Artists in both the pottery studio and the kitchen, Vahagn Hambardzumyan and Zara Gasparyan invite you to Hatsatun, the restaurant attached to Sisian Ceramics, their intimate pottery studio. According to the culinary traditions of Syunik, there are four categories of food—grain, dairy, meat, and vegetables—all of which Hatsatun features.
Better yet, come take a cooking class and learn from the chefs themselves! One of their most popular classes will teach you how to prepare a village-style feast with emmer wheat pilaf and oven-baked potatoes. You may choose a pilaf with lentils and/or ghavurma, which is made from pieces of beef or mutton. Each ingredient for pilaf is cooked separately, then added layer by layer to a clay pot—made right next door at their pottery studio—and placed into an oven to bake.
Emmer wheat is a popular grain especially suited to high altitudes, such as the nearby Sisian highlands. Vahagn and Zara use emmer wheat in several other traditional dishes besides pilaf, such as harissa (thick porridge made from dried or roasted wheat with chicken or lamb), lenten tolma (vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls), Zangezur salad (made with emmer wheat, carrots, lemons, greens, and pomegranate seeds), and several local soups (including sorrel, red bean, and asparagus)—all available a la carte on their menu.
The final epicurean pleasures of Hatsatun are the vegetables, particularly potatoes and pickles. The potatoes of Sisian typically grow in high, mountainous zones and may be fried, roasted in ashes, or roasted in an oven designed for firing clay.
Wash down your meal with a refreshing rose-syrup tonic made from flower petals plucked from their garden or sip on one of their fruit-derived vodkas—all homemade by Zara and Vahagn. Before or after your feast at Hatsatun, you may want to take one of Vahagn and Zara’s craft workshops offered next door at their Sisian Ceramics studio, where you may learn how to paint on pottery, make a batik scarf, or even throw your own clay mug on the potter’s wheel.
Meet your hosts
Founded by Vahagn Hambardzumyan and Zara Gasparyan in 2004, Sisian Ceramics is first and foremost a pottery studio that uses local clay from the mountains of Sisian. Vahagn explains, “I was always interested in clay and pottery making, and decided that I should have my own workshop and develop ceramic art in our region.” Inspired by local nature and history, the studio seeks to preserve and restore traditional pottery-making practices.
Vahagn and Zara also exhibit artistry beyond the pottery wheel through their restaurant Hatsatun. Starting with tea for visitors, and then only a few local dishes, Vahagn eventually opened a full-fledged restaurant, which serves visitors some of the best-known examples of traditional local cuisine. As head chef, Zara uses organic fruits and vegetables from their garden, which are not only organic and healthy, but also characteristic of the region. In this way, Hatsatun emulates the same principles and dedication as Sisian Ceramics. Their secret: “if you love your work, it gives you strength to do everything to reach your goals.”
