The Virunga
Le Virunga Restaurant
Discovering Virunga is just one of the reasons I love social media and the way it connects people. When I arrived in Montreal last month, I had a list of places I wanted to try. I also had African food in mind and wondered what African food options there are in Montreal. And almost as soon as the idea came through my head, thanks to the magical powers of Instagram, I connected with Zoya de Frias Lakhany.
Until I arrived at Virunga, I had no idea that Zoya was not only younger than I expected, but also fully responsible for the whole business. She teamed up with her mother who runs the kitchen as executive chef and almost single-handedly manages all other aspects of her new restaurant. I was more than impressed and hoped to be blown away by the food… which I was. When I got back to NYC, I knew I wanted to learn more about Zoya, who is truly an inspiration (you have to read below to see what I mean). I’m so happy that she agreed to share a little more about herself and her very first restaurant and the amazing challenges she had to overcome. Here we are: