Hard to believe it’s been around four months since my last dining out experience. Never could we have conceived of a global crisis in which every restaurant, bar, pub and café in the country would be closed, what that would mean for our social connections, and more significantly, what that would mean for the thousands of businesses out there, thrown into such an uncertain scenario.
I’d avoided venturing out for the first couple of weeks following the easing of lockdown rules – in my head, I pictured rowdy raucousness throbbing through the streets, and despite a little of that going down in places, it didn’t seem as intense as I’d expected. So when I did finally decide to book that much-anticipated first restaurant visit, it had to be somewhere special.
Scottish restaurant Mac and Wild was that place, having sat firmly atop my restaurant bucket list for two years, ever since drooling over a photo of their ice cream-topped sticky toffee pudding on Instagram.
Ironically, I didn’t end up trying that very sticky toffee pudding (which probably means I’ll have to make a return visit one day), but here’s how the rest of it went…
With Fitzrovia all booked up, we arrived at their Devonshire Square branch, having booked one of the lovely-looking socially-distanced huts, complete with a seating for up to 4, and your very own self-serve drinks cabinet. In my head, I’d pictured these being outside, but their three, I have to say it as it is, sheds, were opposite the bar inside. Nonetheless, they still created a sense of privacy and intimacy, shielded from other diners. Had I booked one of these huts outdoors in winter, complete with blankets, and heating, I think it would’ve been beautiful – both atmospheric and cosy, but as it were, dining in one of those indoors in 27 degree heat, it was a little on the sweaty side.
Being a Scottish restaurant, there are a number of haggis-inspired dishes on the menu, including their Haggis Pops, which we ordered to start. I should also mention at this point that their menu was limited, compared to what their Devonshire Square-specific online menu stated they had. I had been so desperate to try their Venison Scotch Egg, but it was nowhere to be found, so settled for the Haggis Pops.
Never (ashamedly) having tried haggis before, it’s difficult for me to judge, as I’m not familiar with the standard flavours and textures, however, the pops came as little fried bites, the meaty haggis filling encased in a crunchy shell. Whilst I enjoyed the outer crunch and the flavours, the texture wasn’t necessarily to my liking – oddly, despite being meaty, it had the texture of a potato croquette filling, and I’ve expressed my views on potatoes here before… To accompany the pops there’s a cranberry-mustard, or ‘Red Jon’ sauce. We spent a good few minutes trying to pinpoint what exactly the sauce was comprised of, intrigued by the sharp and sweet notes, before reluctantly giving in when ‘mustard’ was all we could come up with, and resorting to consulting the ingredients list.
Once again, when it came to ordering mains, I was disappointed to see that amongst the side dishes, the Haggis Mac and Cheese I’d set my heart on didn’t feature. Luckily, they were still offering their Truffle Mushroom Mac and Cheese, which I chose to accompany their signature ‘Venimoo’ Burger. The Venimoo features beef and venison patties, with Béarnaise sauce, cheese, pickles and caramelised onions. The burger was very good. Juicy patties, full of flavour, with a sharp, tanginess from the pickles and the warming, creaminess of the Béarnaise sauce and melting cheese. I can’t say it was mind-blowing (I’ve unintentionally ended up with pretty sky high standards), but the quality and flavours certainly made it worth ordering.
Interestingly my highlight was the Truffle Mushroom Mac and Cheese. Despite not being a speciality dish of theirs, I loved the consistency – a super creamy cheese sauce, without the overwhelming sickliness that truffle can sometimes bring. The mushrooms were cut into large cubed pieces, which I surprisingly enjoyed, cementing its place amongst the best mac and cheeses I’ve tried in London.
As previously mentioned, I didn’t get round to trying the Sticky Toffee Pudding in the end, which only calls for a return visit, however, I’ll be sticking to the soft drinks next time, as the cheapest bottle of white wine came in at £36, despite the drinks menu on their website listing white wine prices as ranging between £20 and £74. For me, this was the most significant issue; service had been good, the food was good to excellent, but for those of us not rolling in money who fancy a drink, £36, when you know full well the bottle isn’t worth that, hurts. It feels almost wrong to say anything negative about businesses that are fighting to survive right now, but having been furloughed myself, and seeing a drop in income, I can’t ignore such limited options when it comes to drinks pricing, particularly as the food prices are very reasonable, which just makes the wine list prices seem even more out of place.
