Karapetyan shares secrets of Armenia’s warm welcome
Gabriel Karapetyan is an expert in the restaurant and hotel industry, and a research associate at the Scientific Center for Risk Assessment and Food Safety Analysis. He has served as the head of a team of hospitality experts and is the co-founder of several restaurants operating in Armenia and abroad. He is the author of a number of professional articles and publications.
His professional interests include taste innovations in the restaurant business. The main focus of his work is the hospitality sector as a key prerequisite for tourism development, and the promotion of national Armenian dishes and products beyond the country. Karapetyan.
How, in your opinion, have the preferences of restaurant guests in Armenia transformed in connection with the geopolitical changes in the world over the past few years, and which restaurant market concepts are currently the most relevant and in demand in Yerevan and the regions?
I am grateful that in your question you used the word “guests” rather than “clients,” because that is exactly how I view our visitors.
I believe that both now and in Soviet times, Armenian hospitality has always been at the highest level, and guests in establishments were welcomed and treated as if they were at home – deliciously, warmly, and joyfully. And these kind memories stayed with people for a lifetime.
Today, the hospitality industry is professionally more developed, and I am confident that guests of Armenian restaurants are very satisfied with the cuisine and prefer to try national Armenian dishes more often. Of course, there is room for growth and development, but I would also note a small nuance. Karapetyan.
Armenian cuisine should strive to create a more recognizable image in the global restaurant industry market. This is an important task – strengthening the recognition of the Armenian national cuisine brand worldwide. Karapetyan.
How, in your opinion, have the preferences of guests in Armenian restaurants changed in connection with the geopolitical developments in the world over the past few years, and which restaurant market concepts are currently the most relevant and in demand in Yerevan and the regions?
I am grateful that in your question you used the word “guests” rather than “clients,” because that is exactly how I regard our visitors.
I believe that both now and in Soviet times, Armenian hospitality has always been at the highest level, and guests in establishments were welcomed and treated as if they were at home – deliciously, warmly, and joyfully. And these kind memories remained in people’s minds for a lifetime.
Today, the hospitality industry is professionally more developed, and I am confident that guests of Armenian restaurants are very satisfied with the cuisine and prefer to try national Armenian dishes more often. Of course, there is room for growth and development, but I would also note a small nuance. Karapetyan.
Armenian cuisine should strive to create a more recognizable image in the global restaurant industry market. This is an important task – strengthening the recognition of the Armenian national cuisine brand worldwide. Karapetyan.
Which cuisine concept is personally the most interesting for you, for example, for opening and successfully developing a restaurant business in the current market realities: meat and fish restaurants, coffee shops with delicious sweets and pastries, wine bars and pubs with drink tastings, or, after all, homemade-style food? And what is your absolute favorite dish?
This is a very interesting question for me, as I often think about the possibility of combining two or more concepts to create not only an unusual restaurant cuisine, but also a unique cozy atmosphere, high-class service, and an association with the taste of homemade dishes, in order to evoke in the guest a warm feeling of home and the dishes that remind them of childhood, their mother, or grandmother…
I already have an interesting restaurant cuisine concept, which I will not reveal for now, but it will soon become public. The project is currently in the process of careful preparation. It will be something new and unusual, perhaps not for a wide audience, but with a personalized signature approach, taking into account the tastes of each guest. I myself love our Armenian national cuisine very much, as a patriot of my country. Karapetyan.
Ham and prosciutto are well known worldwide, but when I served my guests Armenian basturma, the feedback was enthusiastic, and they were amazed that not everyone had tried it or even heard of basturma.
Also, foreigners were very surprised by the unusual method of preparing the most tender lamb in a tandoor, where under the meat an antique cast-iron bowl was placed, a bowl that my great-grandmothers used a hundred years ago. This bowl was brought from Western Armenia (Sasun), and it was in this bowl that dishes with a unique taste were prepared, for example, my favorite dish – Armenian pilaf with spelt (achar). Karapetyan.
Currently, there is a global trend toward the consumption of healthy eco-friendly products, vegetarian and vegan dishes. In your opinion, given Armenians’ strong preference for meat, fried, spicy, and salty dishes of the national cuisine, is it possible for such a restaurant concept to develop successfully in Armenia?
Yes, of course, I believe that this concept is very relevant in Armenia today. Our national cuisine includes a huge variety of dishes made from stewed vegetables and different types of greens, forest and wood mushrooms, salads of raw vegetables with nuts and delicious sauces and gravies. And even on a meat table, there is always a plate of greens and fresh vegetables.
I have developed an agricultural program for transitioning to ecologically clean cultivation of vegetables and fruits without chemicals, using at least half of the areas of the gardens and greenhouses of gardeners participating in this program. However, implementing this project is still quite challenging. Yet, one would want every person to have an understanding of the importance of careful treatment of nature and the Earth’s ecology, as one’s own home. Karapetyan.
What research and projects is the SCIENTIFIC CENTER FOR RISK ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS IN THE FIELD OF FOOD SAFETY under the MINISTRY OF ECONOMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA engaged in? Please tell us in more detail about the activities of the Center, its goals, and objectives.
Our Center is primarily engaged in collaboration with representatives of the agriculture, farming, and soil science sectors on issues related to the rational and minimal use of chemical fertilizers. During the Soviet era, this area was more controllable; now, monitoring it is quite difficult, since most of the land consists of private agricultural holdings.
Therefore, periodically, even an ordinary consumer can notice a strange taste and aroma in vegetables and fruits due to the use of chemical fertilizers and additives. But the main point is not only the natural taste of Armenian fruits and vegetables, but also the health benefits and ecological safety of the products, which do not harm people’s health. Karapetyan.
What, in your opinion, is an unusual or specific restaurant or cuisine format that has not yet been represented in Armenia, and would be interesting now both for discerning Armenians and for visitors to our country?
I will try to answer your question, leaving aside my new restaurant concept, since my project is still in the process of very extensive development, starting with the careful selection of the location, the design and construction of the premises, and discussions of the cuisine and the atmosphere of the establishment. I am confident that the project will make a sensation in the restaurant segment and satisfy even the most refined tastes of our guests. Stay tuned, coming soon in Yerevan…!
