Cem Comak

For Cem, cooking did not begin with a career decision. It was already there, in the meals his mother prepared to bring the whole family together. Some occasions called for a day or two of preparation: time was set aside for cooking because welcoming people mattered.

This was where he discovered food as a way to share, give pleasure and care for others. Long before techniques and professional kitchens, there were those moments around the table.

On Sundays, Cem accompanies his father to Spanish cafés and restaurants. He gradually finds his way into the kitchens, watching the cooks at work, asking questions and occasionally lending a hand.

He discovers that world without a grand plan, through curiosity and simply wanting to be there. Watching a gesture, following a preparation, understanding what happens behind a plate: cooking becomes an increasingly natural part of his life.

That interest leads him into culinary studies. After school and at weekends, Cem works in restaurants. Training and practice develop together, with what he learns taking shape through day-to-day work.

His professional path also takes him into demanding large-scale kitchens, including assignments connected with the Flemish broadcaster VTM. These experiences broaden his way of working and his understanding of how a service is organised.

The Covid period changes the direction of his journey. Cem starts cooking extensively at home again, including meals for his partner. He prepares dishes, experiments and explores ideas in his own kitchen.

The people around him encourage him to show what he is making: photograph the food, film the preparations, share his creations and publish his recipes. What is happening at home gradually begins to find an audience.

Hungry Hungry is born during this period. Instagram and the posts become a place to share recipes, dishes, experiments and ideas. The cooking remains personal, but it now reaches beyond his own home.

Then the first requests arrive: why not come and cook at someone else’s home? What began as a way of sharing his creations opens the door to new encounters, this time around other people’s tables.

Cem begins cooking in people’s homes and becomes self-employed alongside his existing work. Requests gradually increase. Private dinners are joined by events and catering, and the activity develops into full-time work as a private and freelance chef.

That journey gives rise to Are You Hungry, found on Instagram as @areyouhungry.off. Cem is its founder and the origin of its story. The experience itself is built around each project, with the food, service and organisation adapting to the occasion.