Émigré from Ukraine initiates Ukrainian Food Festival in Sydney

by Marika Halaburda

SYDNEY, Australia - Those who have traveled to Toronto are no doubt familiar with the very popular restaurant Caravan, well-known for its Ukrainian food and cabaret program. Unfortunately, in Sydney we do not have such a restaurant.

However, from July 23 to August 8 the Ukrainian Food Festival was held at the Ibis Hotel at Darling Harbor. Darling Harbor is one of the main tourist attractions in Sydney, and the initiative for the festival came from Oleh Melnychuk, a visiting chef at the Ibis restaurant.

Volodymyr Woytowych, chairman of the Karpaty Ukrainian Credit Union Karpaty and cultural director of the Ukrainian Council of New South Wales, and this writer visited the restaurant on August 1.

The Ukrainian flag was prominently displayed on the mast at the Ibis Hotel flying high over Darling Harbor. Two mannequins dressed in traditional Ukrainian costumes from the Poltava region were displayed in the main foyer of the hotel, greeting visitors who entered the restaurant. Embroidery, banners with the trident and various Ukrainian artifacts also were displayed.

Mr. Melnychuk greeted us at the entrance to the restaurant and escorted us to our table. The view of Darling Harbor by night is dazzling.

Mr. Melnychuk had arrived in Australia from Ternopil, Ukraine. Since childhood he has been cooking in his mother's kitchen. He completed the Odesa Maritime Culinary School and worked on cruise liners. He has traveled and worked in Spain, France and Canada.

Ten years ago Mr. Melnychuk arrived in Australia. Not knowing English, without employment and a place to stay, he approached the Ukrainian Cultural Club and asked for a job.

"Unfortunately, I was denied a position as there was a Chinese caterer already running the restaurant," said Mr. Melnychuk, "so I managed to obtain a position at the Polish club in Ashfield. What a paradox! I knew that one day I would achieve something in this big city and would show everybody that Ukrainian food is no worse than Russian [food]. Russians, incidentally, have five restaurants in Sydney. Ukrainian cuisine is as good as Italian and Chinese, and I did prove it!"

Mr. Melnychuk obtained a job at the Ibis Hotel, and the management supported his idea of a Ukrainian food festival.

He made arrangements with the well-known Ukrainian chocolate factory Svitoch, to send a range of its products. The Odesa Wine Company supplied bottles of Golden Duke wine, as well as Grand Duke Vladimir wines that have been awarded 17 top prizes, including nine gold medals at international exhibitions.

Air Ukraine also sponsored the festival. Hopefully the airline will commence flights to Australia next year to coincide with the Olympic Games. Banners of the "Australian Friends of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine" and Karpaty Ukrainian Credit Union were prominently displayed at the restaurant as supporters of the food festival.

The buffet-style arrangement consisted of Ukrainian dishes such as red and green borsch, varenyky with white mushroom sauce, holubtsi, Odesa rice, herrings in light cream and many other delicious treats. Mr. Melnychuk prepared "kvas," a traditional drink made from rye bread; also available was "kefir," a traditional Ukrainian yogurt, made by the Nordic Food Company.

Vibrant entertainment was provided by the Ukrainian Kozaks troupe and the well-known Lastivka bandura ensemble.

Mr. Melnychuk said he is very grateful to the artists and to those who have supported him from the conceptual stages in preparation for the highly successful food festival.

Mr. Melnychuk noted that the restaurant was visited by French, Japanese, German, Philippine, Australian, Polish and Russian tourists, as well as consuls and consular staff from Austria, Germany and France. The Ukrainian consul did not attend.

Mr. Melnychuk explained that Ukraine's Consulate is in Melbourne, some 1,000 kilometers away, a fair distance to travel for dinner. It is clear to everyone that there is a pressing need for a Ukrainian consulate to be based in Sydney, even more so now that the Olympic Games are approaching.

As we left the restaurant Mr. Melnychuk promised that next year's festival will conclude with the Olympics and will be even more successful.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, August 22, 1999, No. 34, Vol. LXVII

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