Address: 35a Alexander von Humboldt Str, Sofia
Tel: 088/ 983 34 34; 02/ 973 34 34, [wasabigarden.delicatering.bg]
Open: every day, 11.00 to 23.30
Accepts credit cards

Overall: 4/6
Service: 2/6  
Atmosphere: 5/6
Food:  4/6
Price: $$(European menu)$$$ (Sushi menu)

Recently, a friend asked me if I wanted to go and taste the best breaded French cheese ever. It was thus that I was lured to Wasabi Garden, a sushi and fusion cuisine restaurant in Sofia.

So, we went, and discovered a friendly and cosy atmosphere where we were greeted kindly by a waitress. As it turned out that there were no places in the garden, we were seated inside, which also meant that the service was changed for the worse, as we had a different waitress.

Apart from our grouchy waitress, the place itself was really chic and refined. I had no idea that a place so soothing was hiding behind a humble facade right on the pavement of a neighbourhood street.

Inside, the restaurant is rather long and narrow, with four booths and a few other tables. The left-hand wall, though, is made of mirrors, making the place seem larger than it is. Walking on through, you find yourself in a beautiful garden. The colours are simple – cream white combined with dark chestnut and surrounded with an abundance of greenery. Larger tables are separated from others by canvas partitions that give some privacy. Ah, and let’s not forget the candles that make the atmosphere even softer. The garden is larger than the inside (which is a pity for the restaurant in winter) and is very much in demand on warm evenings. Only a reservation at least three days in advance will guarantee you a seat outside.

Luckily, there was a whole booth free inside, and the three of us settled in comfortably. Since my friend’s initial suggestion was to have the breaded French cheese bites with blueberry jam (250g for 5.50 leva), this was the first thing we ordered – after waiting for 20 minutes for the waitress to come. From the two extensive, bilingual menus – one for European cuisine and the other for sushi – we also chose zucchini cornflakes (300g for 5.50 leva) and a medium nigiri sushi set (270g for 12.90 leva; six pieces of nigiri sushi with salmon, tuna, crab roll, king fish, shrimp and Japanese omelette, plus four pieces of hoso maki), which, as it should, comes with chopsticks. The nigri sushi set was a better choice than the one we had during our next visit – the futo maki set (24 pieces/500g for 24 leva; four salmon, four tuna, four avocado, four crab roll, four Japanese omelette).

And there was nothing with the preparation of the food that I can complain about, but rather my preference in sushi. I always prefer more fish in it and since futo maki is a roll wrapped in seaweed with a tiny piece of fish in its centre, I could barely detect the taste of the fresh seafood.

The quality of both the fish and the rice was pretty good, though. The rice was freshly prepared – my friend pronounced it the best that he had eaten in Sofia, though hastening to add that he was no expert. The fish was fresh, tender, tasty, and, though I suppose that this depends more on the market than the chef, it does illustrate their commitment to finding quality food. I do complain, though, that the sushi pieces were somewhat too large for me to fit in my mouth all at once, and fell apart when I tried to cut them or bite them into smaller pieces.

From the vast number of individual sushi items that Wasabi Garden offers, you can combine different pieces on a wooden plate, if one of the set menus does not suit your fancy.

What really struck me was the lack of a drinks menu – nowhere was there a list of beverages or prices; the waitress had to tell us. We wound up having beer – common Kamenitza (250ml for 1.50 leva) and uncommon Asahi (250ml for five leva), a typical Japanese beer. The latter deserves a try – it was light and refreshing and smoother than most other beers.

In contrast to the slow beginning, the meals came pretty quickly. My order of courgettes came as two halves filled with a mixture of tomato and cheese, covered with kashkaval cheese and baked, all this deliciously decorated with a leaf of lettuce and two pieces of tomatoes on the rim of the plate.

But forget the courgette and the sushi, and focus on the cheese bites. Simply put, they were magical – so tender and succulent that we ate them quickly and immediately ordered another serving. Melted by the heat, the soft, creamy, white-ivory French cheese (the menu did not say any specific type) cubes with crisp golden breading were arranged in a circle around a small bowl of blueberry jam. Even the colours themselves were in a beautiful, appetising harmony. Every time that we have gone there after our initial visit, the cheese bites have been on our table. And, so it seems, not only on ours, but on many of the other tables, too!

We went away pleased with the meal, but a bit annoyed by the service, which had suggested that we ask for the bill, without us even requesting it, in effect, asking us to leave. The waitress suggested that we sit outside in the cafe if we really wanted to continue our night, but after that, who would?

($ up to 12 leva a person for three courses; $$ 12 to 20 leva/pp; $$$ 20 to 35/pp; $$$$ 35 and over/pp)