From humble beginnings in Turkey to establishing the ever popular “The Mediterranean Deli Turk” restaurant in Singapore, Chef Ahmet Akpinar’s personal life story and journey is one of resilience, passion, purpose, and deeply rooted love and pride for his Turkish cultural heritage. The award-winning celebrity chef is well known for his culinary expertise and finesse, but also renowned for his inspiring life stories that would make a very captivating book or a riveting movie script. So epic and extraordinary are the details to his personal tales that the restrictive confines of a media article is sadly unable to fully capture and encompass the totality of his vast life challenges and experiences. Nonetheless, I shall attempt the endeavour of doing his rich life story some proper justice.
Born and raised in a small village in Kahramanmaraş, which is a city in southeastern Turkey, Chef Ahmet was immersed in Turkish culinary traditions from a young age. Growing up in a closely knit family that valued home-cooked meals and the richness of fresh locally sourced ingredients, Ahmet quickly learned to appreciate the cultural significance of food from his homeland. His own father was also a chef and Ahmet started his culinary career at the age of 10 under his dad’s tutelage, which further propelled and ignited Ahmet’s own lifelong passion for cooking tasty dishes.
During his teenage years and young adulthood, Ahmet was a boxing champion and was also enlisted with the special ops forces in the Turkish military. Driven by his ambitions, Ahmet moved over to the bustling city of Istanbul, where he honed his culinary flair at various prestigious restaurants. Back in 2001, at the invitation of a Singaporean Muslim F&B entrepreneur who enjoyed his cooking, Ahmet took the bold and courageous plunge to relocate to Singapore without even knowing where the country was located on the world map! While working in Singapore as a Halal chef, he quickly picked up all the local languages, and is able to speak English, Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin adequately and conversationally. Ahmet was also the first to bring the doner kebab and Turkish dondurma ice-cream concepts over to Singapore.
Despite his huge successes in Singapore working as executive head chef at 5-star luxury hotels such as the Shangri-La Hotel and Plaza Crown Hotel, Chef Ahmet’s life was forever altered by a devastating motorcycle accident that left him bedridden and in a wheelchair for 5 years. Ahmet pleaded with his doctors not to amputate his damaged leg. In the end, he had to endure no less than 19 painful surgical operations as his leg got reinfected many times. Feeling listless and dejected, Ahmet thought that both his life and career were over, but hope came in the form of his former employer offering him a chance to revitalise his career as a chef. Mustering up all of his inner strength and resolve, he picked himself up and rejuvenated his dreams of kick starting his culinary career, and even went on to open up a handful of restaurants located in Suntec City and Holland Village.
A second heart wrenching personal tragedy struck in the form of strong earthquakes that rocked both Turkey and Syria back in 2023. The disaster claimed the lives of over 200 of his family, relatives, close friends, and neighbours. His own immediate family members such as his mother were trapped under the rubble of their building for 3 whole days before they were rescued. For Ahmet, this incident was another grim reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of community support.
Even though the tragedy deeply impacted him, Ahmet continued to find renewal and strength through his work. By channelling his grief into further refining his techniques, Chef Ahmet collaborated with the Turkish embassy (as Ahmet is also the personal private chef to the Turkish ambassador to Singapore) and used his restaurants as platforms to raise both awareness and funds for those affected by the earthquake. As a result of combined community efforts, Deliturk hosted charity events, and a portion of the restaurant’s profits went towards relief efforts in Turkey and Syria. Thankfully, Ahmet’s resilience and generosity resonated with his customers, many of whom were moved by his story and eager to support his cause. In total, Ahmet was also able to assist five of his surviving relatives to relocate to Singapore to work at his restaurants and to have a second chance at a better life.
Through his cuisine, Ahmet connects his customers to the mouthwatering flavours of his homeland while beguiling them with narratives of his many triumphs over tragedies. The Mediterranean Deli Turk is a shinning inspiring tale and testament to Ahmet’s dedication to the culinary arts, serving as a reminder of how food can transcend international borders and bring people together even in the face of countless adversities. Ahmet opens up candidly, “Food brings people together. Even in times of tragedy, we find comfort in eating. Cooking is my own way of keeping the memories of my deceased loved ones alive.”
Despite all of his personal hardships in life, Ahmet continues to pour his love for his country into his food, using his restaurant as a bridge between East and West, allowing Singaporeans to explore and experience first-hand the rich tapestry of Ottoman style Turkish Mediterranean foods. Chef Ahmet personally ensures that all the food ingredients used in his restaurants are authentic by being the direct importer of spices, olive oils, wines and flour directly from Turkey. Even the Uludag premium bottled spring water served in the restaurant hails from Turkey. “When people eat my food, I want them to experience the flavours of my homeland, and to feel the warmth of Turkish hospitality,” he enthuses.
The unassumingly modest and centrally located blue and white Turkish themed “The The Mediterranean Deli Turk” is decked up like a delightful treasure trove of Turkish fixtures such as colourful mosaic lamps, cultural relics as well as a proud display of Chef Ahmet’s numerous awards and accolades. Aside from the remarkably delectable dishes ranging from a bevy of mezze appetizer platters to hearty chargrilled meats, what truly sets “The Mediterranean Deli Turk” apart from the other mediterranean options in Singapore are the great lengths and personal touches that Chef Ahmet goes to in order to bring genuinely authentic Turkish flavours to the overall dining experience. In his own words, “What you will get here is exactly the same as the quality and tastes of the foods that you will find back in Turkey.”
Ahmet’s passion for cooking is evident in every dish that he crafts with the guiding principle and philosophy that, “To cook, I do not need my eyes, using my heart is enough.” This heartfelt approach is at the central core tenet of his culinary creations such as the perfectly seasoned be. Some of his house specialties include Turkish staples such as baklava, kebabs, falafels, dolmas, etc. Not to be missed are the freshly made pita bread dipped in rich creamy chickpea hummus and delectable eggplant baba ghanoush. Ahmet’s signature dishes such as slow-cooked lamb shank with aromatic herbs and scrumptious hand-rolled dolmas are being crafted with military precision, ensuring that every bite reflects the true essence of Turkey. My personal favourite savoury dish was the perfectly seasoned chunks of Kuru Fasulya stewed beef that were melt-in-your mouth tender. The chef’s recommended original Künefe dessert is a sweet and savory pastry sprinkled with cardamon and pistachios that is completely addictive and will have you wanting to come back for more.
Chef Ahmet’s journey from Turkey to Singapore is one of adventure, tenacity, determination, passion, and resilience. His restaurant is not merely just a business but a reflection of his incredible life story of turning adversity into triumphant success as well as a tribute to his Turkish roots and heritage, on top of being a way to honour the memories of the loved ones that he has lost. Ahmet’s story of bravery in times of crisis shows that our basic universal necessity of requiring food is able to unite people and provide comfort, while simultaneously preserving cultural heritage from one generation onto the next. As Chef Ahmet continues to grow his culinary empire, he remains a source of inspiration for his students and fans alike.
Images: Luke Elijah
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