Seminar Series of the Faculty of Applied Sciences – Spring 2026 – 5. Seminar

Dear Students of the Faculty of Applied Sciences,

You are kindly informed to welcome the Chef and Co-founder of Neolokal, Mr. Maksut Aşkar as the guest speaker of the seminar series.

Date      : Thursday, 2 April 2026

Time      : 14:40-15:30

Place     : AB3 #150 / Zeynep Alp Köseoğlu Auditorium

Mr. Maksut Aşkar studied tourism and hotel management both in high school and university. He worked in the food and beverage industry during and after his studies, which led him to develop a passion for taste design. He reflected this passion in various projects, transforming the tastes he designed into art exhibitions. He also consulted for and designed events for many major food and beverage brands and entities. His journey as a chef started in 2007.

After refining his craft in the kitchen and through his first three restaurants, he opened his latest establishment in the SALT Galata Museum, where he brought Anatolian cuisine into the modern spotlight. The motto he had previously used became the name of his restaurant, 'Neolokal.' With modern takes on Anatolian cuisine, he creates deeply emotional experiences for guests, drawing on Mr. Maksut Aşkar’s childhood and emotions, as well as the roots and traditions of this geography. He believes this embodies the true essence of Anatolian cuisine.

In 2014, he was awarded 'The Best Chef of the Year' by Time Out Magazine. In 2015, he received the 'Le Proche' prize during the 10th anniversary of Omnivore Paris. His restaurant, Neolokal, was featured in the Discovery Series in 2018 and ranked No. 110 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2019. Neolokal was also ranked 145th in 2020, 121st in 2021, 106th in 2022, and 93rd in 2023 in the Europe Top Restaurants list by OAD. In 2022, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star. In 2023, Neolokal ranked No. 63 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, and he was named 88th Best Chef of the Year by the Best Chef Awards. He also represents his cuisine and philosophy at various international events around the world.

In the seminar class, Mr. Maksut Aşkar will present on “What It Takes to Become Neolokal: Choosing the Difficult Path”.