Natalie and Suleyman (Sulo) Kirbancioglu are a self-described "typical hospo romance" - they met in 2002 working at a Turkish café, he in the kitchen, she at the front of house. What's not typical is that their romance went on to produce an NSW Central Coast darling, the award-winning restaurant Safran.
Opening the fine diner in Ettalong Beach 10 years ago was an expression of their love for both each other and Sulo's Turkish heritage. He grew up in a small village near the Black Sea in Turkey where food was central to family life.
Growing up this way has greatly influenced the way I cook now. The respect for the produce, the seasons, the desire to create all our meals from scratch.
"We were pretty much self-sufficient – my mum grew most of our fresh food. We had wheat fields for our own flour [and] I spent most of my childhood helping with the harvesting and preparing."
Everything was prepared from scratch - daily bread, seasonal foraging, and vegetable growing. "Growing up this way has greatly influenced the way I cook now," says Sulo. "The respect for the produce, the seasons, the desire to create all our meals from scratch."
His hometown, Mengen in Bolu Province, is also renowned in Turkey for producing the best cooks and most of Sulo's brothers and brothers-in-law are chefs. It's little wonder then that Sulo also became a chef and in 2002 a sponsored opportunity to work in Sydney was one he embraced. There he met Natalie, who grew up on the Central Coast, and all the parts of Safran neatly aligned.
"I really wanted to showcase the Turkish kitchen in a contemporary way," he says. "I wanted a space where I could be creative but also stay true to the essence of the cuisine."
Everything fell neatly into place when Sulo met Natalie and Ettalong has benefitted ever since. Source: Kitti Gould
Back in 2013, Sulo says there were only a small handful of great restaurants on the Coast, but that has definitely
changed. "There are many top quality and inventive restaurants now, however, I still feel the area gets a bit [over-looked]."
I really wanted to showcase the Turkish kitchen in a contemporary way. I wanted a space where I could be creative but also stay true to the essence of the cuisine.
That's also starting to change. The Central Coast is recently thriving as a foodie haven and Sulo's passionate take on Turkish classics has earned him an Australian Good Food Guide chef's hat for the past three years. "When we received our first hat back in 2020, it was a great feeling to be recognised. We were humbled to know that our hard work had paid off. It motivates us to constantly improve [and] it also gave us the confidence to explore and experiment further with our menu."
Thanks to Sulo's seasonal, adventurous style, the menu at Safran is ever-changing. Of course, there will always be meze to begin - Natalie's favourite way to eat. Lately, that includes dishes like kingfish pastirma with pickled eggplant and preserved lemon served with lavosh or a lamb tongue shish kebab with a fig glaze.
Larger dishes range from spatchcock prepared with a signature Safran spice rub to a lemon and thyme slow-braised wagyu neck fillet, to duck erişte, which is served with kes made using Sulo's mother's recipe. "It reminds me of my childhood," he says.
"Coming into 10 years, we’re always striving to improve," says Sulo. "There is always pressure to stay relevant in the restaurant scene and we enjoy the challenge." Source: Kitti Gould
While foodies now flock to the Ettalong location, it’s the locals and long-term regulars who have supported Safran over the past decade and who continue to share their catch-ups, anniversaries and birthday celebrations with the couple. In fact, for Natalie, the real joy of running the restaurant comes from giving their guests a special dining experience. "We really love when people appreciate the food and leave Safran happy," she says.
For Sulo, it's all about the food. "I love that I’m able to have creative freedom and cook the food that I love. I want to showcase the Turkish kitchen in a contemporary way... we wish more people realised how varied [Turkish] cuisine is. We try to show this in our meals and help change some of the perceptions."
Dinner: Wed-Sat from 5.30 pm
Lunch: Sat from 12 noon
