“Michelin Stars” in the sky of Armenia or “The Symphony of Taste” in Yerevan

YEREVAN, November 7. /ARKA/. The “Sherep” restaurant in Yerevan arranged a celebration of taste to mark its first birthday anniversary. For the first time, two culinary specialists – the Dutch Michelin Chef and the owner of “Restaurant One” Edwin Soumang and the “Sherep” (Ladle) Chef Garik Khachatryan prepared a four-hands dinner. The culinary event was a part of the second international gastronomic festival ‘Yerevan FoodFest’, held from November 2nd to 6th. Yerevan “Symphony of Taste” from chefs.

The restaurant guests had an opportunity to taste a set of exclusive dishes. By the way, the “symphony of taste” from two chefs in Yerevan sounded in a completely new way. The reason was the unique taste of Armenian products, combined with the skills of the chefs. They offered the guests a bread soufflé with hummus, profiterole with Lori cheese, pumpkin soup cocktail, Armenian tomato salad, sterlet fillets with white wine sauce, butter and spring onions, veal cheeks with barely risotto and mushrooms and lamb neck with cauliflower and honey jus.

The dessert was as original as the main dishes. The guests were impressed by the peach tarte Tatin with vanilla strained matzoon. And special for the ‘Sherep’ anniversary the chefs prepared “crazy lemon tart” from crispy lavash (flat bread), lemon cream, meringues and red berries. Before serving the main dishes a variety of appetizers, called “Welcome from kitchen”, were offered.

The guests could not hold back their emotions. In their words, some dishes appeared to be “a revelation and a revolution of taste.”  As fans of the ‘Sherep’ kitchen, they appreciated the fact that local products were presented in a new way and by using new technologies. “Very tasty, we want more,” the guests summed up.

Despite the strong excitement prevailing in the restaurant before the start of the dinner presentation, Novosti-Armenia correspondent managed to talk with the ‘Sherep’ Chef Garik Khachatryan. “It was difficult to even imagine this format, but it turned out to be surprisingly easy to work.
When your colleague is an intelligent and organized professional, it is easy to work,” said Khachatryan. According to him, Edwin Somang loved the taste of Armenian products. The famous chef highly appreciated the variety of Armenian products, which he personally chose during a visit to a Yerevan marketplace.

It is symbolic that the first “four hands dinner” in Yerevan was initiated by the ’Sherep’ innovative restaurant. It is the first restaurant in the city with the open kitchen, where visitors can see the whole process of their food preparation. According to the principle “Sherep” restaurant principle “From Farm to Table” only local products are used.

The name of the restaurant was not chosen by chance. “Sherep” means ladle in Armenian, it’s well known that ladle is a powerful symbol in culinary world and one of the main instruments in the kitchen.
According to the tradition that has already established in the restaurant, guest-chefs not only add new dishes to the restaurant’s menu, but also exchange ladles with the local chef.

Novosti-Armenia correspondent was also able to speak with the guests of the culinary festival. All of them – both residents of Yerevan and foreigners – singled out the wonderful taste and originality of the dishes.
However, Yerevan residents were more demanding than the guests of the Armenian capital. Guests were surprised by the size of the servings. They said that in prestigious European restaurants they are much more modest.

Yeremyan Projects CEO David Yeremyan, whose company has grown from a stall into a network of prestigious restaurants over a few years, spoke about how it all had begun.

“I was born in Yerevan and always wanted to see our city diverse and colorful. Years ago, when we started, there were few restaurants in the city where the quality of dishes corresponded to prices,” Yeremyan said in an interviewer with Novosti-Armenia.

According to him, Armenia now has a great potential for the development of gastronomic tourism. “From year to year, positive changes are becoming more and more obvious. In countries known for their national cuisine, the restaurant business is one of the important components of economic development. Our cuisine is not inferior to their cuisines, you can even say that we have certain advantages,” said Yeremyan.

He believes that the mission of Yeremyan Projects is the worthy presentation of Armenian cuisine and restaurant activity.

“Working with foreign visitors is extremely responsible, pleasant and important to us. First of all, it’s important that we make them feel the special atmosphere of our city so that everyone takes with them a piece of warmth that will remind them of Yerevan and Armenia,” Yeremyan said.

As an example he cited the opening of khash season, when the whole ceremony is presented to the guests, who are told all the subtleties of how to enjoy this dish.

“Every guest should feel he/she is exceptional and long-awaited. When they leave us with a happy smile, they have a similar impression of Yerevan and Armenia,” the company’s CEO said.

Source: http://arka.am/en/news/society/michelin_star_chef_from_netherlands_edwin…