[The original article was posted on May 26, 2014]
As of March this year we have three Michelin-starred locations in Budapest. The first to receive a star was Costes in 2010, followed by Onyx – and we’ll quickly add that both of them have since maintained their good quality – and now the newest winner is the restaurant in Sas Street. Of course, I was eager to check out this new top restaurant.
Booking a table was easy three weeks in advance. Currently, there’s no point in trying to get an earlier time.
Soon after I arrived I realized why I liked Borkonyha. Here are a bunch of reasons:
Cool style
When the star was awarded to Onyx, we were glad to see that Hungarian chefs had also finally been recognized. We are happy for Borkonyha’s success because a restaurant that appears to be average at first glance was able to make it to the top level. There’s no embarrassment, no special serving performed to the same rhythm, no neo-Baroque stuccos or white gloves.
The waiters rush around but are also cheerful, informal and willing to crack jokes when we ask them about the origin of a particular dish. Of course, there are cooler Michelin-starred places than this one in the world (in Hong Kong, for example where even fast-food places can receive this sort of recognition) but Borkonyha is still a big step forward for us. The message is: you shouldn’t treat it as a religion, it’s only food.
Wines
The restaurant’s name shows that they are very proud of their wine selection. Just look at the wall behind the counter:
The selection of wines served in glasses is not spectacular at all; the two varieties of rosé and the three types of champagne/sparkling wine make up a rather poor offering. On the other hand, 200 different varieties of Hungarian wine are available according to the website if bottled brands are included. If you request a recommendation they won’t call for a sommelier (unless your randomly chosen waiter also happens to be a sommelier). Instead they promise to bring you a surprise, with your taster arriving soon after.
Luckily, even the low-priced wines are good enough and, more importantly, exciting. That the wine list begins with a furmint (kéknyelű) makes me especially pleased.
Flawless meals
My starter: gizzard salad with colored apples and mushrooms:
Astoundingly exciting. Every bite was pure pleasure as we ate the gizzard pieces, perfect both in texture and flavor, mixed with the cracking marinated apples, mushrooms and salad.
The main course: duck leg confit with pressed liver and tender carrots with basil.
The duck fell into pieces when touched with a fork, but the muscles remained intact. The pressed liver made the bites creamy with its tender flavors and the carrots were crunchy and perfect. Another main dish: polenta with curd and spinach:
You can’t get more than that out of a simple dish like this. They managed to raise the commonness (not in a pejorative sense) of polenta to the highest possible level: astounding.
My dessert (cream-filled pastry), however, was not hedonist enough. It was way too refined and elegant, so I didn’t really like it. But in its category it was also perfect.
Eating in a Michelin-starred restaurant is like listening to music on a perfect audio system. Everything is nice, complete, refined and perfect. You can enjoy it a lot, but then you’d put a vinyl record on your old record-player. You would like meals with a few small flaws scattered around because often that’s what makes eating fun.
Price
Rarely can you get a Michelin-starred treat for such a low price. The soups and starters begin at HUF 1500, the main courses cost HUF 2500 to 4000 (well, the Angus sirloin is the exception) and you can close the meal with dessert for HUF 1500.
Michelin star on the street
And another novelty: until now you could not eat Michelin-starred food outdoors. Now it’s possible, which is another thing that reveals the laid-back style this place exudes.
Borkonyha
Address: 1051 Budapest, Sas utca 3.
Opening hours: Mon – Sat: 12:00–24:00, closed on Sunday and holidays.
The kitchen is closed between 16:00 and 18:00.
Translation provided by Helpers Business and Immigration Services. Find us at www.helpers.hu