EVERYONE LOVES TAJ MAHAL

When Martin Mazhdrakov opened an Indian restaurant in central Sofia, 22 years ago, this was a huge leap of faith for the IT entrepreneur. Back in the day, he had zero experience in running a restaurant business, let alone one specialising in cuisine that was virtually unknown in Bulgaria. And yet, with time, perseverance, dedication and passion, he and his team turned Taj Mahal into one of the most beloved establishments in Sofia. Martin Mazhdrakov, an avid traveller, shares more about this astonishing journey – and why Indian food has a special place in his heart.

Do you remember when and how you tried Indian food for the first time? What impressed you the most?

I tried Indian food for the first time a year before opening Taj Mahal. One can talk for hours about Indian cuisine, as India is an entire subcontinent that is the home of over a billion people who have created an astonishing variety of culinary traditions. 

Martin Mazdrakov

I, personally, was impressed by the diversity of spices and tastes. How, thanks to them, with very simple ingredients you can make something utterly delicious. In this respect Indian cuisine stands out from other culinary traditions, which sometimes require very expensive ingredients.

Do you have a favourite Indian dish? Indian cuisine is a universe – do you like the traditions of a particular geographical region more?

I like chicken tikka masala, dal makhani, all types of biryani rice, and Indian breads. When in India, I enjoy the cuisine of South India. It is rather different to what is made in the rest of the country and is mainly vegetarian. Usually, Indian restaurants outside India focus on the food of the North.

You are a dedicated traveller – which part of India do you love visiting and rediscovering again and again?

Indeed, I have a passion for travel and I hope that by New Year's I would have been to over 100 countries. India is huge, and I have been there at least ten times. I have a soft spot for Southern India and its seaside sites.

What was the biggest challenge you had to deal with while you were opening Taj Mahal?

There were so many challenges, like successfully bringing cooks from India. Twenty-two years ago this was a very, very hard task that required a lot of time, resources and effort. Our first cook waited about nine months before we were able to get all his documents in order. Then came the challenge to find all the types of spices that we use in our kitchen. Back in the day many of them were unheard of in Bulgaria and were unavailable on the local market. Initially, we used to import them from India, later we switched to European suppliers.

Taj Mahal Restaurant has welcomed satisfied clients for over 20 years now. How do you manage to remain relevant to the constantly changing customers' tastes and attitudes?

In 2024 we celebrated our 22th anniversary. We all know how hard it is to constantly offer new and new dishes and keep consistent quality through the years.

For me, the most important thing is the loyal staff. This is how you can offer consistently reliable tastes and food through the years, while improving the quality on a daily basis. We have worked with our chef almost since the restaurant's opening.

Sofia, 11 Eleventh August St

tajmahal.bg@gmail.com

bookings: 0876 600 776

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