Having said that, I’m so glad to be back eating out, and sharing my thoughts, having enjoyed months of home cooking and takeaways. There’s just something that can’t be beaten about the whole restaurant experience, from the social aspect, to holding a physical menu in front of you and spending an unnecessarily long time indecisively asking the waiters for another 5 minutes to decide.
Restaurants need our support now more than ever, so if you’re craving a high quality burger and wonderful Mac and Cheese, Mac and Wild is a solid choice.
Another food-travel post has landed. Less of the
other-side-of-the-world Indian adventure this time, and instead, a jam-packed
city break a little closer to home.
If you haven’t already guessed from the puntastic title (it’s terrible but I’d be a fool to let it slip by), I spent a few days in Budapest, which seems to be becoming one of the most popular city break destinations in Europe.
My previous travel posts have taken quite different forms;
Brazil was more of a guide, India was grouped into categories, and Bologna had
a more story-telling feel to it. This time I’m going to go through my foodie
experiences dish by dish, giving a mini insight into each one.
I ate a lot. A lot a lot a lot. The gym will be seeing a lot
of me this week to compensate. But it was entirely worth it, so here we go…
So, our first dinner took place at Aurum Bistro, and had been recommended by my parents who had a great meal there. I’d studied the menu on multiple occasions so had a pretty good idea of what I was going to have.
Dish number 1: Traditional Goulash Soup
I love that my very first taste of Hungary was of their most famous dish. You’ll often find this in two forms on restaurant menus – firstly as a lighter, less meat-heavy soup in the Starter section, and then again as a thicker, more hearty stew as a Main.
The paprika had a spicier kick to it than we’re used to at
home, and overall I thought the soup was delicious, with soft, creamy veg, and
not too much beef.
I rate it: 9/10
Dish Number 2: Duck Breast with Porcini Risotto
This particular dish was recommended by my parents and so
was basically the whole reason I wanted to try out this restaurant.
The duck had been cooked beautifully, was super tender with
lots of flavour and the creamy risotto was the perfect accompaniment.
I rate it: 9/10
Dish number 3: Somlói Sponge Cake
Dessert-wise we shared a couple of things between us so that
we could try more. Somlói ended up popping up on literally every menu we came
across, and I’m a sucker for the word ‘traditional’ – I will always (sometimes naively)
buy into anything that claims to be a staple ‘must-try’.
This one was odd though, it looked great, but I wasn’t mad
on it. Maybe because of the marzipan and nutty flavours, and the sponge felt
damp, as opposed to moist (get over it).
I’m glad I tried it but I don’t need to order it again..
I rate it: 4/10
Dish number 4: Gundel Pancake
Another traditional dessert, I preferred this second one, but it still wasn’t quite to my taste. It looked very striking, with the almost black chocolate sauce and bright pink mini meringue, but the nutty pancake filling, again, didn’t do it for me. It’s quite a bitter dessert, with a subtle orangey flavour, but so far, the savoury is still outperforming the sweet.
I rate it: 6/10
Dish number 5: Meat Lover’s Langos
A brand new day, and after spending a while at the thermal
baths, we were super hungry by the time we got to the Great Market Hall. All
the food hubs are upstairs, and you have to push your way through the long
queues and narrow walkways. For me, there was no doubt that I was going to get
a Langos – I’d heard a lot about them before arriving in Budapest.
The base is so much tastier than it looks. The dough is soft, warm, with a lightly-fried flavour and you can pile toppings as high as you like. I went for the meatiest option, with chicken, salami, lots of grated cheese and of course sour cream, which the Hungarians seem to be obsessed with. I would’ve loved it if the cheese had been melted but it was still good.
You kind of have to ignore the fact that all the toppings
are pre-prepared and have been sitting around for ages in Subway-style plastic
boxes, but this is not a gourmet dish, it’s a typical fast, street food and so
if this is what you expect, you won’t be disappointed at all.
I rate it: 8/10
Dish number 6: Duck Liver Paté
It’s not the first time I’ve gone away, not thought to pre-book restaurants at the weekend, and found myself struggling through the city desperately hoping somewhere will take us. That’s exactly what happened to us on the Friday night, and not willing to compromise on Hungarian food in favour of generic bbq and burger places, we eventually found somewhere with the capacity to take us in (Cupákos restaurant).
I tried some of this starter that my flatmate ordered, as
duck and goose liver are another thing that can be found on every menu in
Budapest. This was lovely and creamy, and a great sized starter that’s not too
filling.
