Budapest’s new Fáma balances fine dining with fun design

The restaurant’s selection and design are sophisticated enough to measure up to high-end restaurants, but not so much as to become boring, which is a sign of an excellent sense of proportion. The design is characterized by low-key, gentle playfulness: the cutlery is spread on a table in a seemingly random yet very careful arrangement, and the menu’s paper is speckled with tiny, confetti-like dots that we automatically try to wipe off with our fingers.

Upon closer inspection, the interior – designed by Oszkár Vági – hides mysterious contrasts: in some places, the beautiful wooden floor is rhythmically broken by antique cement surfaces, and worn mirrors run along the wall. On the outside, red geraniums adorn the windowsills, similarly to many traditional Hungarian restaurants, but on the gallery at the corner of the restaurant, sparsely illuminated palms and green plants form a dark Asian jungle. On the counters above them and between the decorative glass bowls, a fortune-bringing Japanese cat figure (the so-called maneki neko) waves to guests.

These delicate details refer to the culinary concept, a fusion of Asian and Hungarian cuisine. Chef Krisztián Huszár was greatly inspired by his travels in Asia, and later put his experiences and ideas into practice at Beszálló, which led to resounding success. In Fáma, however, the boldness we became used to at Madách Square is absent: since September, we know that it was always meant to be a fine-dining restaurant. Accordingly, the place offers everything that’s to be expected: considerate waiters, amuse bouche of bread with herb butter and a combination of monkfish, pineapple, coriander, chili, and rhubarb, as well as a helpful sommelier, and a gift box containing cake upon departure.

In the open kitchen, we can follow the preparation of our dinner, although contrary to our expectations, only a few tables have a clear view of the kitchen work. The daytime and evening selections are different: for dinner, we can choose from three-, four-, five-, and six-course menus. We chose the three-course option, and even though Fáma has a rich assortment of Asian drinks and cocktails, we ordered a hard-to-find Thomas Henry ginger beer and a Pimento Gingembre ginger-and-chili tonic to drink.

The eclectic logic that dominates the menu is obvious even to the untrained eye, but the exciting combination of Hungarian and Asian ingredients might puzzle even experts of fine dining. At the time of our visit in May, we tried the goose foie gras with curcuma mandarin jelly and scallops with orange physalis and Roscoff onion as appetizers, and also tasted carp with tarragon mango and eggplant, and char-grilled lamb shoulder with chervil cream and beetroot as main dishes. The style of serving follows a chilled-out, playful style that allows for spontaneity. We also liked how many of the dishes featured coriander and mango, making the already special flavors taste even more complex.

Like in Beszálló, the desserts are the turf of Brigitta Balatoni. Her works are usually results of spontaneous ideas, as the names on the menu – at the time of our visit, chocolate-mango-peanut and chervil white chocolate – only refer to the ingredients. Since the menu changes frequently, however, the current dishes are somewhat different than what we’ve tasted a month ago.

We recommend a clean, elegant Japanese whiskey, like Nikka, as the finishing touch of an evening of many characteristic flavors. All in all, the dinner proved to be a great experience for us, but we guarantee that Fáma has many surprises in store even for those who are familiar with fine gastronomy.

Fáma Budapest

Address: Budapest 1013, Attila utca 10
Opening hours: Tuesday - Saturday, noon - 3 pm, 6:30 pm - 11 pm
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