Meet Namie
I’m a Korean but an Aussie at heart. I lived in Sydney through my 20s where I fell in love with the nature and world cuisine. In my early 30s, I followed my heart and moved to France to study food and wine, but somehow I ended up in Turkey by fate and met my wonderful Turkish husband.
I’ve always loved cooking and what it brings, people, creativity and conversation. Following the footsteps of my mum, who is an excellent chef and ran a restaurant all her life, I’m a frolic chef with a multicultural taste and a WSET certificate in wine.
I’m also interested in cultural and historical aspects of food so I write about my food adventures on my blog(www.eatwithmeistanbul.com) and have published a book about Turkish cuisine.
I recently relocated to his hometown, Canakkale after living in Istanbul for 5 years and I’ve been enjoying the peaceful and natural life, visiting nearby villages to collect fresh eggs, free range chickens and seasonal produce, which I use to cook for guests.
Spoken languages
English, Turkish, Korean
The Atmosphere
My place is up on the hill with a view to the Dardanelles and is surrounded by plants inside and out. The kitchen is big so guests are welcome to watch me cook or share cooking tips. We have a super lovely and friendly Retriever, with whom every guest falls in love and plays, forgetting about the food.
The food
I’m a culinary melting pot. I cook from Korean, Indian and Thai to Italian, French, Spanish and Turkish, combining all the elements from my travel and experiences. Whatever I cook, I stick to my foodosophy is clean, creative, healthy, seasonal and local. My speciality is slow cooked meat and wild herbs.
