What happens if you combine Armenian traditional and haute cuisine?

The Moscow restaurant Assunta Madre hosted the first gastronomic experiment Gourmet Fest , which was attended by chefs with Michelin stars - Karen Torosyan (restaurant Bozar, Brussels, Belgium) and Stefano Ciotti (restaurant Nostrano, Pesaro, Italy), chef of leading restaurants in Armenia (Chinar, The Club, Mayrig, Lavash) and the chef of the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow hotel Narek Avagyan.

Gourmet Fest took place as part of the Days of Culture of Armenia and became a unique gastronomic evening that united Armenian traditions and European cooking techniques. In this experiment, the emphasis was on Armenian cuisine, known for its richness of flavors and unique recipes. “Armenian cuisine is one of the healthiest, since Armenia is rich in natural products, and this is a huge advantage,” emphasized David Yeremyan, founder and owner of the Yeremyan Projects company (Tavern Yerevan restaurant chain, Lavash, Sherep restaurants, Smoking Chief).

The dinner began with appetizers - Armenian whitefish ceviche with crayfish tails and crispy eggplant with sheep’s cheese. The main dish of the evening was risotto from Armenian achar with Parmesan, rack of lamb and Dilijan mountain mushrooms. For dessert, guests were served mulberry sorbet and milk pudding with pistachios and rose petal jam. The dishes were prepared and served with careful adherence to Armenian traditions and reflected the richness and diversity of Armenian cuisine. Event participants had the opportunity to taste Zorah Yeraz wines and the legendary Ararat Aznavour Signature blend cognac.

Among the guests of the Gourmet Fest were the founder of the Tashir group of companies Samvel Karapetyan, the chairman of the board of directors of the Avilon group of companies Kamo Avagumyan, co-owner and chairman of the supervisory board of the Alfa Group consortium Mikhail Fridman, the Ambassador of Armenia to the Russian Federation Vardan Toganyan, musician, composer and producer Stas Namin, Ksenia Sobchak, Andrey Malakhov, Tina Kandelaki and others.

Gourmet Fest at the Assunta Madre restaurant provided a unique opportunity for guests to get acquainted with Armenian tastes and traditions, as well as enjoy delicious dishes prepared by professional Armenian chefs. “Such gastronomic events help expand horizons and popularize culture,” commented Kamo Avagumyan, one of the guests of the evening, chairman of the board of directors of the Avilon group of companies.