Best Chefs in Pittsburgh: Alihan Hanoglu Brings a Piece of Turkey to the Golden Triangle

By Olivia Miller

With one bite of lamb kofte kebab or shrimp saute at Alihan’s Mediterranean Cuisine, you’ll be left wondering who is behind not only your delicious meal but also the moniker of the restaurant. Chef Alihan Hanoglu, who is originally from Turkey, was first introduced to the restaurant industry when his father opened a restaurant in Istanbul. He says he “basically grew up in the kitchen.”

After an illustrious kickboxing career, Chef Hanoglu came to America as a tourist and “fell in love with Pittsburgh.” However, there was one caveat: he did not have any authentic Turkish restaurants to eat at. Thus, the idea to open his own Turkish restaurant was born. But, he soon realized he couldn’t do it yet as he found that Pittsburgh was “not ready for authentic Turkish cuisine.” He started getting involved with the city’s restaurant scene by first washing dishes then delivering pizza before opening his first restaurant, Giovanni’s Pizza and Pasta.

After years went by and Giovanni’s became known as a Sixth Street staple to get a slice, Hanoglu opened Alihan’s Mediterranean Cuisine and began serving Turkish food to Pittsburghers. The success of Hanoglu’s restaurant ventures has only gone up since then. Last year saw the opening of Alihan’s Coffee and Breakfast on Sixth Street and Liberty Chick’n’Fish on Liberty Avenue, both hotspots for breakfast and lunch.

To Hanoglu, being a chef and business owner is all about authenticity and staying true to himself. His true measure of success for himself as a chef is his ability to “[stay] himself in the daily rush.” He continues that in such a bustling atmosphere as a kitchen, a small problem has the possibility of consuming someone. A good chef is able to “keep doing what you’re doing” and “keep grounded.” His ultimate goal as a chef is to “keep up the standard” of both his restaurants’ food and customer service and “keep doing what we are doing.”

He also believes that part of a chef’s success is contingent on the satisfaction of their customers. The most rewarding part of being a chef for Hanoglu is “when the people leave and say ‘thank you, that was delicious’ and leave with a smile.”