fast food
May 29 '09
It's Official: Hungarians Are Loving McDonald's!
Just a few days after we published this report suggesting hard times at McDonald's in Hungary, we get another report which suggests the opposite is true. According to this piece in daily Népszabadság, execs of local parent firm McDonald's...
May 20 '09
Introducing the Peasant McMagyar®
Via on-again-off-again contributor Bede we get this great pic that was shot yesterday by Sándor Bisztray at the McDonald's over on Blaha tér. In addition to the half-eaten parasztkolbász ("peasant sausage") note the Túró Rudi sitting on the bench...
Oct 31 '08
All Hell Breaks Loose as McDonalds Hungary Goes "McMagyar"
Believe it or not, the really big news in Hungarian cuisine this week involves none other than McDonald's, which on Tuesday launched a new promotion as part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of Hungary's...
Sep 03 '08
The Early Bird Gets the Strudel at Rózi Néni Rétesei
When you think of Budapest, great street food does not immediately come to mind. More often that not, you are either stuck with the omnipresent gyros-stand, or, as of late, an American Hot Dog cart, looking like some misbegotten,...
Aug 28 '08
Makó Eyes European Monopoly on Kebab Ingredients
The town of Makó, until now famous only for its onions, looks soon to become the kebab capital of Europe. Turkish-owned Duna-Döner Kft. is soon to begin construction of the biggest and most modern kebab meat factory in Central and...
Jun 09 '08
A Riddle Wrapped in an Enigma Crammed in a Big Can of Hungarian Mystery Meat
Even though we've just made the executive decision to limit the Budapest Burgerwar™ to burgers made from meat that can be readily identified, don't think we're the kind of people who believe you always need to know what kind...
May 27 '08
Anniversary "McMadness" Reignites Budapest Burgerwar
As we reported last Friday, global burger giant McDonald's picked today to stage a giant sale to celebrate its 20th anniversary in Hungary, offering Big Macs for the 1988 price of just 43 HUFs, which thanks to two decades...
May 15 '08
Marché Comes to Market as Starbucks Operator Pulls Chain
Mixed news for international franchise fans this week as one chain announced it would be setting up shop in Hungary, while another said it was delaying plans. The newcomer to Hungary is Swiss self-service and "front-cooking" restaurant chain Marché,...
May 14 '08
Doggie Delivery Available for Budapest's Pampered Pooches
Since Budapest takes great pride in its kutya kozmetika salons, it was only a matter of time before Hungarian dogs - and their expat canine counterparts - started receiving more A-list treatment. Now, gourmand dogs on the go, (with their...
May 06 '08
Good Golly These Gofri Are Yummy!
Food lines in Budapest are pretty much a thing of the past, unless you are talking about the one which regularly snakes down Kossuth utca outside the portal of a window at the Jégbüfé (follow link for contact details,...
Mar 04 '08
Mall Pizza Cone Full of Sajt is Just a Little Too Cheesy
Before I ever ate my first pizza in a cone, I was convinced I would enjoy it. I am inevitably amused when I encounter normal foods in weird shapes, sizes or colors. I was one of those people who...
Jan 11 '08
Budget Budapest: Falafel Falafel vs. Hummus Falafel
At one time, Falafel on Paulay Ede utca was a rare safe haven for vegetations looking for a quick bite in Budapest. Primarily a salad bar, they also served homemade soups and fruit shakes. It was very forward-thinking at...
Nov 16 '07
Deep-Fried Friday (II): Going Mad for Transylvania's "Angry" Donuts
Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár is a city on the move, as only a town with three names can be. Part of a booming portion of formerly Hungarian-ruled Transylvania, it is the seat of a young but burgeoning wine industry, a hot-spot with...
Nov 16 '07
Deep-Fried Friday (I): Almost Everyone a Winner in the Budapest Lángos War
Now that the grueling Budapest Burgerwar™ is slowly grinding to a conclusion, we will soon have to find another category of edible suitable for a competition. It looks, however, like we'll have to find something other than the lángos,...
Nov 13 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: A Word from the Competition
Not particularly hot on the heels of the painstaking and comprehensive Budapest Burgerwar™, comes this serving of burger advice from Privátbankár.hu. After the obligatory couple of paragraphs on the origins of the hamburger (Hamburg, duh), the piece launching into a...
Oct 16 '07
Hungarian McDonald's Switching to Healthier Cooking Oil
In a bid to bring in healthier eaters and as a way of combating critics, fast food giant McDonald's announced last week that they would be changing their cooking oil in a bid to eliminate trans fat from their menu....
