The Brussels establishment Bozar Restaurant, by chef Karen Torosyan, was crowned with a second Michelin star on Monday during a ceremony at the Royal Theatre in Mons.
Announced the highest distinction of the day was fellow chef David Martin (La Paix), with whom he worked in this restaurant in the centre of the capital before taking it over in 2018. Martin was visibly very moved when presenting the accolade to his former colleague.
The chef, of Armenian origin and born in Georgia, did not hide his joy as he took the stage of the theatre to the ovations of his peers.
“We’re doing the most beautiful job in the world,” he told the assembly, before launching into a veritable ode to the profession. “Cooking is more than a passion, it’s a vocation. Something unites us, we all share this madness.”
“I arrived in Belgium 25 years ago, I didn’t speak a word of French…Everything is possible. Dream and create dreams,” he said. He then dedicated his second star to his entourage, and to André Martini, who directed him towards haute gastronomy, to the chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau, then to David Martin. “He is the first one who believed in me, who put me in the light, who accompanied me. We gave birth to this baby together.”
Related News
- Belgian chef takes home Young Chef of the Year... and a Michelin star
- Michelin Guide 2022: 16 restaurants get their first star
The Michelin guide states Torosyan earned his second star for his innovative and conscientious cooking. The chef cooks his classic dishes with a sense of personal detail.
“I measure how lucky I am, this is one of the most beautiful days of my life,” he concluded visibly moved.
Brussels now has four double-starred restaurants: La Paix, La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne, Le Chalet de la Forêt and Bozar Restaurant. Two establishments in the capital, Barge in the city centre, which was also awarded a green star, and Humus x Hortense in Ixelles (which already held the green star), have, for their part, obtained their first macaron.
