Budapest, Hungary

Rosenstein

Fisherman’s soup 

This soup is slightly sour and is filled with various fish and different parts of the fish with the waiter clarifying this with me, lest I be dismayed to find unusual parts of the fish to be found within the soup, which I really appreciated getting to experience. The soup was welcoming as it was warm and hearty as it was overflowing with large pieces of fish.

Veal Cheek with Mushrooms and potato croquets

The tenderness of the veal was that which does not require any sort of knife to cut it. The Mushroom and mushroom sauce were made with a fresh and pure olive oil so intense that it had a green color that I misunderstood as being an herb of some type. The potato dumplings are fried with a crispy outside, but soft and highly seasoned internal soft texture. I found them to be too heavy for my preference. 

Textura

duck liver with pumpkin and green walnut

Pumpkin ravioli stuffed with walnut with a pumpkin sauce and carrot cake and candied pumpkin seeds. I found this was a dish that was rich due to the liver, but the most balanced and creative way I have had liver as there was adequate accompaniment on the dish to balance the liver, which had been prepared to be smooth but not with extreme sense of fattiness, but more delivered with a creamy texture that was offset by the crunchy items on the plate.  

Wonton with marinated trout

This foam like top was a gentle horseradish flavor with sprinkles of black lime flakes on top.

cucumber and lime yogurt

This refreshing and creamy cup was presented with herb jelly and gave an earthy element with fresh herbs dotting the top. It was mildly sweet and tart, as well as being refreshing and unique.  

Sturgeon with leek and lime

potato with Brindza cheese and rosemary

Sturgeon was perfectly tender with seafood sauce and spinach cooked with garlic and lovage with citrus lime gel on it. The potato dumplings were served with sheep cottage cheese, sheep parmesan crisp, and pickled cucumber

yogurt with sea buckthorn sun-dried apricot 

The yogurt had texture added by the Hungarian honey crisps and acidity from the sea buckthorn that was highlighted in a number of different preparations, ranging from a sweetened and crispy dehydrated skin of the fruit to being accompanied by apricot ice cream and passional fruit ice cream spheres. Despite all of the fruits being acidic, the small tastes and balance of sweetness made it a memorable and balanced dish.

Peanut with honey cake and walnut cream

The cake was topped with Hungarian honey and had layers to provide texture of cake with creaminess and a mild walnut cream. The peanut was a candy that not only had the shape of a peanut, but tasted of peanut as well.