| Korea's first Azerbaijan restaurant Baku in Sinchon in northern Seoul. / Courtesy of Baku |
By Rachel Lee
"I decided to open this restaurant so more Koreans have a better idea about my country," says Azerbaijan restaurant owner Nihat Khailzade.
So the first Azerbaijan restaurant Baku was born last month in busy Sinchon in northern Seoul.
When Khailzade, 25, who studies computer engineering at Hanyang University, came to Korea five years ago, he felt that hardly any Koreans knew if his country even existed.
"I also didn't know anything about South Korea before I came here because I heard news from the north only," he says. "But I found out that the languages in the two countries were very similar, which made me want to study here."
He has since been active in voluntary activities to promote his country, teaching at local schools and giving business advice and information to Korean companies, but he felt something was missing.
"While I was doing all those jobs, I surveyed Koreans on what they would want to know first about Azerbaijan," he says. "I was expecting ‘location,' but very surprisingly, they said ‘food.' So I began to plan for a restaurant."
On opening day day, Azerbaijan Ambassador to Korea Ramzi Teymurov and acquaintances visited Baku to celebrate.
The restaurant offers traditional cuisine such as kabab, sac, gobustan katasi and dessert Chorek, all prepared by an Azerbaijan chef and served by Azerbaijan staff. Prices range from 5,000 to 80,000 won.
"Sac, for instance, has so many dishes that there are restaurants that specialize in the dish," Khailzade says.
Ingredients include grilled vegetables, chicken and beef, seasoned with traditional sauce.
Khailzade says the future is bright because of the restaurants convenient location and friendly atmosphere.
"Customers come back to Baku and this is surely a good sign," he says. "I hope more people come here and try the food so they get to know something about Azerbaijan."