Károly Gundel was a true host. He truly welcomed his guests, and treated his regulars as if they were members of his own family. As he put it: „A restaurateur should strive to ensure that his restaurant serves as a home away from home for his guests, and should do his utmost to make them forget that what he offers them is in return for payment, and not merely a gentleman’s hobby.”
The restaurant’s current management share this view. Staff at the Turkish Embassy were frequent visitors to Gundel, so it was only natural that, following the tragedy of the earthquake, the restaurant’s management approached the embassy and offered their assistance.
The Turkish Embassy has stated that they would like to express their gratitude to the brave rescue teams.
That is how the idea for the thank-you lunch came about: a meal shared with the heroes in the Queen Elizabeth Ballroom at the Gundel Palace.
What made the event so special was that not only were members of the rescue teams invited, but the rescue dogs were too. They were also given white tablecloths and tasty treats.
Here are the two types of menu:
3-COURSE LUNCH:
Goulash soup
Chicken paprikash with nokedli, served with a cucumber salad with sour cream
Rákóczi cottage cheesecake
FOUR-LEGGED MENU:
Braised veal, served with pasta cooked in the same sauce
From the reports, we understand that all members of the rescue teams were satisfied with the lunch. The dogs ate in small groups so as not to cause any trouble for the other guests, who were tucking in at lightning speed and eager for their own meals. They were given a little extra instead.
THANKS TO THE HEROES:
HUNOR Rescue Organisation, part of the National Directorate-General for Disaster Management
Counter-Terrorism Centre
Budapest Volunteer Ambulance Association
Baptist Charity Service
Pest County Search and Rescue Service
Signs of Life Rescue Team
Hungarian Reformed Charity Service
experts from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics
