Category: Meet Our Members

Why did you become a Chef?

Chef Zeki was born in 1974 in the town of Elbistan, Kahramanmaraş. Deciding to follow his father’s footsteps in his professional life at an early age, he started working as a busboy with his father. Afterwards, he worked in various places in Izmir and Aydın in 1991 and 1992 to improve himself. He worked as a cook for a while at the Side Kleopatra Hotel in Antalya between 1993-1994. He worked as a cook for a while on a private boat in Kemer Marina, which is his next stop. He founded his own restaurants and continued his “Zeki ZİNCİKIRAN” profession in his own businesses. He completed his military service as a chef in Hasköy district of Muş between 1994 and 1996. He came to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in March 1996 and became the “Onar Village Holiday Village”. He worked as a cook at the “Jas mine Court Hotel”, “Dedeman Olive Tree Hotel”, “Merit Crystal Cove Hotel”, “Serifali Hotel”, “Rocks Hotel”, “Girne Teacher’s House” and “Polar Restaurant”. He continued his duties as a cook and a chef. Experienced chef “Zeki ZİNCİKIRAN”, who adopts the principle of “your pot is delicious, your ladle is love and your ceiling is tolerance”, has been continuing his profession as “Kitchen Chef” in a public institution that still serves high-level protocol since 2002.

What is your favourite thing to create?
I am creative and constantly researching, how can I prepare better and more delicious plates, the smiles on people’s faces while they eat my meals make me happy, making my guests happy gives me energy and happiness, and I think healthier and display wonderful plates.

What cuisine do you find the most challenging to replicate?
In fact, if you do your job right, no kitchen is difficult and it is not difficult to copy it. Knowing the cuisine and my opinion in cuisines with culture will be discussed in two weeks. I am of this opinion and I have full confidence to succeed means to take a step towards success.

As a Chef what would be your ultimate goal?
The invisible side of the iceberg. If you’re about to change your life and decide to become a cook, be sure to work somewhere before making this radical decision.  If necessary, do not charge any fees during this process.  Cooking is a profession that looks quite enjoyable from the outside, but you can only realize its difficulties after you enter.  Long working hours, an extremely stressful environment, an antisocial lifestyle are the first ones waiting for you.  Consider whether this job is for you or not. Love your job and listen to criticism.

Cooking is a craft.  Pay attention to what your masters say.  Especially in the first years of cooking, you are criticized a lot.  Don’t let this break you.  Listen to criticism and push yourself to get better at your job.  And love your job.  If you don’t like it, difficult conditions will become even more unbearable for you.  Never forget that every meal is demanding, the length of the working hours, the fact that cooking is one of the most anti-social professions in the world, and that a job only has value when done with passion.

What frustrates you about the Hospitality industry?
If the undisciplined staff does not follow the work, the work is disrupted and the hygienic environment is not provided, it makes me angry.

What is the most challenging time you have had as a Chef?
Dancing with flames in the summer heat. It’s not much of a problem in the winter, but in those hot summer months, cooking over intense fire can turn into torture.  Even the word sweat is often insufficient.
Yes, I have told about the negativities experienced by the cooks so far, but there is something like cooking is a love, the flavor that comes out at the end of that plate will take you around in the gardens of paradise, you will be the most popular among your friends, when people learn about your profession, they will tear themselves apart to chat with you and you will not need money for the rest of your life.
 I hope that people who want to be a chef will not be affected by these negativities and continue to follow their dreams.
 Don’t forget to be a cook is to be crazy.

 How should a chef be?
 Actually, it is not my place to tell you this because there are chefs more experienced than me.  But since such a corner has been given to me, then I will do my best.
 The biggest problem in the kitchen in Turkey is development.  Turkey is getting richer, now the consumer is traveling around the world.  He eats everywhere, in short, his worldview is increasing, of course, the culture of eating and drinking.  This development is happening very fast.  However, kitchen workers stop keeping up with this development, it goes further back.  Of course, there are many reasons for this: The first reason is that the father of the kitchen, his teacher, the chef of everything, does not accept to keep up with this development.  First the chef will learn, then he will teach his cooks, then those cooks will become chefs and this is how the order will work.  So the chief needs to be open to development, this is the first rule.
 Our main job is to cook
 The second rule is that chefs have to quit being an artist.  He must not forget that our main job is to cook.  The chef must have developed himself and reached the top in his work before acting as an artist.  But most of the chefs in Turkey are very cool, they are still walking around with 40 medals on their chest, giving them boiled vegetables next to the battered steak.  What was it then, it was necessary to restrain the egos and try to be a little more modest.
Heart is necessary
The chief must be brave, courageous, able to fight windmills like Don Quixote if necessary.  He should move forward without thinking about who will say what.  He must be brave enough to start his own business.  In fact, he is brave enough to admit that his own business will fail, depending on the situation.  So the goal of every chief should be to have his own place, and for this he must have courage and courage! Then he must have a strong authority in his kitchen.  Authority is not established by intimidating or threatening.  You think you’ve set it up, but you always have to look behind you, the chief who always looks behind cannot see ahead.  He must establish such a sweet authority that even with the chef’s coat hanging in the kitchen, the cooks should work with respect and love.
 As I said, power should be appreciated.  It must be emotional, reminiscent of going to the funeral of a chief he has never seen or met just because he is a colleague.
 Let’s sum it up like this:  A self-improving, humble, brave and caring person becomes a man before he becomes a chief.  Now where do I stay when I put myself in this template?  Oooo, I have a long way to go to become a chef.  Now put yourself, where are you?

If you could give advice to young Chefs what would it be?
I must say that I am looking forward to seeing the majority of those who want to be a cook in the future or who are curious about the business life of cooks.  I think being a chef is the most enjoyable and delicious job in the world, but being a professional chef is not easy, there are so many things you need to remove from your life.
Note: The cookery I have mentioned is valid for those who want to be a chef who has mastered the world cuisine and those who are curious.

 1. Time taken to fully learn to use a knife.  You have to practice so much that now your hands will get callused from chopping carrots into julienne, but once you learn it fully, you will enjoy fast and safe chopping.
 2. Longing for social life.  Holidays, Christmas, special days etc.  For normal people it means vacation, but it corresponds to the times when you have to work the hardest.

Such a rich and full life of experience.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts Chef Zeki

It’s always inspiring to hear the thoughts of our chefs and leasers from WAMC.  If you think you would like to share your story with us reach out and let us know at membership@wamc1950.com.au 

Believe it or not, this Master Chef has an MBA from Lincoln University. With many years of working and researching the culinary industry as well as the hotel and restaurant industry in Vietnam. At the same time, he is also a lecturer in culinary, food and beverage operation, and business at major universities in Vietnam. With a passion for cooking, learning about cuisines from around the world, Chef Tran is an active member of the community to share and develop the kitchen industry around the world.

Wishing to create an ecosystem and community of chefs to share and develop together with the Vietnamese culinary industry, Chef has been a Chef Consultant for the U.S. Meat Federation, TTC Hotel Group as a Culinary Advisor and Executive chef and is currently the Chef Consultant and Trainer for the RL Food & Beverage Consulting Service.  But the accolades do not stop there.  

He is a level 4 International Judge for WAMC and was recently appointed the WAMC Vietname Country President, and most excitingly as a world-traveled Chef, Culinary Lecturer & Representative for Vietnam|was announced as an official Ambassador of taste for the Global Gastronomy® and GOLD MEDALLIST 2021-2022. 

Thanks to Chef Tran Le Thanh Thien, the Vice President at the World Association of Master Chefs from our Vietnam Chapter, for taking some time to share his insights into his world as a chef.

Chef, we know you are a busy person and many want to know why did you become a Chef?  I love food and cooking from my mother, who has cooked a lot of delicious Vietnamese foods. The second person is chef Alain Nguyen who gave me a lot of advice and helped me in learning to cook. And so, as you can see, I am the chef and help young chefs get inspired.
So many Chefs have favorite dishes or creations, what is yours? I want to bring the discovery and incorporation of Vietnamese spices into my cooking style and dishes. The diversity of cuisine helps enrich Vietnamese cuisine and raise it to new levels.
What cuisine do you find the most challenging to replicate?
For me, the dishes my mother cooks are simple, but I still can’t cook 100% like her. My challenge is Vietnamese dishes the whole world must admire.
As a Chef what would be your ultimate goal?
I want to bring food everywhere, where there is Vietnamese food, there is Vietnamese culture and at the same time create a community of chefs with cultural exchange, sharing, and mutual help. Desire is an image for young generations of chefs to strive to reach out to the world.
What frustrates you about the Hospitality industry?
I feel disappointed when there are so many achievements and spillovers from us, there is quite a lot of unhealthy and troublesome competition. Let’s make a community grow.
What is the most challenging time you have had as a Chef?
When I just started when I was nothing? Or nobody knows me.
If you could give advice to young Chefs what would it be?
Try to study and be consistent because nobody is good when they begin

What a pleasure,  Thank you Chef for sharing some thoughts with us.

It’s always inspiring to hear the thoughts of our chefs and leasers from WAMC.  If you think you would like to share your story with us reach out and let us know at memerbship@wamc1950.com.au 

WAMC wanted 2021 to be a year full of interest and excitement and so we decided to create a series called “Meet our Members” where we share with you interviews from members located across the globe.  These short but insightful interviews are meant to engage and inspire us all to strive and succeed, even during these tough and tumultuous times.  These are frank and honest looks at Chefs and the lives they lead in the kitchen and beyond.  Enjoy.

Welcome and thanks for being the first Chef in this series.  Let’s start with your name…

“My name is Mike Scotford and I am British.  IM currently a Sous Chef at Ardanaiseig Hotel and Head Chef at Restoration Yard in Dalkeith Country Park.”

For those who do not know Mike, He is one of our Partum Concillo Members, a group of selected Chefs from around the world who share inspiring images of their creation and are there to offer advice and guidance to up and coming chefs and students. We are very privileged to have him share some insights with us today.

Mike, How long have you been a Chef?

“I have been a chef for 47 years in July”

Where in Britain do you live?

“I live in the North West of Scotland near Oban”

Your passion is evident in your imagery and creativity, so why did you become a Chef?

“I used to love watching my mother and grandmother cook who were both amazing cooks”

Over the years we are sure you have been inspired by many great chefs but if you had to choose one who was it that inspired you to become a Chef? 

“I’m inspired by the legend Mr Keith Floyd”

What is your favourite thing to create?

“I love to work with seafood and game there is little room for error with either of these products.  Buy your venison from the man who squeezes the trigger and seafood from the man who catches it”

So many chefs have their specialities but we want to know what cuisine do you find the most challenging to replicate?

“Asian cuisine looks so easy but is so complex some times and can be very delicate with spicing we tend to be too heavy-handed”

Now we are sure you have had your fair share of success in the kitchen but as a Chef what would be your ultimate goal?

“My goal would be to encourage more people into the trade and pass on as much of my knowledge to as many chefs as possible and always be there to give advice”

What frustrates you about the Hospitality industry?

“What frustrates me is how many people in the UK inc the government look down on us with distaste as if we are lowlife in some ways this includes the government we are all very intelligent highly skilled and pretty good accountants. “

with 47 years of experience under your belt what is the most challenging time you have had as a Chef?

“Now is a very hard time for us all with COVID19 it affects us all we do not know when we will get back to work many like myself made redundant and not furloughed to save about £60 per month is a disgrace and how many will not re-open very sad but my strength and character will pull me through this.”

Thanks for your time, we know its rare to catch a chef when they are not working but finally if you could give advice to young Chefs what would it be?

“Advise we a wise old chefs from France said to me when I walked into the kitchen at 15 years of age and told me, it is not about being the loudest and being the bully for he is the weakest link and the brigade coward it is about listening and absorbing all you see and hear all the knowledge being privileged to you and supporting the team/brigade at all times.

Understanding we all have bad days and may need someone to listen to our problems is good for mental strength and a good PMA Positive Mental Aptitude. 

I hope this helps and inspires someone along the way and my brother and sister chefs I am always here for you any time night or day.

My very kindest wishes to you all.”

We want to thank Mike for spending some time with us and allowing us a little glance into his life.  We hope that this series inspires you to reach out for advice, listen and as Mike said “Absord all you see and hear”, and become inspired.

If you work in the Hospitality or Tourism Industry and want to know more about being part of the World Association of Master Chefs drop us a line via our Contact Page