The new episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unkown” that features Budapest made its debut on CNN on June 7th. The short feature turned out to be rather special, since living-legend film visionary Vilmos Zsigmond helped out the cast and crew, and therefore the video features strong cinematic appeal. Bourdain said that he and his colleagues are all cinema fans, and thus they thoroughly enjoyed shooting the video with Zsigmond back in January.
During his Budapest tour, we could view some rather honest reactions from the widely traveled show host. Bourdain did not really understand why he never visited Budapest before, and how many sights and tastes he must have missed because of this oversight. The crew adored the buildings in Budapest, the urban atmosphere, and the city’s visible history. In addition to visiting New York Café and Belvárosi Disznótoros, and tasting genuine Gypsy cuisine, Bourdain headed towards Újpalota on the recommendation of celebrity Magyar foodie András Jókuti in order to appease their hunger and ease their hangover (we wish that the program had included the scene of what led to the hangover, as well..).
The worldly chef turned out to be less of a gentleman than we would expect, even though he received the same “treatment” as the other guests – meaning the same courtesy and professionalism, and the shockingly large and delicious portions. We would think that a simple eatery does not hold much regard for high quality and paying attention, but in Pléh Csárda – operating for 27 years now – we absolutely get our money’s worth.
The design and the staff are permanent; they do not attempt to create anything new, and their retro atmosphere is not a marketing trick either, they are simply stuck in the old days – regarding the mentality and the attitude, at least. István Bábel, the cheerful owner of Pléh Csárda, started the business back in 1988, and says that they not only have a lot of regular guests, but increasingly more curious newcomers stop by the eatery, as well. Instead of unnecessary innovations, the place sticks to familiar and already-loved offers. Even the raspberry-soda syrup comes from a domestic producer who would have had to close down his business decades ago if it had not have been for the enthusiastic guests of Pléh Csárda, who prefer traditional flavors. We can rarely drink something so delicious like this.
Stuffed meats and soups comprise most of the menu, with very good prices and pleasantly monstrous portions. We are not exaggerating: the schnitzel certainly weighs more than one kilogram, while the side dish also comes in a massive amount, and we have only seen pickles this large at the counters of all-you-can-eat buffets. Naturally, quantity is not everything – the large doses could easily have poor flavors or quality; after all, Pléh Csárda does not really make our mouths water at first glance. However, we could best compare the eatery to the dubious-looking (and unfortunately long-gone)
Chokito, which might have been ugly, but was also one of the most delicious chocolate bars on the market. The stereotypes get crushed here, as well.
Fortunately, we still have Pléh Csárda. István Bábel taught generations of restaurateurs about the tips and tricks of the schnitzel, and his name is still legendary at catering schools – not by coincidence. “I know so much about the profession, that I even know what I don’t know,” he told us with a wink, stopping for a moment to show us the sign on top of the roof proudly stating that Pléh Csárda has been open for 25 years – and this has since been extended by another two years.We leave with a plastic bag containing half a kilo of leftover schnitzel in it, in accordance with local tradition. We walked proudly beside the rushing workers, who also hurried away with some feasts of leftovers. To visit Pléh Csárda yourself, take tram 62 from Blaha Square to the Kolozsvár Street stop, and follow your nose...
