The local gastronomic landscape is increasingly diverse, and one of the newest “appearances” confirms this. What is Nishani’s story

Nishani IA Fi Sau A Nu Fi is among the most recent appearances in the Bucharest gastronomic landscape and makes its contribution to the culinary diversity that the city has begun to shape, fortunately. And even if now everyone is talking about the finger-licking food there, literally, inspired by the Aromanian tradition, Nishani IA Fi Sau A Nu Fi is actually an impeccably made bar, around which the part of gastronomy has been added . Whimsical? Maybe, but not only.

Nishani To Be Or Not To Be means a lot. The word itself, with its special sonority, and that playful “A Fi Sau A Nu Fi” from the completion put you as if in front of a riddle. You may or may not solve it, but you are attracted to it anyway. Nishani is an Aromanian word that has multiple meanings that are not even synonyms. Thus, Nishani means arvuna, betrothal gifts, decoration, wonder, audacity, distinctive mark, splendor and target. Lots of options, right? Do you choose one or more? But somehow, this complexity of vocabulary, which certainly arouses interest, actually hides a simplicity of the project itself. Nishani was a natural step for its founders, with a solid experience in the HoReCa field, a return to their aromatic roots and a transposition of them into a revisited culinary experience. Whimsical or splendour? Maybe both.

“Nishani’s story is not a very complex one. We have been active in the HoReCa field for a long time, and it was a somewhat natural step to open a restaurant with specific aromas, as we have aromatic roots. We opened on January 26, 2024”, say the representatives of Nishani IA Fi Sau A Nu Fi.

Active in the industry since 2008, the Nishani founders are the same as those behind the Interbelic bar, the place to which the most white nights are connected for many Bucharesters.

“Then we opened the restaurant Linea I Closer to the moon, in 2017, to then start the project Nostalgia Retro Disco Future in 2018 and Indigen I Space for the soul in 2023. Having aromatic roots, we felt the need for a space that explores more Aromanian gastronomy. Thus, we decided to do this ourselves and give it a modern twist.” Nishani appeared at the beginning of this year right in the center of Bucharest, a place that today protects many international culinary experiences. Things didn’t quite go according to plan on the long-term part of the arrangement, but in the end they came out as they should, like a miracle.

“The arrangement of the space took much longer than I initially estimated, since it was the entire building. Inside, we have around 50 seats around the bar, which is the heart of the restaurant, with tables actually behind it. The place is thought of as a living room where both modern elements and traditional aromatic elements meet.”

Furthermore, the menu reflects both the founders’ love for their cultural roots and their desire to evolve and explore.

“We try to bring the traditional flavors of aromatic cuisine to the modern world, experimenting with unique flavor combinations, transforming classic dishes and creating a dining experience that is both nostalgic and surprising.”

The first dishes that attract attention are those in the category “To lick your fingers”, in which case, as the name says, the recommendation is to be enjoyed directly with your hand, just as you would in the privacy of your home.

“The basic products we use in the kitchen are brought from local producers, even from the aromatic villages of Dobrogea, such as sheep’s cheese.” Before opening, the team of chefs spent many days in aromatic households, learning and improving together with the real experts, to be able to reproduce the authentic taste as faithfully and as close to reality as possible. “In short, we want that when we ourselves go to Nishani, we find the same taste that we felt in childhood when we went to Muma’s house and she cooked all these goodies.”

At the moment, the Nishani team has approximately 25 people and is constantly growing. But the whimsy is only now coming, because although at first sight Nishani would be a restaurant, in reality it is not quite like that or not only that.

“In general, people choose a restaurant based on what they find on the food menu. We want to plant in people’s minds the idea that there are places where you go out first of all to drink something good and then to eat something good.” Thus, the Nishani bar is conceived as a kitchen.

“The bar is based on a laboratory, all the drinks are prepared there in their final form and then served in the restaurant.”

The novelty is represented by the equipment used to prepare the drinks and which is found in the laboratory.

“Practically, we have all the equipment you would find in a fine drinking & dining laboratory, such as a rotary evaporator, centrifuge or supersonic mixer. The easiest way to explain what happens in the laboratory is with an example.”

Thus, imagine mixing gin, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt and matcha tea, resulting in a greenish combination that is then centrifuged.

“Here, the liquid separates from the solid and thus we obtain a “plasma” that you will later find in your glass. The solid part is placed in a cheesecloth, foamed, microwaved and dehydrated to be the solid part of the drink, i.e., the decoration. This drink is called Made in Japan like those “good” labels and you can find it on our menu.”

And who knows if from a drink or two or maybe more, you won’t end up with engagement gifts and other splendours like a miracle. Returning to Nishani, even if the place has just opened, its founders have other plans, vast and varied, but all in their own time.

“Any kind of statement at this moment would be like a promise and as everything does not always depend on us, we do not want to promise anything. Especially since the element of surprise is also part of the show. Stay tuned.