What is priming and how it took me to Quartal Food Park in Sofia – Part 2
Reading time: 5 min
You don’t have 5 min to read? Then try the fast mode, go only through bold and colored text- 4 min
You don’t have 4 min.? See the short movie further below: 3:30 min.
In the previous post What is priming and how it took me to Quartal Food Park in Sofia – Part 1, I told how because of this psychological phenomenon, my whole family ended up one Sunday in Quartal and which pavilion we first visited to get food.
When you go to Quartal, you can’t help but be tempted to try food from several pavilions, but you get so full that you can’t fit anything anymore. So you have to go several times to try all kinds of cuisine. And they change their menu from time to time, so there is always something different to try.
In this post, the 5D Sensograph will not evaluate by separate categories because we tasted different things from different places. I’ll just tell you what you can try so that you can saturate certain senses.
See ….
…. Tables in the sun, tables in the shade, tables indoors… table with swings instead of benches – they look plenty of fun;
…. A variety of food inspired by the cuisine of different parts of the world – Mexican in El Gallio, Italian with Leo and Da Massimo, Bulgarian combined with German, of course with chef Andre Tokev and TasteBox, meat in various forms, where else in Messo , by chef Georgi Boykovski.
When I mentioned him, Chef Boykovski mixed up surprises again, he almost opened a new restaurant – Juniper and Raven in place of the former Bagri. The latter was closed because of the Covid-19 lockdown.
…. In Mama Bo there are all kinds of Asian delicacies in bao bread.
Bao is an Asian white round steamed bread in which a filling is placed. It is made with fat, yeast, milk, flour and a little sugar to make it uniquely tasty.
…. There are burgers too, from Street Chefs – we know they are super cool and delicious. I eat at least once a week from them in the Business Park – I get a classic burger, with the addition of bacon and French fries. The latter are very crunchy, with a little rosemary and smell wonderful, and the bacon is also crunchy and has a slightly smoky aroma. They also put pickles, which are slightly sweetened, the bread is lightly toasted beforehand on the hot plate and there is a nice burned layer inside. Take a draft beer – and you’re just blissful. But if you eat that, you won’t be able to eat anything else at Quartal.
…. With Andre at TasteBox, although in the street food version, there is no way the food does not look beautiful – see it in the movie.
Feel ….
…. In Virtuoso Bubble Tea be sure to drink milk tea with jelly balls. You draw some liquid through the thick straw and 2-3 balls slip through to your mouth, which you crack with your teeth, and a charming aroma and fresh sweetness are sprayed from them. There is no such fun!
Bubble Tea or as it is also called (Boba tea) is a traditional Asian drink originating from Taiwan. It is made from tea, milk is added and tapioca balls are added to the traditional recipe. Tapioca is a starch that is extracted from a root called cassava, also known as manioc or yuca.
…. Crunchy crust on meatballs in a Rhodope klin from TasteBox. The meatball has an authentic traditional taste, it even has lyutenitsa on it, it is placed on a potato bed and the top is covered with these crispy crusts to look like the Rhodope klin. I told about the latter in the publication Guest house Rodopski Rai and what else you can do in the region of the wonderful village Smilyan.
…. Crispy chicken from Mama Bo – it is really crunchy and put in the already mentioned bao bread;
…. Super tender pork with sauerkraut again in TasteBox. If you are a fan of the German Eisbein with sauerkraut and potatoes, it is reminiscent of it.
…. In the indoor part which is covered by a plastic tent, it is warm and non-smoking, which is great!
Hear ….
…. Cool music, unobtrusive, slightly chill-out. But they change it, so you can come across a more dynamic one;
…. The young Asians from Virtuoso Bubble Tea, who have learned very well Bulgarian language and serve their customers very quickly and kindly.
Movie watching time: 3:30
Smell ….
…. The aromas of the drinks in Bubble Tea – plenty, exotic, enchanting, great!
…. Ginger in the Dark & Stormy cocktail, which Darko, the owner of the famous Sofia bar 5L Speakeasy, prepares in their street-food-Mexican spot – El Gallio. Watch it in the video. I look forward to their online mixology classes starting again.
…. Aroma of smoked bacon in Eggs Benedict from Andre’s TasteBox. Yes it is possible to have a street food version of this favorite variation of eggs, and it looks great and is very tasty.
Taste ….
…. Pulled pork in Easter bread, again from TasteBox – terribly tasty !!!
…. Any beer from Craft&Draft by Ale House, and why not try a Mexican one from El Gallio.
…. Hot taco and burrito again in El Gallio.
…. You like frittura mista, i.e. fried seafood – available at Da Massimo.
…. For children’s dessert, take waffles on a stick with dark or white chocolate, candies, nuts, all kinds of sprinkles on top from Lolly;
…. Another option for dessert is an éclair from Styx, which is not exactly the éclair you are used to eating. It is more reminiscent of Italian canola, i.e. crispy tube filled with egg custard. They come with different creams in taste and aroma;
…. Gelato & Latte ice cream – with black sesame, with salted caramel, chocolate, etc. I tried a different and very impressive taste – Heroes of the Atlantic, dedicated to son and father Maxim and Stefan Ivanovi, who rowed 105 days with the kayak Neverest across the ocean and set a world record on October 6, 2020. So the ice cream was heroic, just like their record. It had crocan, cashews, pieces of white chocolate, it’s colored in blue with an Indonesian tea leaves, to look like a true ocean, and it was wonderful!
…. Add a nice espresso from Coffero to the desserts!
Next week, if it’s still sunny, head to Quartal and make sure you haven’t eaten before, because a great gourmet experience awaits you.
If I have already primed you and you are planning a visit to Quartal, see below tips and directions on how to get there for your stay in Sofia, if you are traveling to the capital.
How to get to Quartal?
Don’t worry about getting to Quartal in Sofia. Just use the Google map here by clicking on the red pin of its location and then select directions:
Quartal Food Park, Sofia, Bulgaria
A: 69 Cherni Vrah bul, София 1000
T: +359 89 782 8752
Open Hours: Mon- Sun 11:00-10:00
If you need to rent a car, you can book it here in the box of the largest booking platform.
Where to stay if you are not from the city?
If you are not from Sofia and you are already planning a visit to the city, I recommend that you book your stay right here. For your convenience, I have added a booking.com box, which refers directly to their site. I guarantee you’re going to use all your genius discounts and privileges they would offer to you. Just enter the dates of your trip, then hit the Search button and voila. In addition, booking.com are doing their best to make sure that your expectations as a customer are fulfilled. I’ve described an example about the latter in my story about our stay in Shangri-La hotel in Singapore .
Where to follow the latest posts of the review and rating blog placescases.com?
Did you like my blog? Great! Then follow placescases.com pages on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and don’t miss any new publication. It is best to subscribe directly here.
Are you looking for info about good restaurants, hotels, any nice places in Bulgaria and around the world? Then dig into the categories of placescases.com to find something just for you.
Do you ever wonder how some places differ so much from others in service, environment, as an overall experience? This means you are also interested like me in the topic of The Experience Economy by Pine and Gilmore. I constantly add to my collection reviews about those of them, which practice its principles, regardless of intentionally or accidentally. If you are curious to understand which are they, explore category The Experience Economy.
