Ararat Restaurant & Messo Lounge — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Went to the restaurant today to try Adjarian Khachapuri since I'm Georgian missing the authentic taste of Georgian cuisine and they do have that. The atmosphere in the restaurant was nice, however, when I went through the menu, I noticed that traditional dishes from different countries of the region such as Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, and Armenia were mixed up together under the label of the restaurant called "Ararat" which is the province and the town in Armenia. They had Khinkali on the menu, described as a "Georgian Dumpling" (Indicating that It has something to do with the Chinese or Asian culture) and is served in pieces (khinkali is usually served in at least 5 pieces together). Then, they had an Armenian version of Khashlama, without clearly indicating whether it was Armenian Or Georgian. It is really easy to confuse the dishes and get the impression that certain dishes originated from Armenia because the restaurant is located in a place, where people mainly are unfamiliar with the Caucasus/ Eastern Europe The restaurant has a responsibility to represent the countries and the dishes. As for the Adjarian Khachapuri, that's exactly how I would make it if I wanted someone to lose interest in the country and its cuisine forever. (which by the way, is one of the best in the world! ) Leaving Alone the PM problem, when I tried to address this issue with the manager/owner, Instead of treating me as a customer and directly addressing the issue, I ended up talking to someone, who had no listening culture and interrupted me each time I tried to deliver the idea, was constantly in the defensive mode, paraphrasing my words, pushing irrelevant narratives, (she mentioned that she was proficient in English?!), and Inclining that my feedback was coming from an emotional state (It was not); somehow admitting that the menu has to be updated but still telling me how she wouldn't just sit a listen to my opinion about HER business when I pointed out that she was not allowing me to speak or finish any sentence. Now this review does come from the emotional state. of a great...

Don't come here as a large group. We visited Ararat as the atmosphere looked great as a group of 35. Unfortunately, the experience was disorganised from the start despite them knowing about our large booking in advance. There was significant confusion with the orders: some meals never arrived, others were incorrect, and towards the end, we were told we still owed 3.5 million VND. One person in our group ended up covering this, but after much back and forth, the restaurant acknowledged their mistake and returned 2 million a week later. However, we still believe at least 500k more should have been refunded. The food itself was underwhelming. One person received undercooked salmon, which was sent back - yet we were still originally charged for it after being told it would be removed from the bill. I was served raw potatoes, and when I raised this, the waitress responded patronisingly, claiming “it’s an Armenian potato” and that it was meant to be that way. The dish was returned to me slightly more cooked - but burnt and still nearly raw. I didn’t eat it, yet paid for it without complaint.

Overall, it's a shame the restaurant value money over keeping customers happy. All 35 people who are residents of HCMC who went to Ararat won't be returning due to...

Ararat Restaurant & Messo Lounge is a unique spot offering Armenian cuisine, located in the vibrant Thao Dien area of Ho Chi Minh City.

The restaurant features an impressively large space, with the majority of seating in the outdoor area. Indoor seating is quite limited, so if you prefer dining inside, it’s best to arrive early or book in advance.

One of the highlights of the menu is their special oversized Xiao Long Bao — about three times larger than the regular version! It's definitely a must-try for dumpling lovers. Apart from that, they also offer a wide variety of dishes, including pizzas and meat-based dishes, all of which are quite flavorful and satisfying.

However, what truly surprised me was their desserts. Three main kind of dessert was incredibly delicious — though extremely sweet! If you have a sweet tooth, you will absolutely love their selection.

Price range: approximately VND...