Starry eyed surprise
To celebrate our 20th year together, me and the missus had been compiling a shortlist of where to go for it. Having got engaged in Valencia and hitched in Vegas, we wanted to carry on the ‘V’ theme; bypassing Vietnam and Vancouver, we eventually landed on… Budapest!
Why Hungary’s capital? Answer: it has a downtown area known as ‘District V’ - also known as ‘District Five’ (think roman numerals)… plus our flights cost £4 (cheers Avios). “I’ll get the flights, you get everything else,” I quipped.
Coulda woulda Buda
Our base for the next few days was the gorgeous Hotel Rum (can’t think why we chose that one). After a short bus ride from Budapest Airport, we were checking in with the friendly receptionist whose English was way better than my Hungarian!
I couldn’t help but notice how good this place smelt… a great fruit grape-fruit aroma!
Not only did this place smell good, but it was promising to taste good too… as within its four walls was a Michelin star restaurant called Salt, that we’d booked in for the special occasion!
Fine dine = Finner dinner
As we got ready for our fancy evening, I sprayed on some aftershave, flicked the collar and donned a fresh new shirt; black with green palm trees and yellow Leopards – definitely the fastest things on tonight’s menu. All dolled up, and purposely swerving lunch; my belly started to grumble, signalling it was dine time!
Tonight was roughly my 16,500th meal on earth, however the very 1st from somewhere with a Michelin star. But what exactly is all this Michelin star malarkey? Well, started in 1900 by Michelin - yes, the tyre ones - to encourage people to get out there and drive more; as more car sales meant shifting more of their black rubber circles!
Their intergalactic star system, rating:
One for very good
Two for excellent, and
Three for exceptional!
It’s fair to say, the anticipation for tonight was out of this world.
Guard of hunger
The ‘G’ button illuminated as we arrived on the ground floor. The lift ‘dinged’ as the doors parted. Breezing past the nice smelling reception, this was it! Entering the restaurant, we felt like celebrities, as the entire team lined up to welcome us in. Our big, round table for two, was bang in the centre of the room, with the kitchen directly opposite - the live stage for our food artists to work their magic!
With our chairs pulled out to sit, the head chef came over to introduce himself, giving us a bit of background on the restaurant and explaining how his family-owned farm actually supplied some of the meat for tonight’s feast! We were then handed a print-out of tonight’s menu…all 14 rounds of it!
-
Foliage
Rabbit liver (sloe, chestnut koji)
Bouquet of herbs (yeast, carp milt, blackcurrant wood-oil)
Greasy bread (pancetta, smoked eel)
Cabbage pasta
“Korhely” fish soup
Green bean pottage
Walnut noodle (mushroom) – now you tell me!
The bread
Layered potato
“Saslik” (nettle)
“Orda” ice cream (dill, bean garum with sloe)
Apple pie
Petit four
Round one, bite!
Top of the menu, and our first dish was called ‘Foliage’. It didn’t exactly sound very appetising… maybe it was Hungarian for something else? Nope, it did what it said on the tin, as two leaves on a bamboo plate were placed before us.
Side-eyeing each other in state of mixed excitement and confusion, we picked up our leaves to indulge. Crunching into a light, delicate crisp; all those doubts disappeared as the flavours danced in our mouths! Tasty tree cuttings? Terrific!
Tales of details
With the dazzled bar of expectation set, we were converted front-seat fans; watching 13 more dishes prepared before our very eyes! As pots boiled and stoves fired, the staff kept us informed and perfectly attended to. As amazing as our meal was, for me it was the attention to detail that really blew me away; things that could be easily missed…
“Watch this,” I said, as I got up the bathroom… knowing full well my seat would be reset; the cutlery would be intrinsically repositioned, serviettes replaced or refolded and any stowaway crumbs quickly sweeped away! I returned to my impressed plus one, and a spotless table!
Dinnero
As the fine dining finishing line approached, we were honestly blown away by the presentation of the dishes. We felt half-guilty eating them, but high-fived in triumph as the last bites went down; gulping the last of the Hungarian wines!
All that was left now was the bill! How much was this 14-dish feast gonna cost?
Not knowing who to pass it to, the waiter dropped a folded receipt on to the middle of the table. We glanced at each other before opening it up, scrolling straight to the bottom of what felt like a very long receipt!
‘To be paid: 295550 Ft.’
Eyes bulging, before realising that was Hungarian Forints, not euros… we say our thankyous and pay the bill. Heading into town, we clock the biggest queue coming out a tiny, local pizza joint; its aromas hook us into line. Hungry in Hungary? Hello round 15…!
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