Michael Turkic

Michael, pronounced "Mishka" Turkic began his food journey at 6 years of age watching his Croatian grandparents grow and cook their own food. Like thousands of other Croats who left their villages in the Dalmacijan regions of Southern Croatia, escaping carnage and famines brought on by successive wars in the early 20th Century, they sailed far from their homes to find a new life in more prosperous regions of the world. In Western Australia, Croats created what is now one of the most celebrated wine and food regions in Australia, the Swan Valley. It is in this environment, watching and learning at the apron strings of his granmother, and following his vigneron and orchardist grandfathers, that Michael began his food journey. With formal training in 2019 specialising in Asian Cuisine as well as his beloved Croatian and wider Mediterranean cuisines. Since graduating from North Ryde College in Sydney, he has worked for celebrity chefs Luke Ngyuen and Mark Jensen at their signature restaurant, Red Lantern in Sydney, as well as guest stints at Harada Omakase in Sydney. He currently provides unique food experiences through "Take-A-Chef" and Curtis Stone's "Gathar" Chef services.