Authentic Turkish Cuisine at its Best

Local Chef serves up delicious Turkish meals in a warm, homey atmosphere

WORDS BY KAREN MEURER PHOTOGRAPHY BY TATYANA SEMENOVA

It’s obvious Chef Yuksel Gultekin loves to cook. He can whip up a beautifully laid out classic Turkish sharing platter in fifteen minutes flat, then bring it out to you with a smile.

Glutekin’s path to co-owning Sofra Turkish Restaurant & Wine Cellar with wife Chandra is a fun one. Once a professional soccer player in Turkey, he needed to rethink his career when his knees were permanently injured. He soon picked up jobs in restaurants, learning the nuances of the cuisine. Next he spent five years working in kitchen’s on cruise ships but with working 10 months straight of the year he found it hard to have a life outside of work. Glutekin reminisced, “Staff told me one day, if you’re still working here in five years you’ll be here for life.” He quit a few days shy of his five year anniversary and came to Canada.

While working in high end restaurants in Edmonton, Gultekin met his wife. They went back to Turkey for a year, then came back to Edmonton. That is when they started Sofra. Now you can find Gultekin happily cooking every evening in the open kitchen concept restaurant. His passion comes out while preparing everything from turkish meatballs to fresh pita bread. Everything on the menu is made from local ingredients and classic Turkish spices.

Dining at Sofra is like having a family dinner at home — and that’s how Gultekin likes it. He wants everyone to enjoy the experience, savour good food, and feel right at home.

Sofra Turkish Restaurant & Wine Cellar is located in downtown Edmonton on 106 street, just across from MacEwan University.