Cenk & Mahassine: Between Discipline and Affection

Editorial Note: In October 2025, BeyondTheSceneMC shared a lighthearted and candid feature on Instagram, showcasing Cenk Torun and Mahassine Merabet on the cooking show Tatlı Yolculuk. What began as a spontaneous glimpse into the duo’s off-screen dynamic has now taken on a new dimension on our editorial platform. Rather than simply revisiting a past post, this editorial offers an analysis that helps reveal who Cenk and Mahassine truly are away from their characters, as they make room for personal tastes and gastronomic rituals. We invite you to dive into their relationship with the world of culinary arts and the emotional memories that only the dinner table can build.

Those who saw Cenk Torun portraying the powerful Orhun Demirhanli in his latest work, in Esaret, might not imagine that, behind the scenes, the actor maintains a disciplined routine, proving to be a highly practical man, especially when it comes to nutrition, training, and managing his own life. Amid intense filming schedules, physical workouts, and long workdays, proximity to the kitchen became a natural part of his daily routine many years ago.

Cenk’s relationship with gastronomy goes far beyond a simple hobby. Holding a degree in Tourism and Hotel Management from Marmara University, with a specialization in Food & Beverage, the actor built a solid career in the industry well before establishing his name on Turkish television.

In an interview, he confessed that after Çılgın Bediş and subsequent projects like Benim İçin Ağlama , the pace of TV slowed down. He notes that while acting in the late ’90s and early 2000s, he already managed businesses in culinary administration but could not dedicate himself fully. When TV projects went on a hiatus, he decided to turn 100% toward his academic profession.

“Cooking is like therapy for me. I enjoy keeping busy and putting effort into kitchen work.” – Cenk Torun

In various interviews, Cenk shared that he managed his own restaurants in busy Istanbul neighborhoods, worked directly in the administration of major gastronomic operations, and was personally involved in menu development, chef selection, team organization, and guest experience. He went on to assume management roles for well-known brands, such as The House Café franchises in Maiden’s Tower around 2006. In April 2013, in partnership with an entrepreneurial friend, he took over the administrative management of the kitchen at Lasagrada Brasserie in Osmanbey. At the time, he did not hesitate to state that he had always been meticulous and selective in his restaurant management work.

We observe that dealing with a real audience and navigating the instabilities of a live market, with its inevitable phases of resilience and overcoming challenges, served as a true laboratory of maturity for Cenk. The man who needed to balance the technical precision of restaurant management with emotion and hospitality at the table is the very same artist who today, in his maturity, delivers an impressive psychological depth in his characters. Ultimately, the art of hosting and the art of acting cross paths for the same purpose: his genuine ability to connect with and touch others.

“Sometimes, I put on my apron and go to the kitchen; other times, I sit at the table with our guests and interact with them directly.” – Cenk Torun

This detail helps us comprehend something that often goes unnoticed by the public: the professional rigor Cenk demonstrates today as an actor appears to walk hand in hand with the discipline he developed behind the scenes of restaurant administration. Maintaining quality standards and handling daily operational pressure demands a sharp eye and a constant capacity for adaptation.

Perhaps that is why the kitchen appears so frequently in his accounts as an almost automatic space in his routine. Cenk mentioned that he enjoys cooking at home and admitted he must maintain a highly controlled approach toward dietary excesses for the sake of his health and physical conditioning. The curious part is that he speaks about this without turning discipline into a spectacle. There is something profoundly everyday in the way he manages his routine with balance, consistency, and practicality.

This same stance of his shows up even in the smallest details. In one of the culinary programs he participated in, Cenk proved to be extremely meticulous regarding cleanliness, organization, and ingredient preparation. He enjoys hosting friends and preparing meals at home. Between the strictness of discipline and the simple pleasure of gathering people, a very human portrait emerges of the man behind the intense characters on television.

While Cenk seems to view food and the kitchen through the lens of discipline and personal life management, Mahassine Merabet reveals a relationship deeply tied to culture, identity, and belonging. The Moroccan actress confesses, with a charming honesty, that her relationship with the kitchen is “a bit unstable,” admitting she isn’t someone who likes to spend a lot of time in it, but when she does try, people say she does well. She brings it home with absolute sincerity: “Honestly, I like eating a bit more than cooking!”

Far from positioning herself as a skilled chef, Mahassine acts as a true ambassador of her roots, where food serves to build emotional bridges between Morocco and Turkey. For her, gastronomy comes to life in childhood memories and the power of the table to gather family, transforming the act of eating into a ritual of pure belonging and unity.

In recent interviews, the actress spoke proudly about representing her Moroccan roots and carrying cultural aspects of her country with her, even while pursuing an international career. Within this identity, cuisine naturally occupies an important emotional space in her life.

“I especially remember the days when we used to make sweets with my uncles and aunts at my grandmother’s house.” – Mahassine Merabet

Moroccan cuisine, renowned for its intense aromas, striking spices, and strong tradition of hospitality, appears almost as an extension of the warm personality Mahassine projects to the public. Unlike Cenk’s more technical and operational approach, hers carries a more symbolic and cultural side tied to food, welcoming others, and memories.

Perhaps that is precisely where the two meet in the most interesting way off-screen. Not just within the universe of gastronomy, but in how discipline, culture, routine, and sensitivity ultimately reveal so much about who they are away from their characters. We can understand that, for them, cooking never seems to be just cooking. It is, above all, technique, hospitality, and emotional memories…