Last visit 30 March 2015,  with friends

See: the fantastic presentation of the food in the plates- an invitation to a senses’ gourmet ball;

Smell: the fresh scent of all ingredients in the plate, making the taste ready to celebrate;

Taste: extraordinary perfectly balanced taste of the dishes, prepared of high quality products;

Experience: the texture of each delicious bite of the food; the 4 course daily menu; the courteous service of young people from different parts of the world who try hard to understand and speak Bulgarian;

Meet the talented Talents.  The name of the restaurant corresponds to the real experience. The talents are young  people, coming from all over the world to study for Chefs in HRC Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria. And they try to study Bulgarian too but you can communicate in English. The restaurant is HRC Academy students’ test ground where they apply everything learned about HoReCa business. Those boys and girls cook, wait, organize, manage, do everything that is required in order to become true professional. Although still in the process of studying they are performing so much better than most of their colleagues in other restaurants.

The first time I visited the place the dining hall was a little cold and I asked the waiter to do something. He reacted immediately and very soon I forgot my initial discomfort. The main carte offers 5 starters, 5-10 main courses and 2 desserts. There is always a 4 course menu.  I chose the latter which consisted of cream soup, salad, salmon and dessert. From the desktop brochure which presented shortly but comprehensively a winery with 3 of its featured  white and red wines, a glass of white wine, to keep company to the 4 course.

From the first sip of my soup I recognized the tremendous difference between this meal and the regularly offered one everywhere else. This one was designed not to feed people, it was designed to expose your human perceptions to the pleasures of gourmet art.

Every bite from the beginning till the end was building a case of true celebration of my senses.  Starting from the presentation in the plate with all these colors telling you a story about the season’s most favorite fruit and vegetables, the fumes of the fresh products submitted to the right temperature processing and dressings, witnessing the delicious theater on your tongue stage and palate backstage, ending with the most pleasurable satiation of your stomach and soul hunger.

Talents

The culmination of my 4 course choice was the salmon. It was so gentle and mild in taste, teasing my curiosity about that little magic secret that makes it so remarkable.

I was so excited with this unexpected experience, that I praised vigorously the personnel for their mastery. They thanked humbly and invited me to meet their Chef Instructor,  Henri Donneaux. He shook hands with me and my friend and invited us to visit the kitchen. I was curious so I accepted that unique invitation. It never happened to me, to show me around, in the “backoffice” of a restaurant. Again I was impressed by the immaculate neatness and  tidiness there. The cooks have almost finished their work there and welcomed us, glad to see us around. We made some pictures. I couldn’t miss this opportunity since I don’t know if such visit would ever occur to me again.

I can’t wait to try many more cuisine  creations of this team. I shall dine there very soon again! I am glad I have this treasure place in my case!

Address: 9, Petar Beron, str., Sofia ,Bulgaria, close to NDK

Tel. 02/ 421 90 68

talents@hrcacademy.com