Back in the day, Proshyan Street stood as a metonym for the traditional Armenian barbecue style known as “Khorovats”. The entire length of the street used to be filled with sit-down restaurants, our street vendors cooking all sorts of meats on their *manghals* all day. If you were in the mood for some succulent grilled pork, Proshyan was the place to be.
In recent years, the proliferation of restaurants across town which offer khorovats has hurt business on Prochyan street. Many BBQ places have closed down, though there is still a cluster of well-reputed restaurants that continue to cater to Yerevan’s most loyal foodies.
The street has undergone a gentrification of sorts, with international offices and NGOs settling in where the grills used to be, but locals will still tell you that if you want authentic Yerevan Khorovats, you’ll only find it on Proshyan.
I live right near by, and I can rarely resist stopping by one of my favourite grilled-meat joints, Shandis, for some fresh and delicious street food on my way back from work.
