Interview with JRE member Filip Zahariev
Normally, top chefs let their culinary creations speak for themselves — every ingredient, technique, and presentation reflects their passion and philosophy. In this JRE member interview, we go beyond the plate to explore the journey and inspirations of Filip Zahariev from ONÀ.
Introduction
Can you give us a short introduction with your name, location, how long you've been a chef, and at which restaurant you currently work?
My name is Filip Zahariev. I’m the chef and owner of ONÀ, a small fine-dining restaurant tucked away in the wild and forgotten village of Stakevtsi, in the northwest corner of Bulgaria—just a few kilometers from the Serbian border. I’ve been cooking professionally for 21 years, with a journey that’s taken me from the fjords of Norway to the forests of Finland, and even six intense years in Longyearbyen, Svalbard—the northernmost inhabited place on Earth. All of those experiences now come together at ONÀ.
Early inspiration
Can you tell us a bit about your journey in the culinary world? How did you start, and what inspired you to become a chef?
There are two reasons, I guess. First, I’ve always loved to eat, and as a child I spent a lot of time around my grandmother, who was a professional cook. Without realizing it, I think the idea of becoming a chef was planted early on. Subconsciously. Second, I wasn’t very interested in school. I preferred spending my time playing football — I was a goalkeeper — and doing things that felt real and physical.
After high school, cooking just felt natural. It was something I could do well, without forcing myself into books. At one point, I enrolled in law school — mostly to avoid military service in Bulgaria at the time — but I dropped out in the first semester. I was already working in a kitchen by then and realized I didn’t want to leave it. I felt alive there.
Philosophy in the kitchen
What is your philosophy when it comes to cooking and creating new dishes?
I wouldn’t really call it a philosophy, it’s more of a feeling. Ideas usually come to me in random moments. I might be scrolling through Instagram and see something interesting, or walking through the forest looking for mushrooms, or riding my bike and suddenly start thinking about flavors. Something clicks, and I get the urge to try it out.
Like most chefs, I take inspiration from everywhere. Nobody’s reinventing the wheel. We’re all just building on things we’ve seen, tasted, or felt. For me, the most important thing is taste. I care less about how a dish looks and more about what it makes you feel when you eat it. That’s why I often serve food in bowls at ONÀ. Bowls give me freedom to layer flavors and textures naturally, without worrying too much about appearance. Everything somehow works in a bowl. On a flat plate, it’s a different challenge.
But even at a recent pop-up dinner in Sofia, where my dishes were served on plates, many guests told me afterward that as soon as they started eating, they already knew which ones were mine, and which ones were made by the restaurant team. That meant a lot.
A Signature Dish
Could you share the story behind one of your signature dishes?
One of our signature dishes is roasted pumpkin with miso sauce, walnuts, and black truffle. It’s a dish that came together naturally, almost out of necessity, and that’s what makes it so special.
There’s an old man who lives just across the river — our neighbor, really — who grows an enormous amount of pumpkins every year. He stores them in his basement, and they last all through the seasons. So for us, pumpkin isn’t just an autumn thing, it’s always around. And it should be. Pumpkins are one of the most wasted vegetables in the world. Millions of tons get thrown out every year, which makes no sense to me. They’re easy to grow, they store beautifully, and they’re everywhere in Bulgaria. Honestly, I don’t even understand why we sell them in supermarkets. In an ideal world, pumpkins would just be given away, like windfall apples or garden zucchinis.
So we make it a point not to waste a single one. The dish itself is built around this idea of using what’s already around us. The miso is made in-house from beans given to us by the grannies in the village. The walnuts come from trees that grow wild all over the region. You’ll see people stopping on the roadside, beating the branches with sticks just to collect them. And of course, there’s truffle. Stakevtsi is surrounded by forest, and truffles are just part of the soil here. So we grate a bit on top, not to show off, but because it belongs.
The dish is simple. But it’s everything we believe in: don’t waste, use what you have, and make it taste like home.
Culinary Staples
What is your favorite ingredient to work with, and why?
Salt. Definitely salt, and black pepper. Everything needs them. Salt is what brings food to life. Without it, even the best ingredients taste flat. It’s the quiet hero in the kitchen, the thing you don’t think about until it’s missing, and then you realize nothing works without it.
Black pepper is different. It’s not about necessity, it’s about character. It gives that little extra push, a small kick that makes flavors stand up. At ONÀ, we don’t use many herbs or spices. We prefer food to taste like itself. For me, good salt and freshly ground black pepper are all the magic you need.
The Essence of ONÀ
Can you describe the concept of your restaurant and what makes it unique?
ONÀ is not just a place to eat, it’s an experience built around connection, surprise, and a sense of presence. Guests take off their shoes at the door and put on hand-knitted socks or slippers. They sit together around one long table for 12 people. Most of them arrive as strangers and leave as friends.
The dining room is lit only by candles. No artificial lights. That alone changes everything; it slows time down, softens people, makes the whole evening feel like a quiet ritual. There’s music playing too, but not background noise, this is music that means something to me. Each song is part of a memory, a place, a mood. The playlist is personal, and surprisingly, guests often tell me how much they connect to it.
There’s no menu to choose from. Everyone shares the same surprise tasting menu, and we only ask what you don’t eat, so we can avoid it. The rest is part of the adventure.
And then there’s the location. Stakevtsi is a tiny, remote village with fewer than 100 elderly residents. It’s the last place you’d expect to find a fine dining restaurant. But maybe that’s what makes it so special. We’re surrounded by forest, silence, and forgotten beauty, and ONÀ fits right into that rhythm.
Must-See Attractions
What’s one thing in the area that guests must see or do?
If you’re coming to this part of Bulgaria, you absolutely have to visit the Belogradchik Rocks. They’re just 15 minutes from Stakevtsi, and honestly, it’s one of the most breathtaking places in the country. Massive rock formations shaped like people, animals, and towers rise out of the earth. Millions of years ago, this whole area was the bottom of a sea, and what you see today is nature’s slow, patient sculpture — wind, water, and time carving the rocks into shapes that feel almost mythical. In 2016, they were even nominated as one of the natural wonders of the world.
Not far from there — about 40 minutes from us — is Magura Cave. It’s one of the largest and most impressive caves in Bulgaria, filled with prehistoric drawings and huge chambers that feel like something out of a fantasy film.
And of course, the region is rich in good wine. There are several wineries nearby, and many of them offer tastings. It’s a quiet area, but full of surprises — just like ONÀ.
Advice for Aspiring Chefs
What advice would you give to aspiring chefs who want to follow in your footsteps?
