Where Italian Creativity and Bulgarian Inspiration

One day in April, we’ve got an email starting like that:

“Hello dear Rosey’s Mark Team,

We are opening in one month a boutique exclusive restaurant in the Bulgarian countryside. The restaurant “Dieci” will host only 10 guests per night and will offer an exclusive 10 courses menu, which is going to be a culinary journey through Bulgaria with Italian cooking techniques.

We are interested in your rose water, as we are going to use and promote Bulgarian local products. …”

This is how we’ve got to know chef Gianfranco Chiarini and chef Anna Chiarini and their newest undertaking – inside the 100 years old building of the former school in small village of Devino, Targovishte province, in plain Bulgarian countryside, the two Italian chefs are working hard for the full renovation and transformation of the place – into the first restaurant being awarded the Michelin Star in Bulgaria.

If that sounds to you as brave and as fascinating as it does to us, this Q&A session is a must-read:

Q: Anna, Gianfranco, could you please introduce yourselves for our audience?

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: I am of Italian-Colombian origins and I’ve been raised in the United states of America. I have been in the food business for over 35 years. My activities range from, Michelin restaurants, boutique hotels, R&D Chef, media personality, book writer, restaurateur, global consultant owning The Universal Chefs’ Alliance, the biggest network of culinary professionals globally.

Me and my wife Chef. Anna Chiarini are the proud owners of Dieci Boutique Restaurant.

Chef. Anna Chiarini: With Polish and Italian origins, I grew up between Poland, Italy and Germany. I have graduated with a two Master Degrees from the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Together with my husband, Chef Gianfranco Chiarini, we are creators and owners of Chiarini Culinary Consultants, an innovative international culinary consultancy company with focus on Restaurants, R&D + Healthy Eating Habits.

Our latest endeavour is Dieci – our own boutique restaurant in the Bulgarian province. A place where we can freely express our creative vision and knowledge.

Q: Today you are opening a restaurant in Bulgarian countryside between Veliko Tarnovo and Targovishte. Tell us more – what is the concept behind Dieci Boutique Restaurant?

Chef. Anna Chiarini:  Dieci in Italian means Ten (10). Ten exclusive and lucky guests per night, that will be delighted by our culinary wonders and 10 course tasting menu. At Dieci we embrace the seasons and the products of the territory in a perfect marriage between Italian Creativity and Bulgarian Inspiration.

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: Dieci Boutique Restaurant offers a type of service that is completely new to the Bulgarian culinary scene. The restaurant offers a 10 course tasting menu skilfully paired with a 10 course tasting wine menu. All wines are from Bulgaria and only supplied by Villa Melnik, the only Bulgarian wine grower and producer to be listed in the Best 50 Wineries of the world. In the tasting menu no other drinks will be allowed; no beers, no whisky and no other strong beverages. Neither soft beverages like coke, juices, etc. The reason behind is to keep the flavours of the menu and the organoleptic characteristics of the wine pairing balance free of other confusing elements.

Therefore, only the wines paired with the menu will be allowed or special flavoured waters for those who cannot drink wine or alcohol for personal or religious reasons. Alcoholic beverages of other kind will be available after the menu has finished, if the guests wishes.

Chef. Anna Chiarini:  Another unique characteristic of Dieci Boutique Restaurant can be found here in this link entitled House Policy & Services we invite you to read carefully these policies, as they are extremely important for you to understand the House Services & Advice on Best Behaviour.

Please remember that, Dieci Boutique Restaurant is an exclusive place for not only wealthy people in regards to money, but also wealthy in regards to well manners and etiquette.

Q: You have an amazing international experience. Why did you choose to open a restaurant in Bulgaria?

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: Bulgaria is in our eyes, the last frontier of true and honest products in Europe, and the lifestyle and the pace of the Bulgarian countryside is one of peace and rejuvenating properties.

In Italy, France and Spain the food critic guides and connoisseurs of the highest culinary know well that Chefs living in the countryside can offer better and pure products to their guests. Something their big city counterparts cannot do, as the food has been transported and stored for days. Dieci Boutique Restaurant has a farm to table philosophy and the food tastes absolutely pure and honest.

Chef. Anna Chiarini:  Bulgaria offers breath-taking nature and views that evoke inspiration to us and make us put our product, culinary and service in front of us. The city makes most Chefs forget that their food has to be creative, humble and true to the flavours and therefore city Chefs put themselves in from of their product. This city formula makes the final perception of the food soulless and arrogant. At Dieci Boutique Restaurant the product speaks of humble farm and family flavours in a unique and creative way, but wrapped in glamour presentations.

