Arman Akopyan started cooking in a village meatball diner to help his family. Today he is chef at the Avan Dzoraget Hotel, part of the Tufenkian project, serving mostly Armenian dishes.
I feel the real taste of food not with my mouth but with my fingertips, and I’m not joking. When I take a product in my hands, breathe in its aroma and touch its surface, I’m already building the food puzzle of taste and color where this product will find its place. This is how a cook’s mind works.
I am Arman Akopyan, a young Armenian chef who will never grow up. No, I’m not the kind of Peter Pan you might be thinking of. I’m more of a curious boy, always interested in trying and serving something new and, of course, ready to learn something new every day of my life.
I think my talent for cooking is a gift from God, because as a child I was far from cooking. I was an ordinary boy with scars and crazy ideas, fishing in the river and dreaming of traveling to faraway lands.
But reality did a lot to keep my feet firmly on the ground. To help my family, I started my cooking career in a small village meatball diner. There was no variety of flavors or seasonal menus, but all the guests were fed and satisfied, and 8 years ago that was very important to me.
And one more thing: I realized that my real passion was creating food. From then on, I was sure about my future and the goals I wanted to reach.
Today I am part of the great Tufenkian project family. I am the chef at the Avan Dzoraget Hotel.
We serve mostly Armenian dishes, traditional and modern versions of the national cuisine, but I like to cook something really tasty from Italian or French menus. I even have a theory that the three are similar in colors, flavor and hospitality. At least, I want to believe they are.
My life is devoted to people: the guests of the restaurant, my friends and my family. They are my critics, my fans and my biggest inspiration. I want them to be happy and healthy, so I cook balanced and tasty food for them. I want you to be happy and healthy, and I wish you luck. God bless you!
