The Story Behind Elif's Table

Elif’s Table is more than a food business — it’s a living memory, a tribute, and a love letter to my mother, Elif, who taught me that food is never just food. It is comfort, connection, and tradition — passed down with care from one generation to the next.

My mother, Elif, was born in a small village in Malatya, Türkiye. Life was simple, but her kitchen was rich — filled with the aroma of roasted peppers, simmering lentils, hand-kneaded dough, and spices she measured by instinct, never by recipe.

Later, she built a life in Istanbul, carrying with her the warmth of village cooking and the belief that no guest should ever leave hungry — or without a smile. Then I was born in Istanbul 1991.

In 2024, I lost my mother to cancer. The pain of that loss is something I carry every day, but so is the love she poured into her food, her family, and her culture.

That’s why I created Elif’s Table — to keep her name alive and share the flavors that shaped both her life and my childhood.

As her son, I built my own life far from Türkiye, in Washington DC, where I completed a Master in Entrepreneurship with honors. Over the past 10 years, I worked in the restaurant world — from serving tables to bartending to managing — across 15 different restaurants featuring 7 different cuisines.

I also spent time traveling through Türkiye, Italy, Spain, Malta and Portugal over 17 countries, experiencing the heart of Mediterranean food culture where it lives. The menu of Elif’s Table was shaped by both my travels and my memories — honoring the dishes I tasted abroad and the ones my mother made at home.

Elif’s Table brings all of these pieces together — her legacy, my culinary journey, and a belief that food should bring people closer. Every dish we prepare comes from tradition, memory, and heart.

Whether you’re enjoying a fresh plate of dolma at a market or sharing a mezze platter at an event, you’re not just tasting Mediterranean food — you’re sitting at Elif’s Table, where there’s always room for one more for you.

Thank you for being part of our story.

— Muharrem (Mo) Kulak 

Founder, Elif’s Table