In season with Kristian Atanasov of Niagara

Chef Kristian Atanasov cooks without much regard for borders, geographical or otherwise.

After years in different kitchens and on cruise ships, his plates bring worlds together, always with a Bulgarian thread. Flavour begins with a spark and lingers like warmth you aren’t quite ready to leave behind.

You have worked in Bulgarian restaurants and on a cruise ship. What is the flavour you recognise as your own?

Over the years, I have worked through many kitchens, cooking styles and flavours. Each has changed something in me and left a good impression. Today, I look for a meeting of cultures and flavours on the plate. I would call my own style simple fusion, almost always with a Bulgarian note.

How do you maintain high standards while leaving room for creativity?

Standards and creativity are connected. One cannot exist without the other. For me, it begins with constantly stepping outside my comfort zone; that stops me becoming complacent. Even when something works well, I keep looking for ways to improve its flavour or appearance.

Creativity comes from that constant desire to improve,

rather than from inventing something entirely new every time. High standards are about consistency, not a single effort. They take attention to detail and a willingness to get better every day. Most important are the team, the atmosphere in the kitchen and everyone working to the same rhythm.

You have worked extensively with fire and barbecue. How does that shape the way you think about flavour?

I would put it like this: flavour begins with what you see. The appearance of the plate should light the fire; the taste should keep it burning. The aftertaste is that pleasant warmth of glowing embers on a cold evening.

You come from sport, where rhythm and discipline matter enormously. How do they find their way onto the plate?

Discipline is as essential in a kitchen as it is in sport.

Good discipline sustains a good rhythm. Without it, a plate can be missing any number of things, including flavour.

Niagara’s name suggests movement and force. How do you turn that waterfall into a flavour that lasts?

A waterfall’s movement and sound stir a powerful feeling that echoes long afterwards. Good food works in much the same way: its flavour spreads out and stays in your memory.

140 Tsar Simeon Street
2 Doyran Street
4 Obikolna Street
www.niagarabg.com

In season with Diana Markova and Vasil Aleksandrov of Bistro Blyan

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