A tiny Sicilian corner is burgeoning near the Lukács Baths in Buda. Many are already familiar with Budapest’s best cannoli, found at Dolcissima, but now another speciality store has appeared right next door: AranciniBenedetti.
Péter Benedetti has been active on the Hungarian music scene for decades, but has recently turned to gastronomy. With an Italian lineage and great-grandparents who owned an Italian confectionary in Győr, the choice of culinary style seemed obvious. Instead of setting up yet another Italian venue with pizza or pasta, his restaurant is built on a Sicilian street-food speciality. Namely, risotto-filled balls fried in oil and coated with cornmeal batter, arancini, the ‘little oranges’ sold across the island. They owe their yellowish exterior to saffron, which – being not the cheapest of ingredients – made them an exclusive delicacy in the past.
When Péter finally took the plunge into the world of gastronomy, he started out at the bottom, offering these rice delicacies from a food truck. When the arancini began to sell like hot cakes, it was time for an upgrade. Although his recently opened outlet on Frankel Leó út is not a lot more spacious than the truck was, it can accommodate a fair number of arancini. The rice balls are prepared in the back kitchen, and fried on the spot. The menu lists six savoury varieties, from the traditional Italian flavours to adventurous American versions. All, including the sweet versions, are coated with cornmeal batter, making them naturally gluten-free. As Péter says, this is ideal for those who avoid gluten without altering the arancini experience.
Classico, the basic version most common around Sicily, comes filled with Sicilian beef ragout with red wine, peas, parmesan, mozzarella, fontina and pecorino cheeses. Different versions include porcini mushrooms and gorgonzola, creamy Parma ham, spinach and ricotta. Cheese is essential to all, with at least three quality Italian varieties featuring throughout. The only exception is the mini arancini, filled with cheddar and jalapeño.
After extensive sampling, we can confirm that the arancini offered here are as expected: the crunchy, oil-free exterior is balanced out with a soft, juicy and perfectly seasoned interior filled with great ingredients and delicious melted cheese. As well as the savoury arancini, the two sweet ones are real treats as well, filled with homemade raspberry jam and a Nutella-banana mix.
One rice ball costs 650 forints, and two should satisfy the hungriest visitor. A menu option offers two arancini, a salad mix and a choice of sauce for 1,650 forints.
AranciniBenedetti also pays attention to sustainability – plates, cutlery and takeaway boxes are recycled or biodegradable.
AranciniBenedetti
District II. Frankel Leó út 21-23
Open: Mon 9am-7pm, Tue-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm