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 7: Bone Marrow
This restaurant didn’t have any appealing desserts so we went all out on the starters. I was super excited to order mine as I’ve never had bone marrow before, and I was already slightly disappointed that we hadn’t been able to get a table in the restaurant that had rooster testicle stew on the menu (lol), so this was a decent, slightly unconventional alternative.
I didn’t realise the texture would be so sort of mushy, not
that that’s a bad thing. To be honest I’m not really sure what it actually
tastes like because all I could taste was garlic and butter but I would never
complain about such a thing. I really, really enjoyed it and would defo order
again.
I rate it: 9/10
Dish number 8: Pork Neck with Potatoes and Parsnip Purée
This was one dish that didn’t look the most exciting (especially with those awful cheap-looking red plates) but actually was delicious. The pork was beautiful, and the puréed parsnip delicious. Normally I’m put off by the concept of purées because they’re too fussy and often you’re just given a tiny blob, but this was enough to make it worthwhile and really highlighted the flavour of the parsnip. I didn’t even mind the potatoes, which I always complain are normally a waste of carbs!
I rate it: 9/10
Dish number 9: Chimney Cake
I had sussed out Street Cakes on Instagram before arriving, as their Chimney Cakes looked incredible – full of colour and with every topping you can imagine.
The little café was cute with friendly ladies serving, and I chose to build my own, but using a picture of one I’d found on Instagram as my inspiration. There was cinnamon sugar on the outside, a thin layer of jam in the middle, and then the hollow dough was filled with banana ice cream and topped with marshmallows, sprinkles and caramel sauce.
It looks beautiful and it tasted good. The dough was actually crunchier than I’d expected, and the banana ice cream did taste very artificial but I suppose that’s what you have to expect of anything that describes itself as ‘banana-flavoured’.
To be honest though, his isn’t something you order for the flavour – it’s all about the aesthetic, the indulgence and the fun, so I’d recommend this place for those reasons.
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 10: Goosey Gustav Burger
What’s a trip abroad without trying out their exclusive Mcdonald’s menu items? After my Chimney Cake, I couldn’t stomach a whole meal so just went for the intriguing-sounding Goosey Gustav burger.
What could be more Hungarian in Mcdonald’s than beef patties topped with goose liver?? Honestly, other than a standard Big Mac, this was the best burger I’ve ever eaten in Mcdonald’s, from the textures to the flavour. Not sure exactly what the mayo was but it wasn’t just plain and it tasted amazing with the liver. It is a double burger but I took out one patty, as for me, having multiple patties never enhances the flavour or eating experience and I wasn’t particularly hungry.
So buzzed from this still.
I rate it: 10/10
Dish number 11: Curried Apple and Celeriac Soup with Toasted Almonds and Pesto
Our final dinner took place at Alma and Körte, which was another place I had seen good reviews of on Instagram. This soup just sounded so interesting to me, and it was probably the best thing I ate all trip. It was delicious, from the celeriac flavour with the sweetness of the apple, to the crunch of the slivered almonds and oiliness of the pesto, with a beautifully creamy finish overall. You must try this.
I rate it: 10/10
Dish number 12: Lamb Shank with Dried Fig Cous Cous
I’ve never actually had lamb shank before so Budapest was
amazing for encouraging me to try types of meat yet undiscovered to me.
Although the meat had been cooked really well, I’m not sure
the heavy, rich sauce worked so well with lamb. I feel like it would’ve been
better suited to a meat with a less distinctive flavour like beef or ox. I
still enjoyed it but it wasn’t the best combination. The cous cous was very
nice though, and made a change from all the root veg side dishes I’d had so
far.
I rate it: 7.5/10
Dish number 13: Cottage Cheese Fritters with Forest Fruit Compote
This sounds weird. And a bit scary. Cottage cheese. As a
dessert. Fried. But omg I loved it. The fried exterior wasn’t oily or heavy or
too thick, it was just enough of a crunch to work amazingly with the soft
cheesy centre. Most of the flavour came from the deep, sharp compote and so
there was no issue with the cheese tasting odd.
I rate it: 8.5.10
Dish number 14: Mulled Wine
May as well throw a drink review in here, especially as weirdly I’d never tried mulled wine before because I never used to like spices in sweet foods and drinks. We got this from the small Christmas market in Deák Ferenc Square where the Budapest Eye is. We got to keep the cute mug, and although it was very sweet, it was ideal for a cold winter’s day.
