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Forbes Lifestyle Dining Eating Around Yerevan Liza B. Zimmerman Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Following Oct 16, 2023, 01:53pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Some typical Armenian food. getty My first experience with Armenian food was at a gem of a Chicago restaurant, called Syat Nova: which was named after an Armenian poet. I soon went on to have further delights at delicious restaurants like Carousel, which mixes up Armenian and Lebanese culinary traditions (as many residents of this country lived in exile for some years and incorporated the flavors of where they were raised) in Los Angeles. On the Ground Street signs for Tigran Mets Avenue and three other streets in Yerevan, Armenia getty Yerevan is a land of culinary delights. Tons of fresh herbs, and local cheeses, dominate this cuisine. One of the locals’ favorite things to do with them is wrap them up in a freshly cooked piece of lavash bread and snack on them throughout the day. An Armenian meal , a mix of grilled food on the typical lavash bread getty BBQ is also a big element of local dining here for a big night out. It is often beautifully cooked pork: as this is a Christian country so locals and guests have a wide culinary berth. There are also classic, and hard-to-find dishes, such as a small roasted pumpkin stuffed with green beans and meat in tomato sauce that I enjoyed my first lunch in town at a Yerevan restaurant called Lavash. MORE FOR YOU ‘Loki’ Season 2 Shows Why Marvel’s Multiverse Doesn’t Work Leak Reveals A Wall Street Crypto Revolution That Could Crush The U S Dollar Has Suddenly Begun Heralding Bitcoin Ethereum XRP And Crypto Price Chaos Biden Condemns Horrific Act Of Hate After 6 Year Old Palestinian American Is Stabbed To Death In Illinois Other dishes like mante, small plump meat or vegetable dumplings, weave their culinary influence in and out of Armenian food. Mante is made in numerous countries: Turkey and Lebanon for example. However, the Armenians do an incredible job with it: the stuffed pasta is served tableside before broth and sour cream are poured in. The best Mante I had were at the Lebanese-Armenian restaurant conveniently named Mante close to the city center. The balloons taking off. Skyballarmenia After all those meals, if you want to get a great look at the city, and its environs, take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise. Skyballarmenia does an amazing job of getting visitors up in the air and showing off the stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The captain even serves up a little local bubbly in fight and coffee and snacks are offered before and after the trip. It was such a treat. Other Places to Visit There are a number of wine bars in this green and gracious city: as the locals continue to discover their ancient wine-making legacy. One of the more interesting is Decant. The bar has a wide selection of both Armenian wines, and Champagne, but one only wishes that the reds were served at a proper temperature: instead of too hot. It was a let-down pretty consistently in this country which led me to want to drink fewer reds. Spices in the market. Liza B. Zimmerman The bitter vegetable dishes were always the most interesting to me on this trip. Dalan, a restaurant hidden behind an art gallery in the downtown area of Yerevan, does beet roots sauteed with eggs and they are dynamite. Shawarma dish being prepared and sold getty After a long-night out treat yourself to potentially the best Sharma in the world at Artashi Mot. Yes, you can even have pork here: and it is delicious. I can’t believe I ate a foot-long wrap after three amazing meals earlier in the day: but I did. I simply would have been happier without the French Fries they put inside and perhaps a little mustard! I will close with a couple of travel updates. Two of the major airlines that fly to Yerevan are Pegasus , a low-cost carrier from Turkish Airlines; and Kiwi/Airone. Pegasus is low-budget but provides a good experience, while Airone is to be avoided as they are very unclear about their confirmation policies and ended up fining me and many other passengers for not checking in online prior to the flight. Regardless of which airline you fly, if you go through Atarurk Airport , the largest in Istanbul, the Turkish Air Lounge is fabulous. Turkish delights at the loung. Liza B. Zimmerman Individual stands serve Turkish specialties from Mante to simit —a traditional bread—and stewed beans. There is also a nice selection of Turkish wines on offer. Follow me on Twitter . Check out my website . Liza B. Zimmerman Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions
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