Ayla: Expect the unexpected
The summer season in Bodrum, Türkiye’s hippest and most popular holiday destination, has finally kicked off with the Bayram holiday. The once-sleepy fishing villages of the 1970s around the Bodrum peninsula have now been transformed into a luxury escape on the Turquoise Coast at the junction of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Each former fishing village and bay has its own devoted fans, ranging from summer holiday homes to high-end luxurious resorts. Overall, Bodrum is the premier destination in Turkish tourism. For many, everything in Bodrum starts with Maçakızı, once a humble beach club and B&B, which has since evolved into a bohemian chic venue — a true luxury escape reminiscent of the good old days, serving as a hallmark of everything Bodrum represents.
The start
It all began with the bold steps of a woman with dark, curly hair. Known for years as the “Queen of Spades,” she earned this nickname one day while playing cards when a poet friend remarked that her large, black hair resembled the upside-down heart-shaped Queen of Spades on playing cards. Naturally, every establishment she opened in Bodrum was named Maçakızı. She was consistently surrounded by artists, writers, poets, and intellectuals. Her venues, brimming with artwork and culinary excellence, attracted those in search of quality. People were drawn in like magnets, not just by the delicious food but also by the communal and joyful atmosphere. At every lunchtime, the arrival of the remarkable buffet was heralded by the ringing of a bell, as a procession of home-cooked dishes in earthenware pots made its way to the table, accompanied by “Fanfarra” by Sergio Mendes playing in the background. It was pure joy and summer vibes. At night, the round bar became the place to be, and for many, Bodrum felt synonymous with the bar at Maçakızı. This woman, Ayla Emiroğlu, transformed the landscape of tourism in Bodrum and broke new ground. She was the Queen of Spades, Maça Kızı, and Maça Kızı was Bodrum.
The next phase
Years passed, and Sahir Erozan, Ayla’s son who had been living in the USA, returned to Türkiye to take over Maçakızı. With the magical touch he inherited from his mother, Erozan transformed the place entirely. He created a boutique hotel where nature and works of art converge. His contemporary art collection was tastefully scattered throughout the premises, creating sudden surprises around every corner. The attention to detail is phenomenal, a joy for the eye; one can spend a whole afternoon just chilling out in the lounge area at the semi-open breakfast area, staring at the artifacts and browsing through an incredible selection of coffee table art books.
Of course, the kitchen had to have the same level of perfection. Erozan entrusted the restaurant to the capable hands of Chef Aret Sahakyan, with whom he had worked in the United States at the legendary Cities bar and restaurant in Washington, DC, between 1986 and 2004. The two longtime friends met in Washington while both were studying at the university. Aret Sahakyan, an Istanbul-Armenian, had his eyes more on the kitchen than in classes, with a tendency to develop his inherited cooking skills from his family, working in Italian family restaurants and later in the kitchens of celebrated chefs. Together, they created the perfect duo of creative partners.
With Aret Sahakyan taking over the kitchen, the new Maçakızı became known especially for its impeccably delicious food. The lunch buffet is still pure satisfaction with its homely cooking, dishes all prepared just as moms do with the best of seasonal sun-burst flavors of local produce; during the day, the CafeMed menu provides all the guilty pleasures we crave after a dip in the water, and at night, the tables are set for the classy clientele dressed in the bohemian-chic style of Ayla, savoring a cornucopia of Mediterranean-inspired plates by Aret Sahakyan.
The last touch: My freedom!
Since last season, however, there is a brand-new development at the favorite place of Bodrum socialites. Ayla, who gave Maçakızı its name, is back! There is now a very special five-table fine-dining restaurant within Maçakızı named after its legendary creator, as a tribute to her legacy: Ayla by Aret Sahakyan.
The new Ayla is exceptional in every sense. Inscriptions of Ayla Emiroğlu’s words from 1977 are displayed at the entrance: “Maçakızı was my freedom!” This statement is now true today for Aret Sahakyan. He is finally in his own kitchen, focusing on his own masterpieces. He could easily say the very same sentence now with a twist: “Ayla became my freedom!”
Last year, I had the chance to try Ayla’s first tasting menu. The menu consisted of four acts, as if staged in a theater, and each act had two choices to choose from. In between the acts were surprises by the chefs. The first surprise was a single olive. Yes, a simple olive. As if it were your olive from the Martini glass, it was placed on a porcelain stand secured by a toothpick. Was it a manifesto? A manifesto against all the molecular cuisine miracles of spherification created by Ferran Adrià at El Bulli, which then spread across the globe like wildfire? Or was it a simple statement against the massive construction occurring around the peninsula, rapidly destroying olive groves? Or was it just a straightforward expression of Gertrude Stein’s words: "Olive is an olive is an olive is an olive!" That statement, so simple yet so complicated, suggests that the olive by Aret Sahakyan might be a simple declaration — an olive that is simply delicious on its own.
Last week, I had another chance to revisit Ayla. This year, there is no olive in the tasting menu. Or maybe I should say not yet! The surprise of the year is the roses. It is the harvest time for Damascus roses in the province of Isparta, just inland from the Aegean, not far from Bodrum, which is the epicenter of the rose cultivation region for the world’s perfume industry. The final touch of Aret’s tasting was a delectable rose-infused pudding, reminding one of the good old days of Istanbul cuisine when milk puddings were always doused with generous splashes of rose water, a scent that evokes nostalgia for us.
Aret is Aret. He hardly speaks, preferring not to share much about himself or elaborate on his dishes. Instead, he lets the food speak for itself. Unexpectedly, he makes a gesture I would never anticipate from him. He tosses handfuls of fresh rose petals onto our table. It feels like a spontaneous act of affection from a shy artist. Or maybe it’s reminiscent of Gertrude Stein’s rose, Aret’s olive, or something entirely different. The season of roses is fleeting. So, be prepared for yet another delightful surprise from Ayla by Aret Sahakyan, the ultimate secluded dining experience in Bodrum.
