaurant concept with poolside experiences, shared living spaces, and events. What's the most frequent comment you hear from your guests?

“Only Chez could do this.”

Community culture has become quite popular in recent years. Do you think what brings people together is good food, a strong atmosphere, or the shared experience created by both?

Community culture, in my opinion, is about the comfort zone that comes from being in a place where people feel they belong, together with others who share the same feelings and experiences.

What would be the most important advice you would give to young entrepreneurs who want to create their own restaurant or lifestyle concept today?

The biggest advice I can give to young people is that, like any profession, they need to master every aspect of it. How can someone manage a business if they can't distinguish good food, understand the meaning of the grapes used in a wine, or calculate costs?

If you had to describe Chez La Vie and Chez Community to someone who has never visited them in a single sentence, what would you say?

Chez surprises you in ways you never expect.