Q: Who is the visitor of Dieci Boutique Restaurant?

Chef. Anna Chiarini:   In a nutshell, Dieci Boutique Restaurant is a place for food lovers, creative people, culinary adventurers and all those who need and want to have a unique experience in the dining space of Bulgarian restaurants.

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: Also, the guests at Dieci Boutique Restaurant are the High and Middle class part of our society. The reason is due to the price of the menu, although the prices at Dieci Boutique Restaurant have been adapted to the Bulgarian environment. A 10 course tasting menu of this kind in Italy or France could cost around 350 Euros per guest without wine pairing and some 500 Euros per guest including wine pairing. These prices in Western Europe allows only the High Class part of society to dine in this type of restaurants.

At Dieci Boutique Restaurant the full 10 course tasting menu including flavored waters, coffee and tea costs 260,oo BGN (Bulgarian Lev) per person – VAT included and the Wine Pairing (additional): 120,oo BGN (Bulgarian Lev) per person – VAT included.

And the price is not just about getting really good food. Each step of the menu will be explained by the Chefs themselves, the origin of the products and ingredients and the wine pairing properties. Dieci Boutique Restaurant is a place to relax, dine exclusive meals not found anywhere in Bulgaria and at the same time a place to share knowledge and to learn the beauties and rich values of Bulgarian honest products.

Q: You are after unique, genuine Bulgarian ingredients for your menu. How do you see the future for those kind of local food ingredients – rise or decline?

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: Absolute rise! That is why we took the chance and risk to invest away from the cities. We believe that other restaurants serve Bulgarian ingredients in the best way they know. But the global knowledge and consistency of service and standard are not there. That is why the perception of these beautiful Bulgarian ingredients is mismanaged and wrongly perceived.

At Dieci Boutique Restaurant the mission is to show to Bulgarians and foreigners, that the Bulgarian raw products are rich in flavour, purity, but need to be treated with knowledge and care to be perceived correctly.

Chef. Anna Chiarini: This is our mission… teach and mentor the public into the understanding that Bulgarian culinary and Bulgarian products deserve to see eye-to-eye with Italy, France and other great culinary countries.

The products are here and they are ready to be appreciated, the missing link was deep knowledge of preparation and international glamour to present them accordingly, along with high and consistent standards of service. That’s where we come in with our proposal named Dieci Boutique Restaurant.

Q: You have contacted us at Rosey’s mark in connection with the rose as an ingredient for your culinary creations. Would you be so kind to give us a small teasing preview and unveil the secret of your dish incorporating the rose flavour? Is it sour or is it sweet?

Chef. Anna Chiarini: You are right we have contacted you as we have identified Rosey’s mark as the best Rose edible products in the market, as we have contacted producers and artisans of other 100% Bulgarian products. Our mission is also to support the Made in Bulgaria and to make the locals proud of it, to support also artisans such as yourselves to make your products known at the highest level of expression throughout our culinary and to teach foreigners of the value and high standards of some Bulgarian brands like Rosey’s mark.

Chef Gianfranco Chiarini: In regards to your question if the inclusion of Rosey’s mark products in our menu will be a savory or a sweet choice; I have to say both. I will give you some pointers into where and how can be used.

Savoury: We will use in different seasons Rosey’s mark products blended with game, risotto and farmed meats. An example….

• Bulgarian Mallard Duck Breast | Plums and Kazanlak Roses Choucroute | Baked Polenta and Wild Lovech Morels.
• Rose Chocolate and Foie Gras Dome | Wild Mushrooms Duxelle.
• Cured Pork Belly | Roses and Apple Passata | Vanilla scented Potato Puree

Sweet: This season our main dessert is:

• Kazanlak Roses (Rosey’s mark) and Pistachio Sweet Baked Banista & Ricotta Parfait • Artisan Chocolate Boza Velouté.

Now, are you starting to dream being one of the lucky guests to be delighted by the culinary wonders of the award-winning Chefs. Gianfranco Chiarini in the kitchen and Anna Chiarini in the dining room? Dieci boutique restaurant is now open for bookings via the official website here. And if you want to learn more about chefs Gianfranco and Anna Chiarini, take a look here.

From our Rosey’s mark team we say: „In boca al lupo, Dieci restaurant!“ [Italian: Good luck, Dieci restaurant!].