It seems that Love Handling Food just can't seem to get enough of the food that is made in Eastern Europe. After spending a great week in Spain, we caught a flight to Budapest, Hungary, and later traveled (on a 16 hour train ride!) to Bucharest and later to Brasov, Romania, and wow, the food definitely continued to delight!
Budapest, Romania - Goulash, Sour Cream...and Thai Food?
On our first day in Budapest, a man at our hostel's reception recommended an eatery that was very close by that offered many Hungarian dishes and more, called, Jelen Bistro. Everything about Jelen pleased our tastes, and our wallets! At this bistro, you can eat a three course special for about $7! On our first trip to Jelen (yes we went back...twice!), we were surprised to find that one of their specialties among their wide variety of options was Thai cuisine. Because of this, both of us were excited to start our first course with a creamy coconut chicken soup, which drove our taste buds wild with the perfectly blended flavors that included coconut, lime, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Afterward, Ianna decided to stick with a Thai meal, ordering a green curry and a coconut pudding beautifully garnished with chocolate syrup and a slice of star fruit. Helaina decided to try more Hungarian food, and selected a course of potato dumplings and bacon. The dumplings were, of course, tossed with sour cream, as is a staple practice of Hungarian natives. She then followed up the dumplings with one of her favorites of the trip, a chocolate, berry cheesecake.
On our return trips to Jelen Bistro, we must have sampled a hefty portion of their menu! Our meals there continued to range from thai fried rice, to gourmet chicken strips and cinnamon plum cake. The only selection we actually disliked was a Hungarian dessert callled makos guba, which is made of soaked bread roles, poppy seeds, milk, and a vanilla sauce. We certainly don't blame this on Jelen though, we think it was just the sickly sweet flavor profile that is contrasted with the bitter pairing of the poppy seeds in the makos guba, we could not appreciate. So, makos guba aside, from flavor, to presentation, atmosphere and price, Jelen Bistro was certainly a favorite of our's from our entire trip!
Other than our many meals at Jelen, Budapest had a lot of satisfying dishes left up its sleeve. At a Hungarian restaurant called Four-Hundred, Ianna got to try the much anticipated Hungarian goulash. She was surprised to find that what many would think of as a hearty minced meat, sauce, and noodle mash (as her mother had always prepared it that way), was actually a beef, vegetable, and potato soup in a tomato based broth. So, you're actually not eating goulash unless it is like a soup! Speaking of soup, at Four-Hundred, Helaina tried a satisfying and savory, creamy mushroom soup. Both selections were the perfect follow up to the sheep cheese and sour cream spread, vegetable, and bread appetizer that we both shared.
As fans of fine spirits, let us not forget to mention the highlight drink from our time in Budapest: palinka. Palinka is a very strong brandy (around 40 Proof!), and is distilled with fruits of various varieties. The bartender of our hostel let us try a couple of shots from his personal reserve, which was a bottle of plum palinka that was a real sweet and warming treat.
Romania - Polenta, Cabbage, Potatoes...and Spanish cuisine?
Much to our delight in Bucharest, we also found a Spanish style restaurant. There, Ianna had a sour beef soup in a tomato based broth. She paired this with a surprisingly hearty salad filled with tomato, cucumber, olives, and white chili peppers. Helaina ordered the same side salad, in addition to a plate of "hot" wings. What they did lack in spice, they more than made up for in their flavorful sweet and tangy sauce.
Well, that about sums it up for our foodie adventures in Eastern Europe. Please check back soon to hear about our last massive treat before we went back across the pond to our home in California!
Cheers,
Love Handling Food
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