Top TC chef Kiazim set to open second London restaurant

TOP UK-based Turkish Cypriot chef Selin Kiazim (left) is to open a second restaurant in London in the spring — after declaring that 2017 was a year she wanted to “leave behind”.

The news was revealed in an online job ad for senior chefs to work in the new establishment in Fitzrovia.

The 45-cover restaurant will “continue the contemporary Turkish theme with Mediterranean influence” of her current eatery Oklava, according to the advert.

Ms Kiazim, 32, opened critically acclaimed Oklava — which means “rolling pin” in Turkish — with a business partner in 2015 in the east London area of Shoreditch.

She published her own cookbook named after the restaurant last May. Later in the year she reached the finals of the BBC’s GreatBritish Menu and was recognised for her achievements at an awards ceremony in October held by the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in the UK.

Despite her public success, Ms Kiazim said 2017 had not been a happy period for her because her private life had been “full of anguish, hurt, guilt and pain” that had left in her a “state of depression”.

Writing a frank New Year post on Instagram, Ms Kiazim continued: “Work, people, life in general became the enemy, I didn’t care about anything, I was so lost and confused, I just didn’t want to be me any more.”

She said that she had to “dig deep and find” herself and a “better way of being”. She thanked supporters for “all the love and support” they had given her and that she would “cherish forever” her career highs.