A famous Melbourne chef revealed how a staple Turkish dish almost forced him to close down-and this moment "changed everything."

When you think of Turkish food, do you think of kebab first?

If so, this is largely the reason why the famous chef Coskun Uysal refused to sell meat dishes in his hat Tulum restaurant in Balaclava, Melbourne.

When he moved from Istanbul to Victoria five years ago, he assured himself that he would not offer a menu similar to other Turkish restaurants in the country.

He wants to show Australians that his cultural cuisine goes far beyond the "meat zone", dips and breads, and of course kebabs.

"As a chef, I always feel that showing Turkish cuisine is my mission, beyond kebabs and dipping sauces. Although it is delicious, I still go back to the traditional recipes my mother and grandma used to make and use my own Tulum. The style breathes life into them," Coskun told news.com.au.

However, not serving the usual suspect is a risk and almost cost him his entire business.

"I wanted to close my restaurant for the first three years," he said.

"When people hear about the opening of a new Turkish restaurant, they look forward to live music from belly dancers, carpets on the walls and a large menu with kebabs and dipping sauces.

"When they realized that the situation was completely opposite, they left unhappily."

Until Coskun appeared on MasterChef as a guest chef in 2018 and 2020, serving some of his key menu items, everything has changed.

"MasterChef changed my life," he said.

"People are beginning to understand what I do in the restaurant-they know as soon as they walk into the restaurant that this is a menu that was born out of the love of my mother's cooking.

"The menu is full of flavour and aroma, from roasted cauliflower couscous to hazelnuts and burnt butter. It is a fusion of tradition and innovation."

Fast forward to 2021, and customers are so fascinated by the chef's attitude towards Turkish cuisine that it was ranked first in TheFork's 100 best restaurants in Australia this year.

Ranked second on the list of restaurant booking platforms is Contact Bar & Kitchen in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, followed by Vizio Caffe e Cucina, also in Woolloomooloo.

"The best awards you can get are awards from customers. I am very proud and happy of what we have achieved," Coskun said.

"We want to thank our loyal diners for continuing to support our journey. Without them, we would not be here."

He said that this victory also proved his team's hard work, they continue to challenge the limits and continue to develop-even in turbulent times.

"Our innovation and ability to combine tradition and excitement make us stand out in the Turkish restaurant world, not only domestically, but also internationally. We will continue to challenge the limits to highlight the sophistication of the Turkish menu."

During the lockdown, Coskun pointed out that this is a difficult time for all hospitality, restaurants serving "Istanbul street food"-such as freshly made burek and simit, which they sell directly from the cart, just like returning to Turkey.

He said: "This saved my business (during the lockdown) and my employees."

Gary Burrows, country manager of TheFork, said the past year was undoubtedly one of the most difficult times the industry has ever faced.

“Therefore, we are very happy to recognize the hard work and resilience of our restaurant and highlight those truly special dining experiences through Dish Up Top 100,” he told news.com.au.

"We are very happy to see people dining out again and restaurant reservations are high. We encourage Australians to continue to support the industry and explore new places. You may find your next favorite."

The Fork's Dished Up Top 100 showcases the top dining options of thousands of Australian diners booked through the platform this year, taking into account the high number of bookings, diners ratings and positive user reviews.

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