From Szeged with love – sushi restaurant Stix sets up in Budapest

Zsófia Szőke-Török, Máté Gombos and Zoltán Szekeres have come from Szeged to brighten up the gastronomic scene in this somewhat gloomy part of town with sushi and Japanese cuisine. Zsófi worked abroad for many years as a sushi maker, and has an exact knowledge of the raw materials and techniques.

Here, it’s not about basic rice and fillings wrapped in seaweed, rather there is some domestic tuning in terms of strength and combinations of flavours.

Sushi ranges from 4,990 to 9,990 forints, and a selection for about 6,000 forints might include salmon maki, salmon nigiri, goma seaweed salad, a rainbow roll (tiger prawn, beetroot, cucumber, lettuce, but also tuna, salmon and avocado) and a Hungarian-style smoked-cheese roll (smoked salmon, cheddar, avocado, masago roe, teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, all fried in tempura).

There are Japanese dishes, too, such as the fresh tiger prawns (5 pieces/HUF 2,250) in crispy breadcrumbs. The chicken ramen soup (HUF 2,190) is sufficiently smooth and filling, with vegetables, mung bean sprouts, cloud ear fungus and shiitake mushrooms. The egg noodles and the six-minute pickled eggs strike a great balance with the coriander in the overall picture.

Yakisoba with beef tenderloin is a great main dish, wok-fried ramen noodles flavoured with a sweet, dense, spicy sauce and vegetables (HUF 2,890), providing a light acidity and restrained sweetness.

Those working nearby can now find an affordable, interesting lunch while people attending the Attila József Theatre opposite can pop in before the show.