ONE&ONLY PORTONOVI ANNOUNCES KOR RESIDENCY FOR SUMMER 2022 SEASON

Since its opening in May 2021, One&Only Portonovi quickly established itself as a destination for world-class dining, home to some of the finest dining experiences on the coast of Montenegro. This summer, furthering its commitment to offering guests the most exciting gastronomic partnerships, the resort will host a residency with iconic Turkish culinary concept KOR Grill and Bar, brining the flavours of Istanbul to the shores of the Adriatic Coast. 

From 15 June, La Veranda, the resort’s relaxed dining restaurant with expansive open kitchen, will become a temporary home to the refined Turkish concept curated by Mehmet Gürs and Cihan Çetinkaya. KOR Grill & Bar is inspired by the traditional Turkish “Ocakbaşı” of the streets of Istanbul and South-eastern Anatolia. It offers a fresh and contemporary approach with inspiring dishes to share, and food cooked directly over the embers, as well as a selection of creative cocktails, local wines, and microbrews. “KOR” is Turkish for cinder, charcoal burnt down to that perfect stage, allowing magic to happen, turning food into something delicious, deep, and simply amazing. 

While a permanent KOR Grill & Bar is under construction and set to open in 2023 in Turkey, KOR is “in residency” for the summer of 2022 at One&Only Portonovi. “As a continued relationship with One&Only and Kerzner International, we are very excited to introduce KOR to Montenegro – which provides the perfect backdrop with its pristine and picturesque natural beauty”, says chef Mehmet Gürs. “As always, we strive to source the best ingredients and as much locally as possible. We like the bold flavours of Eastern Anatolia as well as the more delicate and fresh tastes of the Aegean coast. Our food is cooked over the embers and has a no-fuss, straightforward approach like much of the food from the region. It is deeply rooted in tradition but also forward-thinking”, Gürs added.

From creative spreads, mezze, fresh starters, and salads to perfectly grilled meat and seafood, the flavours at KOR celebrate the finest produce of the region with the menu featuring dishes designed to be shared with love. 

Like all good food, the food we serve at KOR is meant to be shared - both the smaller mezze and spreads as well as the larger grilled dishes. 

“The meal in itself is a continuous flow of food and drinks from the beginning to the end”, says Gürs. “Guests can start off with a few spreads, some smaller mezze and flatbreads, and continue with starters such as the marinated shrimp with herbed tomato juice and spices, the red wine cured dried beef with grilled dried figs and mint or the “çiğ köfte”, a spicy mix of raw beef and fine bulghur and radishes served in a lettuce wrap. Further on, guest can then slowly move on to the grilled dishes with salads to share. The chargrilled eggplant with a creamy tahini-citrus dressing is another signature dish, as is the octopus with its warm summery salad and sour pomegranate molasses and sumac. For those keen to explore meat dishes, the lamb chops with delicate spices and honey-quince glaze and almonds is a good pick as is the slowly cooked “fall apart soft” lamb shoulder with its accompaniments.”

Mehmet Gürs, the Finnish-Turkish chef and food entrepreneur, has owned and operated pioneering and successful Food and Beverage operations in Istanbul and other major cities in Turkey since 1996, ranging from upscale to casual restaurants, and nightclubs, bars to specialty coffee roastery and coffee shops. Cihan Çetinkaya has worked as the Director of Operations at one of Istanbul's leading restaurant groups, the "Istanbul Food and Beverage Group". He has also managed the operations of more than 20 successful restaurants and cafés.

One&Only Portonovi’s overall dining ethos is helmed by Executive Chef Chris Mare, an award-winning South African chef who previously oversaw the kitchens at One&Only Cape Town in South Africa, putting the resort on the map as a champion of local producers and specialty farmers. Chef Mare has introduced a similar commitment to showcasing the very best in regional produce at One&Only Portonovi. “It is incredibly exciting to be able to develop the culinary concept for One&Only’s first European resort,” says Chef Chris Mare. “One&Only Portonovi offers an exceptional dining experience, celebrating quality ingredients sourced from the surrounding sea and mountains. Our aim is to reflect the flavours and culture of Montenegro and to focus on beautifully executed, seasonal dishes and I am looking forward to working together with the team from KOR to further build on this philosophy, incorporating a Turkish twist for this summer season.” 

Situated on the Adriatic Coast, Portonovi is an easy drive from Dubrovnik (one hour), Tivat (50 minutes), and Podgorica (two and a half hours) airports, all of which are served by a variety of airlines, and well equipped to handle private jets. All restaurants are available to both One&Only guests and outside guests upon reservation.

KOR will be in residency at One&Only Portonovi in Montenegro from 15 June to 15 September 2022 and will welcome guests for dinner.

For reservations or more information, please visit oneandonlyresorts.com