The elegant interior of Mamig Restaurant welcomes diners into an environment reminiscent of an Armenian home
to her incredible popularity and success, she was contacted by the management of Mamig Restaurant in Katara to become a consultant for the new eatery. The owner was so impressed with her that in less than two days working sideby-side with Zarmig, he offered her a permanent position as its Head Chef and Director. She gladly accepted the job and since then has also landed her own cooking show in Qatar TV, With Zarmig. Her latest book is called Mamig by Chef Zarmig and she describes this new adventure and culinary journey in her own words. QH: Tell us about your book? CZ: The book is about Armenian food and culture. For a month and a half I travelled through the entire country, gathering recipes from many people so I could capture the real essence of Armenian food. I went to villages and talked to old ladies, I wanted to be true to my culture and to the history of our cuisine. I collected as many recipes as possible and added my personal touch to them. This book is very unique and magical. The book is all about the real flavours of Armenian food. QH: Tell us how you became involved in Mamig Restaurant? CZ: I was invited by the Mr. Nabil Askar, owner and founder of Mamig to be a consultant for the restaurant. I was very intrigued about coming to Qatar and checking out who was this person who wasn’t Armenian, but was setting-up an Armenian restaurant in Doha. Once I arrived and took a look at the restaurant I was certainly impressed. He solely designed, implemented and managed the restaurant, inspired by Armenian heritage and [the] Armenian way of life, making [it] one of the tourist attractions in Qatar and the GCC.
Inspired by all that, I was striving to contribute to this story of success and accomplishment. Therefore when he offered me a permanent job I decided to take it to help him portray my country and our food in the best possible way. Encouraged by the guidance and support of Mr. Askar, today I am privileged to launch a cookbook which I named Mamig, as a humble tribute to the restaurant and in recognition of Mr. Askar’s support and encouragement for me as well [as] his keen interest in Armenian culture . QH: What’s the difference between Mamig by Chef Zarmig and other books you have written? CZ: This is the first book from a series of three books – all of them about Armenian food. This series is very personal to me. I want the people to know about my culture and food. I think the difference is that this book is for my country, to make my people proud and put Armenia in the eyes of everyone. QH: What are your expectations for this edition and how important was it for you to write it? CZ: The sky is the limit. I want to give something to people that is valuable. I want people to enjoy and try our food. Everything I do is important to me, but this book is particularly special because it talks about my roots.
Chef Zarmig fans the flames
QH: What kind of audience do you want to reach? CZ: Everyone – especially I want this book to be read and used by families. QH: Why do you think people who are not Arabs or familiar with the Arab culture would be interested trying out some of the recipes in its pages? CZ: Because it’s a new idea, a culture that is strange to many and I am sure people will find it very interesting. QH: Is there a particular dish or recipe included in the book that you just have to make time and time again? CZ: The Mamig salad, eechsald, fishnet kebab, mante, bastezma and soujoukh. They are very traditional recipes and very delicious. Copies of Chef Zarmig’s book are currently on-sale at Mamig Restaurant for QR 350. n MAMIG ARMENIAN AND LEBANESE RESTAURANT Location: Building 2, Katara Cultural Village Timings: Sun-Wed, 1:00 p.m. till midnight Thurs-Sat, 1:00 p.m. till 1:00 a.m. Contact Info: 4408-0800 or www.mamigdoha.com
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