Event Details
Start with a Turkish tea or coffee and learn about Turkish food and ingredients, then discover some of the riches of this vibrant suburb – emporiums filled with exotic spices, delicacies and implements including pretty tea glasses for Turkish apple tea, the best Turkish Delight, great bakeries and butchers finishing with a generous lunch of dips and salads, grilled meats and a signature red lentil soup in one of our favourite places.
Tour meets in Auburn
Highlights:
- Our exceptional food loving guides who share their culture and recipes
- Getting the lowdown on a range of ingredients and a plan for a dinner party
- Tasting some of the authentic sweets from Turkish Delight to pistachio baklava
- Two course lunch with dips, soup, grills and salads
- Feeling like you’re not in the white-bread suburbs – we give you an entree into an exotic place!
Craig Wickins –
The TURKISH GOURMET FOOD SAFARI OF AUBURN is a culinary experience like no other—and Ulku, our guide, is its beating heart. Her passion for food and culture turns every stop into a celebration of Turkish heritage. From the very first bite to the final spoonful, this tour was an unforgettable feast.
We kicked off with warm welcomes at traditional bakeries and continued through Mumtaz Spices, where Ulku shared insights that made each aromatic blend feel like a piece of history. The sensory adventure continued through Gima Emporium, a treasure trove of Turkish staples that transported us straight to the bazaars of Istanbul. We rounded out with a soul-warming moment at Cook & Co, where a savory bowl of lentil soup was so perfectly spiced and comforting it could win hearts on its own.
Special shoutout to the ever-inspiring Maeve O’Meara, whose presence and support added an extra layer of warmth and excitement to the day. Her love for food and connection to culture shone through in every interaction.
This isn’t just a tour—it’s a celebration of Turkish cuisine, community, and storytelling. It engages people with food deliciously, woven with stories, laughter, and hidden gems only locals know about. Whether you’re a foodie, a culture enthusiast, or someone simply curious about Auburn’s rich Turkish roots, this tour is an absolute must.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to savor the authentic flavors of Turkish cuisine and walk away nourished in every way.
Susan Mclay –
Rob and I had a great time exploring Auburn with Ulku on the 17th. Her wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm were infectious. She made everyone feel so welcome.
Ulku shared many of her own recipes as well as lovely stories about Turkish traditions and her childhood growing up in Australia after her arrival in 1973.
She has a wonderful rapport with the various vendors we met and there was no pressure to buy. We even bumped into Maeve when we were in the middle of our amazing food tasting at Gima Supermarket.
It was a wonderful day and well worth the trip from Canberra.
Anita Saba –
We had a fabulous day with Ulku as our guide.
Everything from her wonderful cultural stories to explanations of Turkish ingredients and aromatic flavours , all coming together to make a sensational Turkish experience. It was great to see how the traditional flat bread was made and how delicious it tasted straight out of the hot oven. Grocery shopping has never been so much fun , with Ulku showing us how each unique product could be used in many ways . Overall a very enjoyable food safari .
Shayne Leslie –
What a fabulous day full of stories and foods tastings. Shopkeepers where very generous with their time and produce as were the community of Auburn. There were so many highlights, but my highlight of highlights has to be the Baklava Emporium! We toured in September 2024.
Macquarie Uni –
Extraordinary!!
On behalf of the entire Global Leadership Program and our student leaders, we wanted to give a big thank you to Ulku and your team for Friday afternoon’s food tour of Auburn.
Ulku was phenomenal from her explanations of food, culture, history, and the food rituals that she introduced our students to. The food at Cook & Co was excellent – best lentil soup that I’ve ever had. Ulku’s knowledge of the suburb, the places that she pointed out, and our food tastings at Gima Supermarket were all incredible. She was also very thorough, patient, and the perfect guide – calling the next location ahead of time to update them, making staff aware of food allergies and dietaries in our group, and just being a warm, kind person. She is a treasure and we thank your team for such an impactful experience.
Thanks!
Dianna –
My girlfriends and I had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience on Saturday 17 June 2023
Ulku was amazing and is a delightful person with a beautiful infectious smile. Along the way we not only tasted lovely food but Ulku also shared many cultural stories around her Turkish traditions. As a guide, Ulku did a great job checking in with everyone on the tour, making sure we were all enjoying ourselves. Sooooo much wonderful food to eat!
L Green –
Corporate Safari – 3 February 2023
Our team has had the most amazing day. The response was overwhelming from all. Ulku was soo passionate about everything and it rubbed off. We literally had to crawl home we had so much to eat.
Will definitely do another team building event along the same lines.
Much appreciated. Lizette