Mangal 2
August ‘22
Mangal 2 is a renown Turkish restaurant in London. I stopped by on a trip in August 22 while I was searching for interesting food stories in the city to capture. It’s a family restaurant that in the past decade was handed down to the owner’s sons. For a few years the youngest, chef Sertac Dirik, ran the kitchen and took the restaurant to a completely new playing field. I loved hearing the story— of roots, of firs-generation cultural reckonings, of creativity. On this sweltering summer day, Sertac let me come by for a quick peek in the kitchen, an interview, and a meal. Now Sertac has left the project to search for his next venture, so this reportage feels that much more poignant.