Ruben Pogosyan, Brand-Chef at Tufenkyan Restaurants

My name is Ruben Pogosyan.

There are lots of connoisseurs of Armenian cuisine, but there are not so many real ones. I’m sure, there are few people whose knowledge and skills are as extensive in Armenian gastronomy as mine.

I believe people should share their knowledge, that’s why I present the results of my work in Tufenkian hotels. I’m brand-chef of the restaurants in the hotel network.

I’m 47 and the last 30 years have been closely related to what I love: Culinary Universe and the Galaxy of Armenian Cuisine. Cooking, studying recipes, making my skills perfect is as natural for me, as blinking for you, while reading this text.

It’s hard to ignore the things, which attract with its aromas and stories. That’s why I decided to enter Yerevan Food Industry College.

Only birds can soar up to the sky at once. I’m not a bird, obviously, so I started my path as a cook’s helper in a restaurant with a self-evident name «Armenia». This was far from that fancy work which one can imagine after watching films about restaurant business.

Don’t get me wrong. I do respect other cuisines of our planet, I respect traditions and have nothing against French boeuf bourguignon. But I’ve got one love – Amenian cuisine. And you would understand me, if you tasted what I had. Take my word for it.

The history of Armenian cuisine is centuries-old, it’s very strong and is not that simple. Some recipes of our cuisine are often mistakenly assigned to cuisines of other countries. As a person taking interest in Armenian cuisine, I’m a member of the NGO Council «Armenian Culinary Traditions Development and Maintenance».  I think this is my serious hobby.

I’m interested not only in traditional recipes, but also in how they can be interpreted. I think this is my main achievement: I’ve brought lots of awards for Tufenkian. And not only in Armenia, but also at many international exhibitions and prestige culinary competitions.

There’s one big and simple secret of tasty food. Cook with your heart, smile and good mood. And everything will be tasty then!

My wish for the readers will be simple: live long, eat much and sleep well.

The dish I offer to cook is Chicken in Orange Sauce.

Combination of Armenian cuisine stirs up emotions, makes you yearn for life, creativity and love. Try to cook this dish and you forget about scepticism!