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 15: Pork with Potato Rosti
I was amazed by the food on offer at the market, and wanted
to try everything, but with eyes bigger than my belly, I had to try and be at
least a little bit sensible. I didn’t actually know that the pork came with the
potato rosti when I first ordered it. I got drawn in by the whole pig head
sitting on the display and had to try the meat. I have to admit that it was
very salty, and so was more hammy than porky with that slightly rubbery
texture. Having said that, for some reason I absolutely loved the rosti. It was
very oily having obviously just been deep fried but god it tasted good.
I rate it: 6/10
for the pork, 9.5/10 for the rosti
Dish number 16: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Paprika Sausage
Cabbage rolls were another thing that I felt I couldn’t leave without trying. These ones were stuffed with pork, came with more cabbage on the side and a big paprika sausage and of course, drowned in sour cream. The sausage was great, really flavoursome, and the cabbage was also really nice, although it’s briney flavour can be divisive, as to my flatmate, the sourness of it tasted a bit ‘gone off’. Again though, this whole dish was super salty, so I left a huge amount which is not like me – not necessarily because I was full but just because I couldn’t take anymore of the salt!
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 17: Marzipan Ball
My final few ‘dishes’ are all sweet treats that I bought from the market to take home. I’d always said I didn’t like marzipan, but as I’m so much less fussy now than I was years ago, I decided to retry it. I can still understand why I hated it so much when I was little, as the aftertaste does tend to linger, but actually this was pretty nice, what with the soft, spongey centre.
The stall where I got these treats had so much on offer so
there’s definitely something to satisfy everyone.
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 18: Don’t have a fucking clue what this was
Very helpful. Kinda biscuity. Biscuit-sandwich-like. Sticky,
nutty filling. Bit of a chocolate glaze. Tastes good. Why not try?
I rate it: 7/10
Dish number 19: Chocolate Bark with Dried Cranberries
This didn’t seem as traditional, i.e. I’m sure I could find something like this at home, but it looked so appetising and tasted equally as good. The chocolate was slightly crunchy and then the sweet cranberries on top added a sharp spike of flavour. Don’t know how I only managed to take one bite, but then again, it is sitting in my room now, waiting for me to devour it when I’m craving a snack.
I rate it: 8/10
Dish number 20: Cherry Rétes (Strudel)
It’s so satisfying that without trying, I’ve finished on
such a clean number of dishes. Number 20, and the last thing I ate was this
lovely, and very filling strudel. They had options with cottage cheese, and
also apple versions but I went for the pure cherry.
The pastry is thin but not very flaky which was good, and
there is a generous amount of filling inside. Again, I only had one bite but
can’t wait to finish this off at some point.
I rate it: 8/10
Budapest really did surprise me in terms of how much of a foodie destination it is. And so that’s everything!
Almost…
Have to give a shoutout to the Cardamom Chocolate Plum Jam that I took a risk in buying at the market because it sounded incredible, but I didn’t manage to get it through airport security RIP 😦
Just a few little notes before I leave:
We suffered numerous dramas along the way which ultimately
just added to our experience but here are my words of warning for anyone
venturing to Budapest.
Don’t be fooled (by the rocks that I got..). You do not need slippers to go in the outdoor thermal baths, you only need them for the indoor ones. So if you’re not going in the indoor ones, do not let the misleading sign above (or the snake of a lady at the slipper stall) trick you into thinking you need to buy them. We bought them, realised our mistake, had a go at a few people, and eventually got a refund after standing our ground. If in doubt just take some flip flops with you.
If you head to where the famous ruin bars are (which you should), do not go into this bar which I unfortunately don’t know the name of but has this ridiculous sticker outside (see image below) which they must’ve stolen or forged. We ordered drinks separately and as I was about to pay, my flatmate questioned why she was being charged much more for her wine then mine. The old bald man behind the bar started making up a load of bullshit and just plucking prices out of thin air, and upon being questioned he then had a tantrum and aggressively told us he suddenly didn’t have any white wine and took the glasses back from us. If you don’t want to be treated poorly by a sexist loser then do not visit this bar which is next to Szimpla Kert.
Beware of old 500 Forint notes. We were given one in change without realising it was old and then nowhere would accept it so then couldn’t spend that at all and had basically been shortchanged. The old note is darker in its red colour than the new one which is brighter but safer to google it if you’re not sure.
Beware of the bar behind this door and it’s ginormous bellend of a barman
Once again, if you’ve read all of this, thanks a million,
plz like and subscribe via email to hear about more adventures of mine.
¡Comemos! 