ABOUT IVAN THE KOZAK
Our story begins here
“Born in Kyiv, I came to Hong Kong in 1996 at the age of 29. The first half of my life was deeply rooted in Ukraine, and the second half in Hong Kong. Both places are home to me.”
After tying the knot with Ivan in 1995, Olena left Ukraine for Hong Kong. The couple launched a Ukrainian restaurant called Ivan The Kozak in Central, the heart of her husband’s homeland in 2001.
The family-run restaurant was named partly after Ivan and partly after a century-old nomadic militarised group in Ukraine, which has always regarded safeguarding the freedom and integrity of its homeland as its prime mission.
Ukrainian Cossack Leader Ivan Sirko
Ilya Repin. Zaporozhian Cossacks write to the Sultan of Turkey
“There wasn’t any Ukrainian restaurant in Hong Kong back then. It was in the 90s when no one knew about Ukraine but only the Soviet Union.”
“And I missed my home country and Ukrainian food so much. So we started this business, hoping to share not only our food but also its culture to HongKongers. We hope that more people can know that Ukraine is a beautiful country with rich history and culture.”
Interior Design after relocation
Wall Painting before shop relocation in 2017
Ivan The Kozak was decorated as a tribute to a traditional Ukrainian cottage. Even the wooden chairs and tables were all imported from Ukraine. Olena and her daughter, Victoria, always bring back paintings, ornaments and other décor stuff to Hong Kong during their annual trips to Ukraine.
Besides the interior design, Ivan The Kozak is always committed to providing the best Ukrainian cuisine to our friends in Asia. All handpicked from Ukraine and Uzbekistan, our chefs have endeavoured and will continue to strive for putting the most authentic Eastern European cuisine on the plate for Hongkongers.