Okan Kizilbayir

Chef Okan Kizilbayir is the Chef de Cuisine of AAA Five Diamond Restaurant Salt of The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island.  Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, known as the bridge from Asia to Europe, his hometown was a melting pot of culture, flavor and history.  Chef Okan’s career was spent with his mentor Eric Ripert starting at the Westend Bistro in Washington, DC, moving to Blue at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, then Le Bernadin in NYC.  His passion is utilizing the diversity of the people around him to create unique dishes with flavors from all around the world.