Chef Bilge Mikyas

I was born in Türkiye and now based in Portugal, where I co-founded Kök Portugal Catering with my partner, Ersin. A project rooted in our shared heritage and passion for bringing people together around the table.

After leaving a career in law, I trained intensively in Türkiye and later worked in a retreat center, where I developed a creative and intuitive approach to cooking, including vegan cuisine. Our experience in Madeira introduced us to fine dining techniques and refined our perspective on flavor and presentation.

Over the past few years, I have been working as a freelance chef in and around Lisbon, taking part in retreats, pop-ups and private dining experiences sometimes independently and sometimes together with Ersin.

My cooking is deeply influenced by Turkish cuisine and its rich use of spices, while also drawing inspiration from Mediterranean, Italian, Japanese, Thai, and Mexican traditions.

Alongside savory cooking, I am also skilled in pastry, creating desserts with balanced sweetness, seasonal ingredients and a refined approach. I adapt easily to different dietary needs and work comfortably with high quality ingredients, always aiming to create a warm and memorable dining experience.