Buy & Sell Bulgaria Insight Newsletter

About 30 000 fans gathered at Alexander Batenberg Square Friday night under pouring rain for the concert of pop princess Rihanna. The superstar sang her top hit Umbrella together with all the exalted fans trying to find some cover in the shower. Rihanna also performed her hits Pon De Replay, S.O.S, Good Girl Gone Bad, Unfaithful, Don’t stop the music, and Shut Up.

The show in Sofia was a part of the European tour of the star, promoting her album Good Girl Gone Bad. The event at Batenberg square was entry-free, organized by Bulgaria’s third mobile operator Vivatel. Rihanna was accompanied by a team of 37 people, and protected by more than 300 guards during her stay in Bulgaria.

The 19-year-old star made her big break-through at the age of 15 when one of her friends introduced her to music producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in singer’s home Barbados. Currently, the singer is working with great stars such as Justin Timberlake and the hit producer Timbaland.

Eurolink Investment Group joins in wishing you a Happy Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year!

• An old wives’ tale says that bread baked on Christmas Eve will never go mouldy.

• At midnight, a certain rose slowly opens and re-closes its petals to salute the birthday of Jesus.

• Also at midnight, all the sheep in the fields turn and bow towards the East.

Father Christmas once dropped some gold coins while coming down the chimney. The coins would have fallen through the ash grate and been lost if they hadn’t landed in a stocking that had been hung out to dry. Since that time children have continued to hang out stockings in hopes of finding them filled with gifts.

It is not possible to stay indifferent and not to feel the Bulgarian spirit and music, while you are there, to feel the way of life and traditions from the ancient time. There’s nothing better than joining the ring dances with the Nashenci Orchestra live music and having a hearty meal, prepared like….in our memories!!! Nashenci - a rich cuisine, strong brandy, heroic spirit, haidouk songs!

Rating: 8/10

The correct name of this dish in Bulgarian is actually yaitsa po panagyurski (say it, “yite-SA po pan-a-GYOOR-ski”), but learning to say the name correctly so that you can serve the dish without resorting to cue cards may take longer than the cooking time. Then again, the town for which the dish is named is the tongue-twisting Panagyurishte. If you were to cheat and call the dish “poached eggs with yogurt”, I don’t think your guests would complain, particularly after trying it.

What do you need:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup strained yogurt
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 pinch of paprika
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

How to make it:

Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt to about 1 liter (1 quart) of boiling water. Break the eggs directly into the water. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Strain the eggs and set them aside to cool. Stir the yogurt together with the crushed garlic and very little salt. Pour it over the eggs. Meanwhile, heat the oil and sprinkle the paprika on top, but be careful not to burn it. Immediately pour the oil over the yogurt and serve. Enjoy!

The restaurant above, called “Sold bride”, is located in the registry office’s building, an old, authentic Bulgarian house at 1 Krali Marko Str. The restaurant is very cozy, there is a huge selection of wine – the bottles are lined up on a wall and you choose from there, as they would not fit on a menu. The staff is always ready to help with the wine choice. The food is very good; the menu is varied, ranging from typical Bulgarian dishes to Chinese cuisine. There are 2 halls, one which is cosier and the other furnished in an aristocratic style.

Rating: 8/10

Hollywood star Melanie Griffith is expected to accompany her husband Antonio Banderas during his stay in Sofia, where he will take part in a new movie, called “The Code”. The couple arrived in Bulgaria’s capital in the middle of October, reports say and Banderas will stay in Bulgaria until the end of the shooting in December.

The other star that is to participate in the crime drama is Morgan Freeman, who is also to land in Bulgaria at that time.

The shooting of the movie, which is a production of the US moviemaker Nu Image, will already started in New York. A total of 12 Bulgarian actors are to play together with the two Hollywood stars, Deyan Donkov, Zahari Baharov and Velizar Binev among them. The movie will be directed by Mimi Leder (”The Peacemaker”, “Pilot”, “The Tunnel”).

Oscar winner Freeman and the star from “Desperado” Banderas will play the roles of master jewellery thieves, whose new aim are Faberge eggs, owned by a NY collector of Russian origin.

Ingredients for 3-4 portions:

- 3 medium tomatoes
- 3 red peppers
- 1 onion
- 2-3 tbs. of vegetable oil
- 200 gr. of feta cheese
- 3 eggs
- chopped parsley
- salt and pepper

How to cook:
Cut the ingredients into small pieces. Heat the oil in a frying pan and put the onions, leaving them to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and the tomatoes and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the cheese and eggs and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Delicious with some toast.

