Selim Ülker
Ayva and Kardes | Nashville TN
July 2026
Selim Ülker started cooking when he was 13 years old at a culinary high school in Ankara, Turkey, getting an early, hands-on window into the industry through their student-run hotel. Encouraged by chef instructors, Ülker left Ankara to stage at Istanbul Marriott Hotel Asia, which turned into his first full-time job. Inspired by the bustle and seriousness of the hotel's restaurant, Ülker continued honing his hospitality skills at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Şişli in 2016. He then moved to Istanbul Marriott Hotel Şişli, where he met Chef Yavuz Tasdemir, who helped Ülker grow in both practice and mindset.
In 2018, chefs at the Marriott helped Ülker move abroad to expand his horizons, bringing him almost 6,000 miles away from Istanbul to Nashville, Tennessee. After a job at a large-scale hotel fell through, Ülker reconnected with his roots to open a Turkish restaurant, Edessa, as its head chef. In 2020, he joined Chef Tony Mantuano's Yolan at The Joseph as a line cook and was quickly promoted to executive sous chef.
After five years at Yolan, Ülker opened Kardes Turkish Grill and Bar, fulfilling his dream of representing the versatility of flavors and textures in Turkish cuisine. Through dishes like the Meyhane Experience—which includes a multitude of small plates such as kişir, a slowly cooked bulgur dish that balances the acidity of pomegranate molasses with the umami of tomato paste—Ülker introduces the range and nuance of Turkish cuisine to Nashville. His next restaurant, Ayva, is slated to open at the end of summer and will delve deeper into Turkish cuisine using modern techniques. Through this expansion, Ülker is eager to provide young cooks opportunities to learn and to further support the Joey Fecci Foundation, which funds students pursuing culinary education in memory of Yolan's former chef de cuisine.
