For the love of Japanese cooking: Petar Kikov at Jazu

A smile at the door, a plate arranged with the care of a small artwork,

and a flavour that carries you straight to Japan. Your eyes, ears and whole body respond to the atmosphere, live music, comfort and care. In a connected world, you need not travel thousands of miles for Japanese cooking: Jazu brings that experience to Sofia. In restaurant terms, the old saying might become: the interior welcomes you, the food sees you off. Here, every element plays its part. Clean, rounded shapes, high ceilings, calm and balance extend from the room to the plate. Time seems to move at a different speed. Once you arrive, you are in no hurry to leave.

“Japanese restaurants are among the most sought-after and highly regarded in the world at the moment,” says managing partner Nedyalko Zhekov, describing his view of the industry. Jazu opened in 2021 as a natural next step after the team’s more traditional Hamachi, which he presents as a pioneer of Japanese fish restaurants in Sofia. “However tough the restaurant business gets, you have to stay resilient if you want to maintain the highest standards.”

The team likes exploring new territory.

At the time of our visit, the team had introduced a Nikkei menu combining Peruvian and Japanese cooking. Zhekov described it as an established worldwide trend he felt had yet to find its feet in Bulgaria. At Jazu, they were putting it into practice. A recent Itameshi dinner had explored Italian and Japanese influences, and he hinted at another surprise planned for autumn. Those were the plans when we spoke, part of a continuing appetite for experimentation that gives Japanese-food enthusiasts a reason to follow the restaurant.

A new head chef was part of that direction: Petar Kikov.

Kikov came with more than ten years of experience abroad. His account includes Michelin-starred London kitchens, consulting on culinary projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, working with celebrated chefs and cooking for guests including Elton John, Tom Cruise, Kate Hudson, Drake, Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ariana Grande. Very different workplaces gave him experience and kept him learning. Back in Bulgaria, he wanted somewhere to apply that knowledge, with a team looking in the same direction and sharing his drive to develop. He found it at Jazu. “There is something for me to give here, but also something to gain. That team of professionals is what attracted me.”

It takes only a short conversation to see how grounded and modest he is, despite that CV. Compliments make him uncomfortable, he admits, before telling us a story. Ariana Grande was a regular at one of his former workplaces. One night, he stayed after hours to cook for her. When she asked to thank him personally, he declined, saying it was simply his job and nothing exceptional. He believes the food should speak for the chef, not the other way round. Leading a kitchen, for him, means motivating the people around you rather than raising your voice.

His experience and Jazu’s ambitions meet in that approach.

Both sides share standards and ambitions. The restaurant wants to create a complete experience, not simply serve good food. Kikov describes the Nikkei menu through its ingredients, sourced directly from Peru, Japan and Spain, and its variety. “Japanese cuisine is not just sushi,” he says. “There are many techniques, from grilled fish to sushi, ramen and fried dishes such as tempura. You can find all of those approaches here.” At the time of our conversation, the new dishes were already receiving encouraging responses from guests.

He jokes that today’s children seem to discover sushi almost as soon as they can eat. His own visits to Japan left him impressed by the respect given to ingredients,

and by how knowledge and imagination can help reduce waste.

Sushi is his personal favourite. People make a mistake, he says, when they imagine it is merely rice and raw fish. “It takes a long time to understand what perfect rice actually is, before you can make it.” That is precisely what fascinates him: something that looks easy and simple but requires considerable work and technique.

Pleasure in cooking remains central to Kikov’s life.

“It is important not to treat it simply as work, and to keep the spark and excitement. Perhaps that is what keeps me alive,” he says. It is not always easy, he admits, and things do not always work out. What matters is continuing to develop. That was also the restaurant’s ambition when we spoke: with its new head chef, Jazu was entering another phase of experimentation, refinement and confidence, expressed in every mouthful.

A look back at the Bulgarian Sushi Cup 2026

What’s happening in the city? Follow GoGuide on Instagram to hear about it first.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for a closer look at the city, and a wider view.