We have a hundred times more Georgian restaurants than Ukrainian ones. Where did we go wrong? - Alex Cooper

I have lost a fortune, countless nerves, and over a decade of my life trying to be someone I'm not, all to please people who I actually don't need.

Now at 37, I am systematically answering the key questions: "Who am I?", "Where did I come from?", and "Where am I going?".

In part of these answers, I've realized that I want to promote Ukrainian cuisine. I also recognized that Ukrainian gastronomy, much like I once did, wants to skip many developmental stages and jump straight into fine dining, neo-bistros, and earn all the stars.

Currently, we have literally a hundred times more Georgian restaurants than Ukrainian ones. And the existing Ukrainian establishments are either too expensive or feature chef's reflections that nobody cares about, such as beaver meatballs on a pillow of Carpathian whey foam.

On one hand, we restaurateurs are caught up in our own complexes and attempts to bypass important stages. On the other hand, guests who don’t want to eat what they "can cook at home" end up with a mess.

I have pondered for a long time where we went off track and if anything can be done about it.

My answer is simple: we need to return to the basics. We should create Ukrainian home restaurants, trattorias, if you will. We need to learn how to make amazing dumplings and fantastic borscht. It should be simple, affordable, and delicious. And we should infuse our food with care, rather than just service.

It's a tough road, but this truth gives me an immense amount of energy, as if I am returning home after a long journey.