Armed with Armenian Fare

09 September, 2016

Most chefs dream to open their own restaurant someday. Celebrity chef Sabyasachi Gorai never wanted one of his own, but destiny had other plans. Having worked with big names, launching successful restaurants and donning the hat of a TV show host, Chef Saby, still thought the same. “I could never figure out what to cook in my own restaurant and I didn’t want to open just another one,” says he.

Then he stumbled upon some old pictures of graves that reminded him of his hometown Asansol in West Bengal and its Armenian settlers of the 19th century (they first came to India during Mughal emperor Akbar’s time). This memory coaxed Chef Saby to study Armenian food, and he eventually contemplated opening his own restaurant. Thus, was born Lavaash by Saby, his restaurant that serves Armenian cuisine with Bengali touches.

The restaurant is set in the picturesque Ambawatta Complex, overlooking the Qutub Minar. The interiors are playful with the Mediterranean/Armenian blues and motifs like peacocks. As I bite into a perfectly done mochar puff (banana flower stuffed puff), Saby explains quickly, “Mocha is a staple food in the Bengali household and baking is a gift from the Armenians. Read more:

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