Recommended by Richard Payne, client and good friend of Eurolink

The restaurant is situated not far from the centre and a few minutes’ walk from Caesar’s Casino. It is not easy to find, since the building is in traditional style and is tucked away by other buildings. I was passing by and was curious with the outdoor table layout and the BBQ at the back, so I cautiously walked in and made a wonderful discovery! It is a full fledge restaurant of two storeys, arranged in wonderful Bulgarian traditional style as the picture above.

As I walked in the central area, there was a large copper chimney with indoor BBQ grill with the bar at one side, but what amazed me was the wonderful collection of wines - lots of them!!! I would assume that indoor BBQ should be very popular in the winter.

Another point goes to the waitress who was very friendly while taking me to my table and happily serving my richly deserved desires. The meal was also very well cooked and juicy, and of very good value (6 Euros) - I can’t wait to try out some lamb meal next time!

For those wishing to experience traditional Bulgarian meal in Varna, I would certainly recommend this place - it is the perfect way to impress yourself and your friends.

Rating 9/10

By Sebastian Kinsman, Ex-partner
of Chris Violaris, MD of Buy & Sell Bulgaria

On the sultry evening of August 8, 2007, our daughter Lara Daphnie Kinsman was christened by the Bishop of Varna and Veliki Preslav, Metropolitan Kyrill, Member of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, at Varna’s Assumption Cathedral.

It was a considerable event. Friends arrived in Varna from across Bulgaria. Victoria’s mother, Valentina, and sister Anya, travelled from Kishiniev in Moldova, and my brother Ivan flew in with his family from Poland. Soderoula, Chris Violaris’s sister, had gone to great efforts to get every detail right for the elaborate ceremony. Chris Violaris also went to some expense buying the various paraphernalia at a special Orthodox Christening shop in Athens. There was a men’s choir to add to the richness of the occasion.

Anyway, Lara Daphne was eventually well and truly dunked in the giant copper bowl filled with water mixed with olive oil. She cried her eyes out, was dressed, and we moved on to the smart Horizont Restaurant for dinner. This took place on the terrace overlooking the Black Sea. This was a hell of a spread: shopska salad with rakia, lavrak, a local white-fleshed fish, accompanied by white wine produced from the grapes grown on “Marina Hills”, and dessert.

Everything had gone perfectly from the moment we rolled up at the Cathedral in Chris Violaris’s Rolls Royce Silver Phantom until the moment Alex, Lara’s half-brother, banged his head into a plate glass window at the restaurant, causing a bloody gash. And everything went perfectly again after a swift visit to the local Accident and Emergency Hospital where he was stitched up.

Lara Daphne Kinsman has quite exotic origins: English father, Moldovian mother - the beautiful Victoria, whose bright blue eyes she has inherited, Bulgarian half-brother, and now she has a Cypriot Godfather.

Clockwise from left to right: Sebastian, Chris, Chris’s wife Assia, Chris’s daughter Stephanie, Lara’s half-brother Alex and Victoria with Lara Daphne

This dish used to be prepared at the Rila Monastery kitchen. Rila Monastery is one of the famous Bulgarian Visitors attractions - a monastery which has survived many attacks by the Ottoman Turks and has provided a shelter for many persecuted people.

Ingredients:

- 1 kg braised beef
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 120 g mushrooms
- 1 cup of rice
- 1 onion
- 150 g olives
- a bunch of parsley
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 25 g butter
- 1 tbs sugar
- 2 1/2 cups beef-stock
- black pepper, paprika and salt

How to cook:
Cut the beef into cubes or small pieces and fry in a pan with a little oil for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onions, beef-stock and paprika, 5 minutes later add the mushrooms and rice and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, add salt, butter, 1 tbs sugar and the olives, then cook for further 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 190°C. Put the content of the pan into a baking dish and cook for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and pepper before serving. Bon Apetit!

Villa Aqua Beach Resort in Varna is the Eastern European continuation of the tradition that started 30 years ago, in 1972, in New York with the establishment of the famous boutique hotel and restaurant The Box Tree. Villa Aqua Beach Resort is situated within 13 km of the town of Varna, in the begining of the beach resort “Golden Sands” not far from the “International Journalists house”, and 15 minutes distant from the beach. The complex has a private parking and 24-hour security guard.

