Meet the Chef Who Brought Turkish Breakfast and Hospitality to Pittsburgh’s Cultural District
Written by Amanda Buchman
To be a chef, you have to be passionate about your work. Thankfully, Yunus Atacan has what he calls a “pure love” for his job as Head Chef at Alihan’s Coffee & Breakfast.
Since childhood, Yunus has been surrounded by food. Many of his favorite recipes came from his grandfather and namesake, and his parents run a bakery in Türkiye to this day. It naturally follows that he never saw himself as anything but a chef.
Yunus grew up in Türkiye, where he attended a specialized culinary high school. “While you were in math or geography, I was in a kitchen,” he said. “My first exam was mayonnaise.”
When I asked what he meant by that, he didn’t only clarify that he was tested on how to make mayonnaise—he actually explained the process to me, recalling whisking egg yolks with a little white vinegar and slowly adding the oil, drop by drop. He encouraged me to make my own, insisting that homemade tastes better and lasts longer than anything store-bought.
He’s right, of course, which is why everything at Alihan’s is made to order. The quality of the food is due in part to the ingredients and care with which they are made, but also due to the fact that your meal is always fresh. It will never be the grab-and-go experience you get at a fast food chain, but that’s the point. Alihan’s is a place to slow down; stay for coffee or tea after your meal, chat with the staff and regular customers.
This community feel is what Turkish breakfast is all about. In the city of Van (pronounced “one”), it is common to see forty or fifty plates of food out for a late morning gathering. Van breakfast is more than a meal; it’s a cultural event emphasizing hospitality and connection. In fact, the city holds the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a breakfast, with 51,793 people crowding the tables.To be a chef, you have to be passionate about your work. Thankfully, Yunus Atacan has what he calls a “pure love” for his job as Head Chef at Alihan’s Coffee & Breakfast.
Image courtesy of Alihan’s Coffee & Breakfast.
While there may not be room for thousands of customers at Alihan’s, Yunus has made an effort to uphold the standards of Turkish hospitality. “In any Turkish town, you can knock on a stranger’s door, and they won’t even ask questions,” he told me. “They’ll ask you if you need food or a place to stay.” I’m sure his regular customers would agree that the welcoming atmosphere he’s created aligns with the level of hospitality that both Turks and Pittsburghers are accustomed to.
Turkish breakfast can last from nine to eleven, with many choosing to have an extra coffee or tea after eating. The Turkish coffee I ordered came with a piece of pistachio baklava and a Turkish delight, neither of which I had tried before but both of which I loved. The baklava was my favorite, pairing simple syrup with yufka (filo dough) and finely chopped nuts.
Turkish coffee, Yunus explained, is said to be the “father of all coffees” from which other methods of brewing it came from. The beans were discovered in northern Africa around the 1520s and finely ground before being soaked in hot water. In this original version, coffee is not filtered, so the grounds rest at the bottom of the cup. Fortune tellers in Turkish cafés, including Yunus’s niece, can read your coffee grounds to predict your future.
While the coffee is a menu highlight for him, Yunus could never pick a favorite dish. “It’s like asking me to choose between my babies,” he said, laughing.
It’s clear that the chef is nothing if not passionate. Even before he started working, he had a drive to excel in everything he did. At sixteen years old, his dad found him playing basketball in the middle of the night, resulting in him getting yelled at for wanting to perfect his three-pointer shot. In another life, he is sure to be the most dedicated coach on the court.
For now, Yunus is committed to running his kitchen like the military. The staff at Alihan’s function like a well-oiled machine, following the chief’s orders to ensure that each dish is cooked and plated exactly how it’s supposed to be. The result is perfection—warm, mouth-watering food in front of every customer.
When I took the first bite of my breakfast panini, I was left speechless. As I absorbed the complex flavor profile of the sucuk (sausage), all I could think was wow. Yunus took one look at me and said, “I know the feeling.”
If you ever happen to be in Downtown Pittsburgh, I hope you stop by Alihan’s and experience the feeling for yourself. I promise it’s worth the trip.