Didem Senol

Chef, Lokanta Maya (Karaköy) and Gram (Beyoğlu and Sariyer)

She moves quickly with her multiple projects, and yet here, in the muted atmosphere of her Karaköy restaurant, she is calm, cool and smiling. Born in Istanbul trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York and a veteran of several prestigious international establishments, Didem Şenol came back to work in Turkey and rediscover the wealth of the markets and the quality of local products. In 2010 she opened Lokanta Maya, to offer a cuisine that is well outside the usual norms and habits, but still inspired by the flavours of her childhood and Turkey’s popular food culture. Starting with (local) products and following the markets and the seasons, her restaurants are regularly one of the best tables in town. In 2012 and 2014, she opened two other locavore addresses: Gram Pera and Gram Orjin.