Budapest’s ever-popular Asian hangout, Baotiful/Impostor, has moved from focal Szabadság Square to a new location at a lesser-known street tucked in central District V, Vitkovics Mihály. Known for its opium-den vibe, succulent Asian bao treats, traditional steamed bread filled with all kinds of Oriental goodness, Baotiful/Impostor also offers sneaky cocktails and bar parties amid long-familiar palm trees, UV paint and house pet Kiko the dog.
It is never too easy to stand out from Budapest’s ever-expanding restaurant scene with something truly unique. However, when Baotiful/Impostor opened two years ago, it was apparent that they not follow vintage/shabby chic or minimal norm-core trends, nor have the characteristics of an upscale hangout either, but rather opened a special Bangkok-style ruin pub with a special drink selection, great parties and food. Now they have set up on Vitkovics Mihály Street, five minutes from Deák Square. Downtown without the bustle or bland shopfronts, it’s a funky destination whether you’re heading here with a purpose or you find yourself strolling around here window-shopping.
The interior is again quite eclectic, enhanced with UV paint on the walls, huge silver candle holders, palm trees, tropical tapestry, playful neon signs and funny gags. It is a bit like seeing the mysteries of Stranger Things, the cheekiness of Drive and the lights of Enter the Void all in one. The kitchen is found in the souterrain and is a lot more professional than the previous one. The shelf behind the bar is stacked with high-quality drinks, and there is also a lounge area upstairs. According to current plans, the kitchen will stay here, while the nightlife concept will be moved back to Szabadság Square at the end of the spring. Therefore, you won’t be left without Impostor parties for too long, but at Vitkovics Street the focus is more on gastronomy and bar culture.
The menu is impressive, including affordable vu dishes. At the moment, nothing is more expensive here than 3,000 forints, rare for a high-quality hangout in the city center. It is worth mentioning that the restaurant’s signature Asian cuisine is now enhanced with Latin influences, making the fusion zing. Don’t be surprised to find some guacamole in your bao. Starters include dumplings (1,190 HUF) and wraps (1,190 HUF) and, as soon as they find the suitable ingredients, chicharrón – crunchy, fat-free Latin crackling – will also be on the menu.
We tried two kinds of soups; delicious marinated pork ramen (1,490/2,190 HUF), in which the melt-in-the-mouth meat with its exotic spices was excellent, and a Thai soup with crab and pineapple (1,490 HUF), which is quite piquant thanks to red curry.
The katsu chicken curry (1,890 HUF) is also a great choice, including chicken breast covered in apple yellow curry served with jasmine rice. The salads are also tasty and are worth a try thanks to flavorsome vinaigrettes, and crisp and fresh vegetables. An intriguing dish is the Bahn mi rice bowl (1,990 HUF), pork meatballs with a quail’s egg in the middle, peanut vinaigrette, pickles and rice. They still offer Taiwanese bao treats (1,190 HUF) and our favorite has long been the pork version with hoisin sauce, but now they also make their own burritos. We have yet to try the desserts, but the bao doughnut with black sesame ice-cream (1,190 HUF) looks most promising. One major highlight is the lunch specials, offered for 1,490 HUF between 11am and 2:30pm.
The beer selection still stretches from Thai Chang to Japanese Kirin Ichiban, with eight kinds available altogether. They pay special attention to cocktails, whether a gin tonic with a yuzu base or a sour with plum wine. A full cocktail menu, is being prepared, but judging by the taster offered by the Impostor team, the mixed drinks are just as cheeky as before.
A visit to the new Baotiful is definitely worthwhile, as there are not too many places in Budapest where you can try ramen amid UV paint, candlelight and the watchful eyes of Shiba Inu dog, Kiko, everyone’s drinking companion.