Oct 01 '07
Beware Friends Bearing Cans of Sausage Lentil Főzelék
Like many other Hungarians, full-blooded or not, I'm not particularly a fan of főzelék, which is best described as a creamy vegetable dish. However, considering that lencsefőzelék is almost always just thick lentil soup, I decided to go ahead...
Sep 04 '07
Magyar Microwave: Hungarian Stuffed Peppers, Without the Peppers
In the interest of providing Chew's budget-minded readers with more practical dining tips, I have been charged by the editor with the task of probing the growing array of ready-made microwaveable Hungarian dishes. As you can see in the...
Aug 15 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: The Cha-Cha-Cha Bodega Burger
The Budapest Burgerwar™ has recently seen both a disqualification and a non-starter, so it's nice to report back to HQ with a satisfied grin and a pair of hands still covered in the red stuff. Ketchup that is. The...
Aug 10 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: The Norbi Update Double Cheeseburger
Even before we fired the opening salvos of the Budapest Burgerwar™, our "burgerwar council" had an important decision to make. Should we include familiar chain outlets or not? In the end, we decided not, for the simple reason that...
Aug 06 '07
Budapest Burgerwar: Jeff's Burger Stand
Many readers protest that most of the "mid-priced" (Ft 1,000 to Ft 2,000) offerings sampled so far as part of the Budapest Burgerwar™ fly in the face of all the basic principles of the burger: a hunk of meat...
Aug 06 '07
If the Bacteria Doesn't Kill You, the Bill Will
Over at Caboodle.hu we learn that Hungary's national medical authorities have launched an investigation into the hospitalization of 15 people, mostly foreigners, for food poisoning apparently contracted from food served at the Hungaroring race track during yesterday's Hungarian Grand...
Jul 16 '07
The Budapest Burgerwar is On!
Here at Chew.hu we've never been particular comfortable with the idea of "best of" restaurant contests. As we've discovered time and time again with our own "Top 33" list of Budapest restaurants, ranking or grading restaurants is a very subjective...
Mar 12 '07
Desk Test: Slow Sushi Make Good Sushi
The Delivery: Bambuszliget sushi box (Ft 2,290), Lazacos maki (Salmon maki – 6 pieces, Ft 690), Avokádós maki (Avocado maki - 6 pieces, Ft 490), Pácolt retek maki (Pickled radish maki - 6 pieces, Ft 590), Lazac nigiris-sushi (Salmon...
Mar 07 '07
Desk Test: Petit Balkan Street Meat Holds Own Against Huge Gyros Hústál
Delivery 1: Ambrózia Gyros tál birkából (Ambrózia mutton gyro plate, Ft 990); Pieskovica (Pljeskavica, Ft 790); Görög saláta pirítóssal (Greek salad with toast, Ft 590) From: Ambrózia Étterem, via Netpincér.hu Delivery 2: Gyros tál csípősen (Spicy gyros platter, Ft...
Feb 26 '07
And Don't Forget to Try the Hot Road Apple Pie
The above little chestnut just appeared in our in-box. While it's entitled "Romania in the EU" and was no meant to show how poor and primitive our eastern neighbor is, we're posting it anyway, because a) we're not 100%...
Jan 25 '07
Quick Asian Lunch (II): The Indian Swedish Table
The race for the Best Budapest Indian Restaurant award is a keenly fought. Salaam Bombay has the upper hand right now, mainly because it's currently the only representative from the subcontinent on the prestigious Chew.hu TOP 33 list. Kis koszos...
Jan 25 '07
Quick Asian Lunch (I): The Indonesian Democrat
Have you ever worked in an office? Have you ever felt hungry while working in an office? Have you ever felt the urge to not eat in front of your damn computer or in the cramped office kitchen while...
Jan 17 '07
Culinaris Sandwiches as Great as Expected
The Culinaris branch in Perc utca opened almost exactly a year ago. It might seem a little silly to celebrate the birthday of a gourmet food store, but we are dealing with a special case here. The history of Budapest...
Dec 04 '06
Little Bites: Competition Office Cracks Hungarian Egg Mafia!
Here are a few serious food and bev stories that have been making the rounds in Hungary over the past few days: Hungary's anti-monopoly watchdog (GVH) on Friday accused the nation's leading eggmakers of operating a cartel. The GVH said...
Nov 14 '06
Little László Needs to Lay Off the Lángos
Given our love of fatty food, this story is a little awkward for us, but it's important enough that we decided not to just sit on it. According to statistics published in today's Népszabadság, the number of overweight children in...
Nov 08 '06
An Important Lesson in Food Service Excellence Goes Up in Smoke
Some sad news today in the world of Budapest dining: the Burger King outlet that has stood on Podmaniczky tér on the eastern edge of District V has burned to a crisp, apparently from a kitchen fire. Go ahead and...
