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(CNN) — Renowned chef Yurii Kovryzhenko is considered a “culinary ambassador” for Ukraine and has for many years championed the national gastronomy of his home country around the world.
Now Kovryzhenko, who previously ran restaurants in South Korea and Georgia, as well as Ukraine, is preparing to open a neobistro-style establishment in London that will be staffed by Ukrainian refugees.
He and his partner Olga Tsybytovska are launching Mriya in London’s upscale Chelsea neighborhood later this month. But to say that this latest venture emerged from difficult circumstances is quite an understatement.
The couple were visiting the British capital from Kiev for an event at the Embassy of Ukraine when Russia invaded their homeland in February. They have been in town ever since.
“When I closed the door to my apartment, I thought I would be back in 10 days,” Tsybytovska, who previously worked in restaurant marketing, tells CNN Travel. “But life is so unpredictable.”
Standing up for Ukrainian cuisine
Mriya will serve the Ukrainian national dish borsch, a soup made with beetroot, which was recently added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in urgent need of protection.
Elena Bazu and Dmitry Novikov
After working for months with famous British chefs, including Richard Corrigan and Jason Atherton, to raise money for those affected by the war, they decided to launch Mriya.
The restaurant offers classic Ukrainian dishes such as borsch (or borscht) with a modern twist, as well as specialties such as fermented watermelon and golubtsi (cabbage rolls) made from zucchini flowers.
“I want the people who come here to feel like I feel like I’m in a… [food] market in other countries,” explains Kovryzhenko, a leading figure in the slow food movement.
“I want them to discover something new – a new taste. I want them to fall in love with Ukrainian food.”
Kovryzhenko uses local products instead of importing food products from Ukraine to ensure that there are some familiar flavors for guests.
When Mriya opens his doors, he serves Ukrainian food made from British produce with a “touch” of the influences he has picked up in other countries.
According to Kovryzhenko, Ukrainian food has many similarities with British food, such as a lack of “aggressive spices”, as well as a taste for pork, dill and horseradish.
“The taste and the taste are very similar,” he says. “But at the same time, the [cooking] techniques are completely different. So I think it’s going to be really interesting.”
The main menu will consist of approximately 25 dishes, while a tasting menu will also be available, along with the option of an infused vodka or wine pairing.
Fermented fruits and vegetables, which are widely used in Ukrainian cuisine, will play an important role – the restaurant has its own dedicated fermented room.
Shared dream
Ukrainian chef Yurii Kovryzhenko and his partner Olga Tsybytovska at their London restaurant, Mriya.
Elena Bazu and Dmitry Novikov
Kovryzhenko and Tsybytovska say that they chose the name Mriya, which means “dream” in Ukrainian, for various reasons.
Designed in the 1980s by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union, the aircraft had long been a source of national pride for the country’s citizens. Ukrainian aircraft engineer Petro Balabuyev was the chief designer of the project.
“It [the aircraft] means a lot to Ukrainians,” Tsybytovska says. “It shows how talented Ukrainian people can be.”
Of course, Mriya also reflects the simple desire for peace and the restoration of everyday life that she and Ukrainians like her share.
“Many Ukrainian families now live separately in different parts of the world,” Tsybytovska said. “And they dream of coming back home and sleeping under a safe sky. To get their homes back, restore the land and return to a past life.’
The couple hopes the restaurant will become a meeting place for Ukrainians and other refugees in London, and plan to use part of the ground floor as a meeting place on Friday and Saturday.
Aside from the traditional cuisine, Mriya will also showcase art and furniture by Ukrainian artists and designers.
“We will give the room a Ukrainian touch and fill it with Ukrainian energy as much as possible,” Tsybytovska added.
Both believe Ukraine has the potential to become a top food travel destination, and are extremely excited about showcasing their national cuisine in a gastronomic capital like London.
‘Gourmet Embassy’
Kovryzhenko says he wants the restaurant to become “Ukraine’s food embassy in the UK”.
Elena Bazu and Dmitry Novikov
Kovryzhenko aims to offer Ukrainian cooking masterclasses in the future at the location, a short drive from the Embassy of Ukraine.
“I want to make this place a gastronomic embassy of Ukraine,” he says. “Ukraine’s Food Embassy in the UK.”
Since they advertised for staff on various social networks, they have been inundated with requests from Ukrainian refugees in London desperate for work.
However, many of those who have responded do not speak much English while some are still waiting for their official documents to arrive, so it turns out to be a problematic process.
“It’s very sad to talk to those people,” Tsybytovska says. “Because some of them are teachers, some of them are doctors and dentists, but they don’t speak English and their diplomas are not recognized here [in the UK].”
Despite these difficulties, the couple say they remain committed to staffing the restaurant with displaced Ukrainians.
While Mriya proves to be a positive distraction, the reality of what’s happening at home is never far from their mind.
“My parents and my brother stayed in Ukraine,” Tsybytovska says. “So I can’t be more relaxed.”
Fermented fruits and vegetables will feature prominently on the menu.
Elena Bazu and Dmitry Novikov
If and when Mriya makes a profit, a percentage will be donated to charities that support those affected by the invasion of Ukraine.
Although their extended stay in London was not planned, both say they are very lucky to be where they are and that they have been overwhelmed by the deluge of help and support they have received.
“I’m not sure there is anywhere else in the world where we would have had the chance to do so many things,” Tsybytovska admits.
While the couple say they’ve learned not to plan too far ahead, they hope to return to Ukraine when it’s safe to do so, and maybe even open another Mriya there.
For now, they are focusing their energies on the new restaurant, due to open on August 2, and are looking forward to welcoming their first dinners.
“We want to create something very, very new,” says Tsybytovska. “It has roots in our culture, but it will definitely be something new for the locals.”
Mriya, 275 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 9JA
Top image credit: Elena Bazu and Dmitriy Novikov
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