Sertaç Dirik at Stoke Berlin
Stoke Berlin is a modern wood fired Yakitori restaurant in Berlin founded by Jeff Claudio and Jessica Tan. Diner experience is at the forefront: omakase, bar seating, custom H.A.N.D speakers, original cuts.
Born in London, Sertaç Dirik is a Turkish chef who cut his teeth at fine dining restaurants in Copenhagen before returning to London to relaunch his father, Ali Dirik’s iconic restaurant Mangal 2 with brother Ferhat Dirik. In the time before the launch of his own restaurant in London, Sertaç has been travelling the world popping up in Istanbul, Copenhagen, Bangkok and now Berlin at Stoke in Kreuzberg.
Why did you choose Stoke to host your pop up in Berlin, is this somewhere that you have wanted to cook at for a while?
When Jeff Claudio invites you to cook, you say yes.
Jeff has long been a support in my journey, a friend but also someone who I admire and look up to massively.
Despite having worked at an almost unbelievable rap sheet of legendary restaurants, Jeff is always one to hold the ladder for others to climb, so being able to cook alongside him really was a massive honour.
Do you think that the kitchen at Stoke is set up in a way that lends itself to Turkish cooking?
I think there are obvious similarities between Mangal and Yakitori cooking.
Oftentimes you sit fireside with the chef as they hand you delicious cuts of meat on skewers, each individually spiced or glazed in a way that heightens the protein, compliments but doesn’t overwhelm the meat itself.
It’s testimony being that grilling doesn’t need to be aggressive, only precise.
How important to you is travel and working in other restaurants before opening your own restaurant?
For me personally, cooking away is maybe the only chance I’ll get to spend time with friends.
Running restaurants aren’t easy, and aligning schedules are unheard of - it’s a good opportunity to spend an intense few days together and get properly caught up. Also I think beyond promotional or showcasing food, we learn by viewing kitchen cultures. My style and their styles may never crossover, but I think there’s much to be said about watching how someone leads their own kitchen, it’s an ecosystem of it’s own.
Did you expect that being a chef would allow you to travel the world when you first started out in kitchens?
Well, the only way I was able to cook was by leaving the country. I always saw cooking as a worldwide visa, as along as I had my craft, I’d have a ticket anywhere. I think it’s a main contributor as to why I leapt into kitchens in the first place.
How was it working with Jeff, it seems that you have a great creative relationship?
I mean I love Jeff, he’s the nicest dude in food, but beyond his personality Jeff’s a big lover of Turkish cuisine, he visits every year and his knowledge (and pronunciation) of Turkish dishes is advanced. It’s great when someone can clock the references you put on a plate, they’re Easter eggs for those who know, and Jeff’s a pro.
What was your favourite dish on your menu at Stoke and why?
My favourite dish was probably the Chicken Beyti Tsukune, a riff on their Chicken Tsukune which is essentially a grilled chicken meatball, served on an egg yolk with soy, but this time the chicken was seasoned with fresh garlic and parsley stems, and Jeff whipped up a wicked salsa macha style dipping sauce for it - epic.