“Villa Aqua” has a magnificent inner courtyard with a beautiful garden, open-air swimming pool, summer cocktail bar, jazz-club and restaurant, famous with its unique cuisine. Restaurant “The Box Tree” is a member of the “Chaine des rotisseurs” and offers remarkable French and Bulgarian traditional dishes.

“Villa Aqua” restaurant offers opportunities for unforgettable evenings, business and private celebrations, corporate events, far from the sounds of the trivial round.

Rating 9/10

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 kg aubergines (about 4-5 large aubergines)
- 200 g white brined cheese or feta cheese
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil
- 100 g plain flour
- 6 eggs
- parsley
- a bunch of dill
- black pepper and salt

How to cook:
Wash and dry the aubergines, slice 1/2 cm thick, sprinkle with salt and put aside for 10-15 minutes. Drain any juices which are running from the aubergine slices. Put each slice in flour and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Make a filling by mixing 4 eggs, cheese, parsley and pepper. Place a tbs of the mixture onto one slice and cover with another slice, making it look at as a sandwich. Do the same with the other aubergine slices.
Then dip the “sandwiches” in the remaining 2 eggs (beaten), cover in breadcrumbs and fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
The same recipe can be made with peppers, but instead of slicing them, you simply fill them.

BM Restaurant Chain started its existence in 1997. Since then it has successfully developed and extended its brand. Each restaurant has its own charm and individuality. BM The Garden offers a list of selected recipes from the Bulgarian and European cuisine stressing on the sea specialties, always fresh and tempting. The restaurant is located among the fascinating greenery of the Varna Sea Garden, giving coolness and peace. Its style is elegant and trendy. The cozy atmosphere is created by slight music, quality service and individual approach to the client.

Rating of 9/10

The “Barite” complex, is located 36 km northwest of Varna, in the forest of the village of Chernevo. It spreads over 18 decares at 160 m above sea level. It consists of 5 houses, a national-style restaurant built of stone and wood, a museum of crafts in the open, an ethnographic collection of lifestyle items of the local people of Chernevo, a hall for quiet games, and a children’s playground. The restaurant, makes you feel at home, where one can share the tasty food with friends and enjoy the invigorative power of various drinks. The menu includes national cuisine, with the basic principle of their cooking being “Quality dishes are prepared from quality products”. The biggest pleasure is making the choice of “parlenki” (dampers), the sight of which tempts each visitor and are prepared only at the “Barite”. During the winter the live fire in the fireplace predisposes each guest to tranquillity and oblivion of the city clamour. Every night an orchestra entertains the guests, performing music of all genres.

Rating of 9/10

In Bulgaria, there is a tradition called July Morning as an echo from the hippy period in the 1980s and maybe as far back as the 1970s. Young and elder people from all over the country travel (often hitchhiking) to the Black Sea coast on the night of June 30 to meet the first sun rays on the 1st of July. Naturally, British rock band Uriah Heep’s 1972 hit July Morning is the main refrain.

Although the tradition was emotionally linked to the hippy movement in America, it is still popular in Bulgaria. It is probably not observed anywhere else, because of its specific role as a subtle protest during communist times. Celebrations started in Varna in 1991, two years after the communist government resigned and in recent years have spread to other towns and cities. Initially, celebrants gathered on Pier 1 at the Port of Varna East; now the vigil takes place on beaches as well.

Some argue that the tradition has lost its original meaning over time. Also, younger people do not necessarily know under what circumstances it was started or even who the author of the song was (namely, Uriah Heep). In Bulgaria, the sea is associated in the first place with summer vacation and having a good time, and July 1 is about when vacation starts for most high schools and colleges.

The feeling of elation from the first morning sun rays as a symbol of a new beginning in life, however, is still the main reason people observe the celebration. July Morning may be related to sun worship and to midsummer night rites popular throughout Bulgarian lands ever since antiquity. It is believed that the best way to experience July Morning is to retreat with a few friends to one of the quiet beaches on the Black Sea facing east.

Staro Selo (Old Village) restaurant is situated in the immediate vicinity of the Sea Garden and the Naval Academy in Varna. It has over 100 seats and a rich assortment of salads, starters, main dishes and drinks. In a typical folk-style atmosphere you can enjoy specialties of Bulgarian national cuisine like kavarma, shishcheta, vreteno. The place is suitable for family celebrations, business meetings or simply enjoy a meal with friends. You will have the pleasure to hear the unique Bulgarian folk music, as well as Macedonian and old-time city songs. In Staro Selo you will not only enjoy taste, you will also enjoy what you see and hear.

Rating of 8/10