ARMENIAN CELEBRATION
By Nathan Toohey, Staff Writer
The Moscow Times, Russia
Issue 3742. Page 11.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Courtesy Of Cafe Ararat
The entrance to Cafe Ararat, on the Ararat Park Hyatt’s ground floor.
Cafe Ararat, in the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow hotel, is, if not
literally, then at least symbolically the direct descendant of the
legendary eponymous cafe. Its famous forebear was a much-loved fixture
for many decades, frequented by diplomats, dignitaries and performers
from the neighboring theaters.
The original closed in the 1980s but was reborn when the Ararat Park
Hyatt Moscow opened at the same spot in 2002. On the first floor
of the upmarket hotel, the cafe aims to recreate the feel of the
original, with murals depicting landmarks such as Mount Ararat and Lake
Sevan. And in striving to recreate authentic flavors, the restaurant
flies in its fruits and vegetables twice weekly from Armenia.
In honor of the upcoming Armenian Independence Day on Sept. 21, Cafe
Ararat is offering a special menu from Sept. 14 to 23. Chef Narek
Avagyan has created a selection of traditional dishes that are to
be served "family style" — in the center of the table to be shared
by all.
The menu features four set selections, each with four dishes:
vegetables and herbs, Armenian cheese, meats, and fish.
The vege and herbs selection (1,630 rubles) includes tomato and
cucumber tartar; tabouleh with grilled capsicum salad; roast vegetable
soup with gumbo pickles; and baked eggplant stuffed with tchichak
pepper, herbs and tomato chutney.
The cheese selection (1,840 rubles) includes deep-fried suluguni
cromesqui with yellow pepper dip and red tkemali sauce; goat cheese
cream with lavash and walnuts; lori cheese soup with coriander leaves;
and chechil puff pastry boeregs.
The meat selection (2,350 rubles) lists marinated beef salad with
bulgur and olive oil; pan-fried chicken with tomato cheese sauce and
okra; veal loin basturma in phillo pastry; and grilled pork chops,
Armenian vegetables and roasted tchichak.
The fish selection (2,580 rubles) offers sturgeon salad with marinated
chickpeas and pickles; kamrakhait in grape-leaf dolma with matzun;
pan-fried belchlu with pomegranate sauce and steamed potato; and
salmon tartar with khapama stew.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress