When the couple moved to the D.C. area in 2012, they were surprised by the lack of Armenian food. Talking to fellow ex-pats, it was clear there was a desire within their community for a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of their homeland. “It’s just that someone had to do it,” says Avedisian. “We decided to be the ones.”
It was a bold decision: Neither has a background in the restaurant industry. He’s a federal employee, she works for Voice of America. “My experience with business ownership prior to this was zero,” Avedisian admits. “And my experience with the hospitality industry was practically zero. I was a busboy when I was a teenager, that’s all my experience.”
The couple don’t have any culinary background either, so they began looking for someone to provide the food. They turned to the local Armenian community for help. “People know people,” Avedisian says. “If you start asking around, you’ll eventually get a name or two.”
They quickly found a caterer, though they are still looking to add another to supplement their current offerings. The couple worked with the chef to design dishes evoking what they would eat back home. “If you get a khachapuri, – originally a Georgian dish, but we have it, too – you wouldn’t find it shaped like a boat with an egg on top like the Georgians do,” Avedisian says. “Ours is shaped like a triangle and stuffed with feta cheese like they do in Yerevan.”
Fans of Armenian cuisine will recognize lahmajun (“We call it ‘Armenian pizza,’” says Avedisian; flatbreads stuffed with herbs and greens called Zhingyalov hats; and kufta, meatballs shrouded in bulgar. There are quite a few vegetarian options, including rice-stuffed grape leaves (sarma), grilled eggplant rolls stuffed with cottage cheese, and spas, a yogurt-barley soup.
“When most people think of Armenian food, they normally think of kebab or khorovats, grilled meats on skewers,” says Avedisian. “Now, we don’t do that here – because we don’t have enough of a kitchen to be able to do that – but you’d be surprised how many vegetarian options there are in Armenian cuisine.”
Armenian coffee is the focus of the beverage program. Brewed in a small copper pot known as jazva, the sweetened to order coffee is served with a small piece of dried fruit, such as an apricot or peach. “You’ll notice the coffee cups are smaller because our coffee is strong,” Avedisian notes. “I hope you weren’t planning on sleeping anytime soon.”
To pair with the coffee, there’s a case full of pastries that rely less on sugar to make their point. Standouts include honey cake – which has also been a hit up the street at Sharbat Bakery & Café – as well as walnut-rich baklava and chocolate mikado cake.
The market shelves contain an array of Armenian imports: teas, juices, honey, and grains, including spelt and buckwheat. There’s a nice selection of preserves – buckthorn, apricot, and sour cherry – which are traditionally slathered on lavash bread, which is also for sale. In the cold case, browsers will find spicy and fermented sujuk sausage, basturma (thinly sliced, spiced dried beef) and chechil cheese, a string cheese made from cow’s milk.
Throughout the space, there are pieces of handmade Armenian pottery and photographs of street scenes and historic sites. In the backroom, there’s a small gift shop stocked with Armenian accessories, toys, and trinkets.
As soon as they get their liquor license, Yerevan will serve a selection of Armenian alcohol: wine, the cognac-style brandy Ararat, and Kotayk and Kilikia beers. Not that Avedisian and his wife are rushing anything, since they are balancing their day jobs, a 3-year-old daughter, and an arduous commute from Northern Virginia (though they hope to move into D.C. soon). “It’s tough,” says Avedisian. “It’s been difficult doing it all.”