"The English language has WOW, the Georgians have VAH, and it's always about a strong emotion. This is what we want to evoke in our guests," says Pionov.
The center of the restaurant kitchen is a real oven
Pavlo Moroz has considerable experience in cooking over a fire, which is embodied in the dishes of the menu, inspired by traditional dishes, but with a modern touch.
Photo: YOY restaurant
The open kitchen is built around a wood-burning stove, which is the heart of a Ukrainian home. 4000 tiles created by People's Artist of Ukraine Oksana Chepurna were ordered from YOY to decorate the stove. Each tile was made in the Lviv tile factory, which has more than a hundred years of history.
The task of YOY is to convey Ukrainian culture through gastrodiplomacy
"Because who, other than Ukrainians, can tell the best about Ukraine here. For example, at the initial stage, we do not plan to deliver food, because after all, we do not sell products and dishes, but show our culture through the atmosphere of the establishment, design, music, etc., - says marketing manager Oleg Sadkovskyi.
The YOY restaurant team in Dubai. Photo: YOY restaurant
The restaurant offers a basic permanent menu, as well as a number of dishes that will change depending on the chef. Visitors will be able to taste borscht from the oven, banoche with chestnuts, dumplings with asparagus and truffle sour cream, varenyky with cherries, cheese with spruce jam, prepared according to the author's recipe on a wood-burning stove, dishes from lamb grown on the slopes of the Carpathian Mountains, aromatic white mushrooms, fresh dill, sunflower sprouts, horseradish and malt - also brought from Ukraine by exclusive order.
Photo: YOY restaurant
In the establishment, you will also be able to enjoy Ryazanka, which is baked to a ruddy crust and prepared according to an old recipe in a wood-fired oven for 3-4 hours.
Photo: YOY restaurant
To prepare dishes and create original flavors, YOY chefs use organic and unrefined oil, which was specially imported from Ukraine to Dubai.
As for drinks, guests will be offered author's kvass made from rye bread, which is baked in a wood-burning oven, and author's teas made from natural berries from Ukraine - rose hips, sea buckthorn, etc. There is also a wide selection of alcoholic drinks made in the restaurant: 10-ingredient horseradish, pepperoni with honey, cherry and coffee liqueur and smoked pear tincture aged in oak.
Interior decoration
The interior of YOY was developed by Ukrainian designer Volodymyr Nepiyvoda with the YOD Group design studio. The minimalist interior with wood accents is reminiscent of a Ukrainian home with handmade clay jugs.
Each design element is symbolic. For example, the chandelier in the restaurant is handmade, according to the designer's idea, it is made of natural branches in the form of a stork's nest. In Ukraine, this bird symbolizes family, patriotism, love for the native land. Clay jugs of various shapes are also handmade by a craftsman from Transcarpathia.
Photo: YOY restaurant
Photo: YOY restaurant
Painted ceramics from Kosovo were also brought from Ukraine. The three-color scale - yellow, green, brown - is the code of Hutsul ceramics, related to the perception of nature (sun, mountains, earth). It has been made by masters in Kosovo for centuries, and since 2019 the technology has been included in the UNESCO world cultural heritage.
Handmade carpets made of natural and environmentally friendly wool, made in a Ukrainian mountain town in the Carpathians. A long table - 13 meters, carved from natural ash - for gathering the whole family for dinner.
Photo: YOY restaurant
The restaurant also has a real Ukrainian trembita, a musical instrument recognized as the longest in the world.
The staff will be dressed in traditional shirts in a modern presentation. The clothes for YOY were designed by the famous designer Yuriy Zhuykov. It is decorated with embroidery, without which it is impossible to imagine ancient Ukrainian clothing, and each pattern is created by hand.