Restaurant Budapest 107 Manchester Street Phone 60-778 B.Y.O.

Press, 27 January 1988, Page 20

Restaurant Budapest 107 Manchester Street Phone 60-778 B.Y.O.

MAURICE HUNTER

I had dined two or three times at the Budapest. While the memory has become a little hazy in the four years since the last visit, I have, in the back of my mind, an impression of blackness — not the restaurant, but the meals. I seemed to recall that all courses appeared on the table dredged in a jet black sauce, and differing only in the contour of various lumps and bumps underneath. One was unable to say, with any degree of accuracy, what

meat had been used in the recipe until put to the taste test.

So, as we approached the Budapest one Friday evening just before Christmas, I reflected that it would be interesting to note whether any differences had been effected, or whether we would have to indulge in a game of ‘‘Guess the Gastronomies?”

There was a difference. On the reception desk was a card informing us that our hostess was Violeta Yankov, and that certainly was not the name of the owner four years ago.

Instead of the young men in tight pants and cummerbunds whom I remembered, we were greeted by a pleasantly mannered young woman who, I discovered later, also doubled as a waitress.

My wife asked, “Are

you having some Christmas parties?” “One,” was the laconic reply, and we quickly calculated that, within the ensuing half hour or so, the place would be inundated with about 80 people, all known to each other and unknown to us. We felt that the staff would be so fully occupied with the party that we would languish, forgotten, in our small corner. But no. Life is full of surprises. The party-goers began to arrive. We saw one familiar face, and then another, and yet another. We realised that we had inadvertently become observers to the Christmas function of a wine and spirit company with which we had contact over many years and that many of those present were well known to us.

courses provided for every taste and comprised fish, chicken, pork, beef and veal and, contrary to most menus which offer only one vegetarian course, there was a special -'egetarian menu, soup, entree and a choice of two mains which could be enjoyed for the modest sum of $23.75.

Our wine was opened promptly and, as we sipped, the garlic bread arrived. While the price of $l.lO was reasonable enough, it provided the only dissentient note of the meal bearing, as it did, all the earmarks of a quick heat-up job in a microwave. Soft and soggy, we did not enjoy it.

From a choice of two soups, I chose goulash ($4.95), which was most satisfactory. The meat (veal I think) could have been smaller and was difficult to cut with a spoon, but it was satisfactorily hot and the flavour was great.

While all this was going on, we scanned the menu. The English descriptions revealed that they were liberally seasoned with garlic, capsicums and paprika, and that there were intriguing combinations such as chunky pieces of pork or beef with sauerkraut, bacon, lecsos (mixed salad) and sour cream. In addition to savour pancakes and stuffed cabbage leaves, the meat

We skipped the appetisers of Hungarian salad ($6.10) or pork pate ($7.50) and proceeded to the entree, a comprehensive choice of nine, ranging from $7.60 to $8.20. My wife's order of boneless chicken breast, lightly seasoned, crumbed, pan fried and topped with gooseberries in a cream of white wine sauce ($8.20) was delicious, as I was able to confirm from a small sample. I had pancakes with paprika chicken and rice ($7.80) which was equally as delectable, praise indeed from the acknowledged pancake expert of the family, as I modestly describe myself. After agonising over a choice of 12 main courses, all of which had their individual appeal, and priced from $13.80 to $15.40 (a proceeding

which I am sure tried the patience of our waitress), I settled for marinated roast duckling, boned and topped with black cherry sauce served on rice lightly blended with chicken ($15.40). My wife’s choice was for pork medallions served with paprika cream sauce and sliced mushrooms ($14.30). It was a pleasure to find that the duckling, one of the courses which I recalled as having had the black treatment previously, had been toned down so that the colour of the meat was discernable beneath the sauce. It was just so tender and the flavours so well blended — very tasty. Equally as tender were the pork medallions, with the paprika sauce and mushrooms giving just a littie zip, but not too much. Given a choice of Hungarian salad and vegetables, we chose the latter as neither of us cares for sauerkraut, which was one of the main ingredients. The asparagus spears, the cauliflower with cream sauce sprinkled with paprika and potatoes were served on the plate with the course, but the plate was big enough to accommodate the course without overcrowding it. At about this time, an entertainer arrived with his guitar. This was not too frightening until he departed briefly and returned wheeling in a massive amplifier which, after fiddling with electric plugs and controls, he turned up to maximum decibels and boomed out to the awaiting multitudes “ ’Devening laees ’n’ gemmen. I’m here ter make sure you have a happy Christmas. We’re gonna have FUN ternight,” and immediately proceeded to

blast himself into unpopularity.

We decided that the time had arrived for us to do the old “Eat-it-and-beat-it” trick and called for the dessert menu.

It was a pity we had to hurry. The choice was tantalising — mousse with whipped cream, Hungarian chocolate layer cake, home-made black cherry ice cream, home-made ice cream with walnuts and apricot liqueur, apple pie, and pancakes with traditional walnuts, “Very Special,” all loaded with calories and priced from $5.50 to $7.

My wife’s black cherry ice cream ($6) drew murmurs of appreciation and my Very Special pancakes (I had to find out whether the standard would be maintained) were exactly that. Pancakes filled with canned apricots coated with lashings of walnuts and served with apricot liqueur comprised the best dessert I have had in a long time and worth every cent of the $7.

Coffee at $1.20 completed the meal which, at $69.25 for the two of us, we considered to be exceptionally good value. We were not, as we at first feared, neglected because of the large party. Mrs Yankov and her staff of two miraculously coped with it all with aplomb. Serving of the courses was well spaced and we were given just as much attention as if we were the only two diners present. Shouting our farewells to our friends among the assembly, we left the cacophony behind, in all other respects well satisfied with our evening.