First Turkish restaurant to open next month in Ashwaubenon | Streetwise

Ariel Perez, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·2 min read
From left to right: Erdi Yildiz, Şahim Morkoc, Uygar Okcu and Fatih Okcu at Istanbul Fish & Seafood Restaurant.
From left to right: Erdi Yildiz, Şahim Morkoc, Uygar Okcu and Fatih Okcu at Istanbul Fish & Seafood Restaurant.

ASHWAUBENON − A new restaurant will offer authentic dishes and plenty of fresh fish options in the Green Bay area.

Istanbul Fish & Seafood Restaurant is set to open on May 1 at 940 Hansen Road, the former site of Tajin Mexican Grill. Tajin closed early March after a little over a year in business. Co-owners of the new eatery, Fatih Okcu and his cousin Şahim Morkoc, said Turkey has very rich and delicious fish-based cuisine and this restaurant will be proof of that.

"Our family in Istanbul has been in the restaurant business for more than 40 years," Okcu said.

Okcu and Morkoc moved to the United States two years ago. After living in Texas and then New Jersey, they moved to Green Bay almost one year ago. Okcu said they realized people here love fish year-round, so Green Bay is a great place to start a fish restaurant.

"I know people love fish fry, especially Fridays," he said. "In our culture we have lots of fish and seafood dishes."

In Istanbul his family owns several restaurants and Ocku himself has over 10 years of experience in the food industry. He will manage the restaurant and cook if needed, but Morkoc will be the main chef.

"Our family has very unique recipes," Okcu said. "(Fish) is baked, grilled and fried, with different sauces and creams."

More than 10 main dishes will be featured on the menu, which includes sautéed squid shrimp, sautéed catfish, grilled sea bass, and minekop, a drum fish native to the Mediterranean Sea. There will be also children’s meals and Greek and American dishes.

Okcu said they will serve Middle Eastern desserts like baklava, a traditional pastry made with phyllo dough, honey, spices and nuts.

The restaurant is currently under renovation as the interior is painted and new sign is installed outside. Okcu said the remodel will be complete in about a week.

"We just need to wait for the health inspection," he said. "But hopefully on May 1 we are open."

Hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to midnight every day.

For more information, visit its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Ariel Perez is a business reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach him at APerez1@gannett.com or view his Twitter profile at @Ariel_Perez85.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Ashwaubenon restaurant first to offer Turkish food in Green Bay area