This tiny basement eatery beside a doctor’s surgery
could quite easily be missed. For now, at least. Soon, pedestrians will have to skirt the
queue snaking outside the entrance.
This is a khao kaeng, literally a rice and curry shop, so most dishes – not just curry, but also fried specialities and soups – are pre-prepared, mostly with rice. You can take a seat inside to tuck in but tables are pretty limited and most will be eating on the hoof.
The couple used to run a hotel in Thailand, but because
of the pandemic, Balázs and his wife, Sirinapa, one adept in the hospitality trade, the other
a fine cook, decided to move to Hungary.
The first, huge boost to their
business was in a domestic cooking competition, in which their stews won a
special prize. This was when they started thinking about setting up their own
business. Based on early feedback, the fierier spices have been toned
down without losing the authentic flavour of home.
For our visit, we started with the massaman curry, one to which Thais add potatoes, as well as kaffir lime leaves or chili. The
massaman, green and vegetarian red curries (small HUF 1,400/large HUF 1,800) offer an amazing cavalcade of
flavours, as does the fantastic tom kha soup
(HUF 1,200/HUF 1,500) and the slightly spicier tom yum (HUF 1,400/HUF 1,600).
As
an appetiser, don’t miss the homemade spring rolls (HUF 400/piece).
They also make more meat-based and spicy dishes on a regular basis, improving and developing within the limitations of the kitchen. For now, you’ll just have to join the lunchtime queue.
Venue information
Yum Yum
1027 Budapest, Kapás utca 18
Open: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm