British Mike and I were nearing the end of our journey. Yerevan was the sleepiest of the three capital cities we visited, so this all kind of worked out. There was less to see and do, and I wanted to see and do less things. It used to be on vacation I would go as hard as possible adventuring then rest when I got home. Now that I have a baby Ern at home, though, rest is in short supply. So, it was nice to take it easy a bit while I was here.
I don't have an explanation as to why I decided I needed to try Armenian Japanese food, so I'm not going to offer one. I did have an interesting conversation with the bartender though. He was Russian and spoke pretty good English. It seems like Armenia is experiencing a strange situation where Russians are coming in as effective refugees to their former imperial underling to escape the war economy or dodge the draft.
I met up again with Mike for dinner. We splurged at one of the nicer restaurants in town: Lavash.
walnut pate
tolma with cabbage leaves
I ordered what might have been the flagship dish of the place: a stuffed pumpkin that our waiter expertly sliced up at our table and flayed it out like a big delicious orange flower.
"Ghapama of Erzum
pumpkin, beef tenderloin, eggplant, carrot, kidney beans, greens, butter, onion, garlic, spices"
We ordered a ton of stuff and got a bottle of wine, and walked away with a bill that was only about $100. I call that a win.
I liked the lights on the building too. Lavash was fun.
We hit an interesting bar after dinner called the Kond House.
""The Kond House" is located in Kond, the oldest district of Yerevan.
It is a new home of the old Yerevan lifestyle, mentality, and a number of efficient projects. In addition to Yerevan summer dishes, you can enjoy unique samples of European cuisine here. This is a large house converted into a restaurant, with a terrace and a very atmospheric courtyard where a fireplace is lit on cold evenings and live jazz is played on Wednesdays.
"The Kond House" is a modern expression of a traditional Armenian home, where you can find the latest trends of Armenian dishes and drinks."
Yerevan is well known for its Ararat brand brandy. I investigated.
