Belvárosi Piac on Hold utca has wanted to become a market along the lines of the Time Out one in Lisbon for a some time – every couple of
years, better and better eateries have been opening upstairs. However, with the dearth
of tourists and the shutdown, the hallways lined with otherwise delicious bistros are pretty empty.
One of the most prominent actors on the scene, renowned chef Lajos Bíró, says that
regardless of the Covid situation, Hungarians should be the main focus there anyway. Other markets have also felt the crunch – this one will
close in January, and is expected to stay closed until next autumn.
Even before the spring Covid wave, however, the idea was in
the air to open a Buja Disznó(k) (‘Lush Pig(s)!') in Buda – and now
it's been put into practice. The new location will be immediately to the right of the
main entranceway of the Fény utca market, and from this Saturday, 12 December, you can pick up the
best dishes from both locations in a takeaway container.
The offer includes two
iconic options: fried meat and fried, breaded pig’s ear from Fény utca, and fried
duck liver and chicken legs from the Downtown Market. On Fridays, both locations are
offering Vietnamese-Tyrolean liver-dumpling soup and broth, with a side of
Lajos Bíró's famed layered potatoes.
According to Lajos, a big innovation is coming for spring:
after experimenting for a good year and a half, he has perfected his ramen recipe. In recent years, Lajos travelled to Tokyo several times to study this
soup: as he says, he has perfected it to within 90% authenticity, with
a special Bíró twist for that final 10%.
His ramen will only be available
in the spring, when it can hopefully be enjoyed the way it should be: seated,
enjoying the atmosphere of the restaurant, in a proper dish.
And if that’s not enough, there is a final surprise: between 23-24 December, fresh Baja fish soup will be available for takeaway, a real Christmas favourite, while this Saturday will feature fresh rooster stew simmered in a traditional Hungarian cauldron.
