Levent “Leo” Sahin is a chef and restaurateur who was born and raised in Istanbul, where he studied Tourism and Hotel Management. After graduation, he managed several restaurants and nightclubs in Bodrum, on the Aegean Sea. Leo has been working in the restaurant business for 20 years. He started his career as a manager, but later developed a passion for food and cooking, eventually developing a second career. First, he began cooking at home.
After a while, he worked in professional kitchens to improve his skill in preparing Turkish cuisine. His adventurous personality led him to San Francisco for a new experience, where he could improve on and expand his skills in a U.S. context in both the kitchen and the front of the house. After spending 4 years in the Bay Area, he decided to move to Seattle in 2018.
Since arriving here many months ago, he has been searching for the right location to create an inviting ambiance and to offer quality Turkish cuisine to the Seattle public. He has had the good fortune to find the right spot, right in Ballard, which has become his favorite neighborhood in Seattle.
He has named the restaurant Kitchen Istanbul in order to announce that he and his
expert staff are bringing the traditional tastes and hospitality of Turkey to the beautiful Ballard neighborhood
and the entire city of Seattle. We are excited to have you here and to offer you our selection of some of the best
examples of Turkish cuisine.