Istanbul Culinary Institute

Hande Bozdoğan

Hande Bozdogan, the founder of Istanbul Culinary Institute holds a degree in Economics from the Bosphorus University in Istanbul. Turning to the culinary arts, she has attended certificate courses in cooking and baking at the Bath School of Cookery in UK and the Culinary Institute of America in Poughkeepsie, NY. After completing the professional program with distinction and receiving her grand diploma from the French Culinary Institute in New York in 2001, she has traveled extensively across the globe and explored the diverse culinary cultures of the world. Her first book, Flavours of the Street, Turkey (published in English) has won the prestigious Gourmand Award in 2005 while the more recent Istanbul Mutfakta (published in Turkish, English and French) that she co-edited with lale Apa, has been the recepient of the 2010 Gourmand Jury Special Prize.

Allen Smith

An accomplished instructor of culinary arts with an IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) certificate, Allan Smith has started his culinary career with a Grand Diploma from La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and a degree in Restaurant Management from Dallas Community College. From 1998 to 2004, he has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, working as an instructor at The Santa Fe School of Cooking, and Santa Fe Community College. Among his rich early career experiences, he has held positions as Chef de Cuisine for the Nigerian Embassy in Paris and a personal chef at Rossenarra House in Kilkenny, Ireland. A former chairman of the certification committee of the IACP, he currently works as a lead instructor at The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City, where he has also consulted as a chef/food stylist for NBC’s Today Show.

Pamela de Andria

Born in Izmir in 1978, Pamela De Andria completed her secondary education at the American High School in Izmir and received her Tourism and Hospitality Management degree from Bilkent University in Ankara in 2000. Her passion for the culinary classes at Bilkent, where she also interned at the Bilkent Hotel kitchens, reinforced her decision to become a chef. After graduation, she received her professional training in the U.S., earning her chef diploma from Johnson & Wales University, one of the top schools in the culinary arts. Following two-years of professional experience in different restaurants across America,she returned to Turkey, settled in Istanbul and worked in a number of five-star hotels and fine-dining restaurants including Movenpick Hotel and the internationally-celebrated Zuma Restaurant. Currently she is a chef instructor at the Istanbul Culinary Institute, sharing her knowledge and skills with both professional chefs in the industry and culinary enthusiasts in the community.

Erkan Kıyıcıoğlu

Murat Bostancı

Murat Bostancı was born in 1973 in Mengen, Bolu –the town that has traditionally produced the most famous cooks of Turkey since the time of the Ottoman Empire. After working in the kitchens of many luxury hotels in Istanbul like Çırağan Palace Kempinski, Hyatt Regency, Ceylan Intercontinental and Ritz Carlton, he has continued his accomplished career as the chef of Margoux and 360 Restaurant and has recently joined Istanbul Culinary Institute as the head chef of our Enstitü Restaurant.

Tevfik Şems Naipoğlu

“I simply loved cooking”: I came to Chefschool with this rather romantic idea and months later, left it with the feeling that I have acquired a profession which I could put to use anywhere in the world. Isn’t this an incredibly liberating feeling in today’s circumstances? If someone like me, who had not held a knife properly before, is now confident enough to see himself working in any restaurant, the credit goes to the comprehensive training I received here and the invaluable real-life experiences I gained in the kitchen of the Enstitu Restaurant. Just like the architecture of the Istanbul Culinary Institute building itself, storey after storey this school stacks layers of knowledge and experience upon the apprentice. You get the first exquisite taste of what this means, when, after an intense training, the first omelet that you cook is approved by your chef and served to the customer.

Nurten Yüksel

On 22 October 2009 I opened my café-restaurant Ninda on Tunali Avenue in Ankara. I have been working towards this since my graduation from Istanbul Culinary Institute. Capitalizing upon all the knowledge and experience I gained there, I conceived Ninda with a primary focus on Italian cuisine. I would love to get everyone taste my seafood linguini at my Ninda. Go to Facebook to see pictures from the Ninda Cafe list.

Pauline Randet

Since finishing my training at your school, I have been busy with the old house we have bought near Paris (actually very close to DisneylandParis). It is a very typical and scenic place, where I hope to open a “Chambres et Table d’Hotes” in the future. This would be the equivalent of a Bed and Breakfast, but also a place you can book for a nice meal or a group event. Maybe even some cooking classes, whoknows?Upon returning to France, I would like to start an apprenticeship witha brilliant chef in that neighbourhood for a year or so, and then gradually start my own business. Your school has been a fantastic opportunity to learn about the food and catering business, and I will no doubt include many Turkish dishes in my menus and courses in the future.