Refugee cooks up taste of Syria in Athens

Barshank Haj Younes may not have much to celebrate, but the young Syrian is cooking up a feast.

His menu features hummus and moutabal - a smoky eggplant salad - and lamb and chicken dishes typically offered to guests at home, about 2,000 km away in war-torn Syria.

For one night this week, the young Syrian Kurd, who fled to Greece a year ago, showcased his cooking talent alongside a Greek chef in a packed Athens restaurant to mark World Refugee Day on June 20.

Beyond giving diners in 13 European cities a taste of Middle Eastern and African cuisine, the French-born Refugee Food Festival, backed by the United Nations refugee agency, is hoping to promote integration.

In sweltering conditions, Younes and Greek head chef Fotis Fotinoglou barely have any room to move around as they frantically prepare a menu of 14 Greek and Syrian dishes in the cramped kitchen.

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