Back then, she was not Chef Yeşim (pronounce Yeshim) but only Mrs. Yeşim—used to make one of her favorite dishes as a gift for her colleagues whenever she wanted to surprise or make a gesture for them during her time working in the corporate world. At that time, she also had a rule: she would never offer anyone a dish that she didn't like or wasn't sure about!
When the people she served her dishes to insisted that Yeşim should open a place where they could eat her food whenever they wanted, they told her that these small surprises were not enough to truly taste the dishes that came from Yeşim's hands. However, Yeşim only had one thing to say to these kind compliments and offers: "I won't make a plan until I can really do my job perfectly and sustain that perfection!" And her plan had very clear and basic rules:
"I only do what I am good at, and I do it in the best possible way."
Based on these principles, she worked on Turkish cuisine, which is her favorite and the one that her aunt taught and inspired her unique passion for. Thus, with the insistence of her friends, Yeşim's plan came to life as the "Yeşim's Kitchen" project. The journey that started in her aunt's cute house continued as a catering project, but Yeşim's dream for this journey went far beyond being limited to her acquaintances and friends.
Chef Yeşim knew that Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine was not just about the "kebab" repertoire that is commonly served. She knew that the essence, identity, and standards of Turkish cuisine, which create the quality that the name "Turkish" represents, can only be maintained by preserving its standards, quality, and value. She wanted to provide an opportunity for the recognition of the healthy, olive oil-based, homemade dishes that were passed down from generation to generation in Turkish cuisine. While doing so, without forgetting the fact that Turkish cuisine holds a universal place, she aimed to make Turkish cuisine a meeting point for everyone who wants to eat healthy food with sustainable quality.
Yesim never stopped walking around her dreams since her journey started. For Yesim, what makes people happy is serving healthy and sustainably high-quality food that she is happy to cook, and not everything should be on the menu or served with fancy "fine-dining" presentations. "Yeşim's Kitchen" began to transform into much more. There were many people who had heard of the "reputation" of her dishes, even if they did not know her personally they wanted to taste her dishes.
Eventually, the time had come for Yeşim's Kitchen to have an address for those dishes that she learned while watching her aunt in her cute blue kitchen and that the previous generations passed down from generation to generation. Essentially, a shop was rented at 5 Kendall Street in Brookline Hills(Pill Hill) to bring together her guests with healthy and happy dishes of Turkish cuisine. The name of the place is also supposed to be a suitable symbol for Turkish cuisine that could reach the hearts of people from all languages and cultures, just like the dishes that overflowed from Chef Yeşim's little kitchen. "Dolma" is born! Chef Yeşim believes that people should decide on the name of the upcoming restaurant. She organized a survey and the name that came in first was chosen.
The journey started in the little blue kitchen turned into a cloud and flew to the USA, and now it is placed in a store that can be presented to everyone's likes. With the consciousness that sustainable excellence comes from sharing quality, skill, and the joy of cooking, while eating healthy food, and knowing that local language is hidden in the universal language in the kitchen. Yeşim has continued to share her happiness while producing the dishes that she loves to cook in the best possible way for her guests. Just like from her aunt's kitchen until now, her journey continues.
Food prepared with love Tastes Better !!!
