Culinary Corner: Budapest Restaurant Wins Top International Honor
zita kisgergely
No sooner do we predict another Michelin star for a Budapest restaurant, than the clouds open up and the culinary deities shine light on a local fine-dining favorite. The Pest-located restaurant Babel hasn’t won a star yet, but was given the high prestige honor of being named the Best International Restaurant of 2017 by Decanter Magazine.
via Babel's Facebook page
With print and on-line editions out of the UK, Decanter is one of the premier venues for writing on wine, and increasingly, international dining. The magazine doesn’t stray into Central/Eastern Europe much, and indeed the reviewer admitted that her expectations were low when visiting Budapest. But like so many others, she walked away with a memorable experience of both the city and its culinary offerings. Citing the locally sourced ingredients, a fresh take on design, the well chosen Hungarian wines, and a young, inspired chef from Transylvania, the reviewer gave Babel the honor, calling it the 'new Noma', referencing the world famous Copenhagen restaurant that brought inventive Danish cuisine to the attention of international food aficionados.
According to their website: “The back to the roots idea of Babel Budapest is inspired by Hungarian traditions and the amazing world of Transylvania. The menu of chef István Veres is based on childhood memories and Transylvanian roots, that the visionary young chef boosts with his unique creativity, introducing a distinguished and breathtaking gastronomy.” You see lots of earthy components like pine honey, pine dust, sheep’s cheese, beet-root and sunflowers seeds on the menu. “All dishes reflect a single memory,” says the chef. Heady talk indeed, but the honor backs it up. And if you have been to Transylvania, which has a simultaneous feeling of magic and authenticity to it, then you know what a hold the area can have over a person.
via Babel's Facebook page
via Babel's Facebook page
Congratulations to Babel for providing more evidence that Budapest is a world-class city. The reviewer calls it ‘inexplicable’ that Babel has yet to earn a star. But perhaps when the Michelin stars shine over Budapest this year, Babel will get its due.
via Babel's Facebook page
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