Murat Ovaz is to the kitchen what a maestro is to music. He is passionate about bringing his interpretation of Turkish dishes to the South Yarra dining public, and equally passionate about bringing people together for a night of wonderful food, wine and atmosphere at Yagiz. If the beetroot and ginger ice cream I sampled after my afternoon chat is anything to go by, dinner will be a marvel.
Hi Murat. Ive been reading a bit about you and it sounds as though you had an adventurous start to your career because you ran away with your cousins and started work in a hotel.
Yes. Thats a funny story. My parents sent me to my grandparents house to stay for the summer and then summer became a year and grandpa decided to send me to a religious school. I stayed there three nights and then ran away and got a job in a hotel.
Had you thought about being a chef before that?
No not really. I was like all teenagers, dreaming about something else. I really didnt think I wanted to be a chef, it just came up.
But from there you went to a five star hotel, so you quickly started cooking some top food.
Yes. I started as a kitchen hand and after a couple of months, I stepped into the kitchen doing some prep work, picking the herbs.
You must have really loved it because it is hard work.
It is. Chefs always do long hours. Its easily 15 or 16 hours a day.
What is it that you love about it, then that gets you through the long hours?
I love creating. The day finishes and you are always thinking about what you can do the next day. Its a good challenge.
It was a big jump for you to come from Turkey to Australia.
It was. It wasnt easy actually. Its a long process. I hadnt thought about Australia. I always thought about England or somewhere in Europe. Australia is quite different.
And I read that your first job was in a pub. That must have been really different.
It was a country pub in Newcastle called Lass OGowrie. You dont have a lot of choice when you come to a foreign country without any English. You have to take the first opportunity and start somewhere.
How did you find cooking parmas and fries.pub food?
You cant be fussy at this stage. I had to go to school the next morning. It was quite interesting because when I first started I was just cooking chips and burgers for the first months but there is a lot of opportunity in Australia and people are very open-minded about food.
I did have an opportunity in that pub to create something people hadnt had before.
If youre not happy, you cant create good things. Can you imagine being creative if you have what you are doing? How long can you survive?
I saw that you really loved working with Colin Fassnidge. What was it that you enjoyed?
I worked in a few different paces in New South Wales from the pub to fine dining. I was confused about what I wanted to do. When I started with Colin, he got it right and put it all together for me.
I think he probably does that for a few people.
It isnt easy to work with Colin. Its like a family. If you are part of the family, you can work with him but if you cant fit into that, you cant work for him. If you cant survive more than a month, you cant stay there.
It would be a good feeling to be part of the family. Youd feel as thought you had really earned your place.
Its not about the money working for Colin; its about being part of the family. You cant buy that. He makes people who work for him part of his restaurant and hes open-minded and he listens to other peoples ideas. Yes, he is a bit of a hot head, but thats how it is.
I think thats the essence of hospitality. If you have food coming out of a place where everyone is working well together and part of the family, the food must be better.
Thats correct. If youre not happy, you cant create good things. Can you imagine being creative if you have what you are doing? How long can you survive?
So now youre in your own place cooking food that comes from home for you. It must be great to be acknowledging your origins?
My food isnt really traditional. It is Turkish but when you go through the concept, Ive twisted it. Its not a hundred per cent Turkish. Its designed for todays Australian audience.
I spoke to Maria Kabal at restaurant and she said the same thing; you cant just bring the food from one country into another and expect the new country to embrace it.
Its about the ingredients as well. You cant get the hundred per cent the ingredients you want. The chefs are different and the customers are different. I just play around Turkish flavours.
Maybe you could tell me about a particular dish on the menu that youve played around with, but that has the Turkish essence.
Well we have Marine levrek, which is pickled sea bream. We have 80% the same dish in Turkey, but Turks love heavy pickling and unfortunately, Australians dont. We had to adjust that dish.
Some other dishes are the stuffed calamari which is 80% traditional. Its stuffed with ezine cheese, farro, herbs and were using inks. Farro is a modern touch and isnt from Turkey. Just little bits and pieces to give it a twist.
What would Turkish people think if they came here?
They do come. Theyre not disappointed but if they expect 100% Turkish restaurant, then theyll be disappointed, but you cant make everyone happy.
Thats right and its a modern take on it, which is the way of the world, to freshen things up.
Exactly.
And is that your grandfather, Yagiz, in the painting on the wall behind us?
Yes. He is the grandpa.
Its nice that youve named your restaurant after him.
I think its a nice touch, yes. Theres a story behind it but its nice and simple.
Nice to have his picture presiding over the restaurant.
Yes its by a very skilful street artist, Robert Scholten.
When people come to Yagiz, whats the experience do you want them to have?
I want them to enjoy the food obviously. Weve put a lot of effort into this project with a very good kitchen and a very good sommelier and very good food. People should come and have a nice time.
22 Toorak Road, South Yarra