My parents were Southern California yuppies, and modest though they were with their yuppiness, they had their share of late 1970s / early 1980s curry parties. Blame it on some ageing, yellowy mix of unknown spices hiding in the back of the cupboard, blame it on half of the family preferring hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob to anything with a hint of nose-tingling heat, but Indian food just never made its way to the dinner table: curry was an evil word. (Perhaps it is besides the fact, but "curry" as a word does not exist in India, and no self-respecting Indian cook would use a pre-made blend of spices and herbs in his or her food.)

So the first taste of real Indian food, probably at one of the many parties that my Indian friends at university hosted, was a pleasant surprise – it was good. Things take time. And in Bulgaria, now, it appears that such a revolution is occurring. There are now four Indian restaurants in Sofia, as far as I can find, and one in Varna. Out of these five, I have eaten at three of the Indian restaurants in Sofia, and out of these three, it is the restaurant in question in this review, Kohinoor, which earns lauds for being the best.

The food at Kohinoor is prepared by Rajinder Kumar, a tandoori chef from New Delhi who previously worked in restaurants in Denmark and Sweden. Opened in early April 2008, Kohinoor, which means "mountain of light" in Hindi, has won over visitors with its authentic cooking, encompassing both meat and vegetarian options. The menu (Bulgarian and well-translated English) has lists of dishes like chana chat, a lightly spicy mix of chickpeas, finely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers seasoned with chat masala; shami kebab, small patties of minced lamb and lentils cooked in a tandoor; reshmi kebab, a Muglai dish of chicken marinated in yoghurt and Indian spices; prawns dhansak, where the flavours and textures of shrimp and lentils come together in a thick, spiced sauce; and the shahi paneer, cubes of homemade Indian cheese in a tomato-cream gravy, not to mention traditional Indian desserts.

A daily lunch menu offers more typical Bulgarian cuisine (most dishes less than five leva).

Prices are reasonable – main dishes are about 10 to 20 leva – and the peaceful below-ground setting is secluded from the bustle of nearby Hristo Botev Boulevard. The aroma of sizzling spices, combined with roasted meats and herbs, greets guests on their walk down the stairs. Decor is Indian-inspired, and tasteful, with select statues and crazy 1970s-style lamps and traditional wall-hangings somehow escaping the label of "kitsch". Another plus is the music: contemporary Indian tunes played at a low volume, just enough to encourage the mind and spirit to wander somewhere outside of Bulgaria.

In addition, there is seating on the ground level, both inside (a table or two) and outside (two tables). It could be best to call ahead for evening dining, even during the summer, and even during the work week: there on a recent Tuesday night, I was surprised to see that three of the tables were reserved for larger parties.

Perhaps what makes the food at Kohinoor so good is that the kitchen is run by people who grew up in India. (Being a (self-taught) acolyte of cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, I can say that, at least personally, there is no replacement for having grown up with a specific style of cooking as to bring about as authentic results.) The favourite dish, so far, has been the lamb masala (15.90 leva), where 16 spices fuse to form a richly fragrant sauce, in which are bathed tender chunks of lamb. Slightly sweet (perhaps from pomegranate syrup?) and a tad spicy, living up to its one chilli pepper rating.

Also worth trying is the gajar ka halva (4.50 leva), a sweet of grated carrot cooked with sugar and milk and some walnuts until it forms a homogeneous mass, then rolled into balls and covered in dried coconut (five truffle-sized balls served sprinkled with cubes of dried pineapple and mango). This is a recipe that Jaffrey includes in her book An Invitation to Indian Cooking; I have never had the patience to attempt it.

The naan with lamb (2.50 leva) was a plate-sized circle of warm, fresh tandoor-baked bread, filled with something described as lamb, but so thinly spread that it was hard to tell; still, it got all eaten up, happily.

The only item that has disappointed to date has been the stick salad (5.50 leva), which was sticks of raw vegetables, sprinkled with warm Indian spices; nice and simple, and a good choice for a shared appetiser, the downside was that the carrots were woody. On the other hand, the waitress kindly let me order mango pickle (spicy, but not enough to make the eyes run) instead of the mint sauce that was to come with the salad.

On all the occasions that I have visited Kohinoor, it has always been the same waitress. But I like her: she is very proper, knowledgeable, polite – professional, even! Able to describe the dishes, she must keep in good contact with the kitchen, something that more waitstaff in Bulgaria should think to do.

Overall 5/6
Service 4/6
Atmosphere 3/6
Food 5/6
Price $$$
($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva pp; $$$ 20 to 35 pp; $$$$ 35 and over pp)

Address:
3 Khan Asparouh Str, Sofia
Tel: 088/ 253 25 41, kohinoor.bg
Open: Monday to Friday 11am to 11pm, Saturday 5pm to 11pm
Credit cards: yes