My Love Language Is Cooking
“My love language is cooking,” Ayasofya co-owner/chef Fatma Dursunoğlu said. While her background as an engineer in her native Turkey included time working with the United Nations on sustainability and climate change, she said engineering never brought her the joy that cooking for others does.
The journey toward opening the restaurant wasn’t without complications, however. Fatma and husband Halil Dursunoğlu – a professor of computer science and cybersecurity at WMU, in addition to co-operating the restaurant with his wife – ran into the typical snags and slowdowns that many restaurateurs encounter, including waiting for permits and inspections.
They also tackled a major unexpected hurdle: flooding damage in the basement of the building, which took many months and most of their cushion of capital to repair.
While they addressed this challenge, the couple also encountered a welcome complication when they found out shortly after purchasing the building in early 2024 that they were expecting their third child.
Fatma went into labor while preparing a meal at the restaurant a week after the restaurant’s soft opening on Dec. 9, 2024.
She calmly added the spices and herbs to the kebab dish before heading to the hospital and she urged Halil to finish unloading the meat order they’d just received before joining her there. Friends and colleagues from WMU helped run the restaurant while Fatma and her two daughters and newborn were at home during baby Alp’s first couple months of life.
“She’s a superhero,” Halil said. “She’s very dedicated.”
A Menu Heavy on Pastries, Cheese, and Meat
The couple gave Kalamazoo its only Turkish restaurant, where everything is made from scratch in-house, except the desserts, which are imported from Turkey.
Bruno’s old pizza oven still gets plenty of use as the Ayasofya team continues to offer traditional pizzas, as well as numerous pizza-like pastry dishes and appetizers. Several of these dishes are Instagram cheese-pull perfect and Halil noted that they pay extra to ensure they use the best flours, oils, meats and cheese for maximum flavor.
“Pastry and meat, that is our main cuisine,” Halil said, noting that Turkish people have been eating kabobs since 2000 B.C. Turkish cuisine differs from some other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food because more animal fat is used in the meat, resulting in a juicier meal, he said.
All the meat served at Ayasofya is halal, which is an Arabic word meaning “permissible” and in the context of meat means that the animal was slaughtered and prepared in a specific manner, which includes a swift cut to the neck and draining the blood from the carcass. The only exception is their sausage, which is kosher (prepared according to Jewish law), Halil said.
The restaurant also offers plenty of vegetarian and vegan options in all menu categories, including stuffed grape leaves and stuffed cabbage leaves, numerous salads and lentil soup.
We also offer Turkish tea and two versions of velvety rich Turkish coffee, known for a concentrated wallop of espresso-like flavor without the bitter bite. The regular coffee is finely ground and served with a thick, frothy layer on top or guests can opt for a version cooked on sand for a traditional, robust flavor.
Our Culinary Inspirations
Authentic Recipes
Our dishes are crafted using traditional recipes passed down through generations, ensuring every bite is a genuine taste of Turkey.
Fresh Ingredients
We believe in using only the freshest ingredients to bring out the vibrant flavors of Turkish cuisine.
Turkish Hospitality
Experience the warmth and friendliness of Turkish hospitality in our cozy Kalamazoo location.
