Asian cuisine is a hot gastro topic in Budapest, and the array of such buffets is getting wider by the day. MADAME NOI, opened recently on Andrássy út, offers Indochinese delicacies delivered by the Vietnamese fashion designer Anh Tuan, who also knows a thing or two about gastronomy. We’ve sat down with MADAME NOI’s manager to get to know the place.
Anh Tuan has always desired to showcase his talents in gastronomy. He’s been cooking since he was a child, and was the chef at his own food-centric events entitled “A glimpse of Indochina”.
Anh Tuan met his business partner, Péter Baldaszti, at a cooking session, and the fruit their friendship bore might turn out to be the flagship of Budapest’s Asian cuisine.
MADAME NOI, opened in the place of Baldaszti’s Grand on Andrássy út, on one hand, aims to fit into Budapest’s gastro-landscape with its price range and its interior, and on the other hand, intends to popularize Indochinese meals. The restaurant's name refers to Tuan’s mother, and translates to a lady from Ha Noi.
As for the menu, it goes like this: Thai soups (850-1250 HUF), grilled dishes (850-1250 HUF), Phos (1450-2250 HUF), fish (2650-2850 HUF), rice (450-2450 HUF), Thai curries (1950-2450 HUF), wok meals (1650-2450 HUF), salads (1450-2450 HUF), and desserts (950-1050 HUF). The dishes are prepared by Thai, Laotian, and Vietnamese chefs from fresh, natural ingredients, without a hint of either artificial additives or taste enhancers.
MADAME NOI is pro-vegan and pro-vegetarian, and supports meat-avoiders with, for instance, the unprecedented vegetarian version of everyone’s beloved Pho. The chefs are open to requests and suggestions, mainly because their limitless creativity enables them to satisfy unique needs.
MADAME NOI is not your typical restaurant: it functions as a café in the wee hours, and turns into a bar after nightfall. Although the drink list lacks the infamous Vietnamese snake rice wine, the green tea-based cocktails – which are in harmony with the flavors meals - more than make up for its absence.
Moreover, the lady from Ha Noi is well-equipped and well-suited for the gentle prologue of a night bash – partly because Urimuri is only a couple of steps away.
To borrow a phrase from computer science, MADAME NOI is only running in test mode until October’s grand opening, but its glass doors are already wide open for all Budapestian gastro-adventurers.
Madame Noi (closed)
Address:
1061 Budapest, 8 Andrássy Road
