This year marks the 130th anniversary of the Gundel Palace building, which is home to Hungary’s most famous restaurant. Many have run this iconic gastronomic establishment since Károly Gundel’s time; some have led it to success, whilst others have brought the restaurant into disrepute. However, for the past fifteen years, Viktor Moldován has been upholding Gundel’s reputation with unwavering enthusiasm and professionalism. How does he manage to create new dishes whilst remaining true to tradition? Is it true that he makes hundreds of Gundel pancakes every day? Nikolett Vermes asked the master chef about these and other topics.

The Gundel Restaurant Its history dates back to 1910, although the building itself has stood in the heart of the City Park since 1894. Described by guests of the time simply as „chic”, the restaurant was transformed into a gastronomic stronghold by its founder, Károly Gundel. The first culinary director knew exactly what he wanted, and to that end spared no expense, time or energy in investing in the restaurant. His efforts soon bore fruit; with only a slight exaggeration, everyone longed to dine at Gundel, and following the founder’s death, one master chef after another took the helm of the restaurant.

However, not every attempt was successful; then, some fifteen years ago, a Hungarian chef working in Japan arrived, who returned to the restaurant’s roots and restored its former reputation. Under the leadership of Viktor Moldován, several well-known chefs have visited the Gundel Restaurant as guests, including Lajos Bíró, master chef He is a regular guest, and Ákos Sárközi, holder of a Michelin star, is also a frequent visitor to the restaurant. But we must also mention Kálmán Kalla, who gave his blessing to Viktor.

What’s the secret? „The ingredients and preparation methods of the dishes have remained the same, but they have been enriched with new techniques and flavours, and this evolution is ongoing. One of Gundel Restaurant’s iconic main courses, chicken paprikash, for example, is no longer prepared in the same way as it was 15–20 years ago. It’s not that I’ve completely reimagined it; rather, I’ve rethought it so that the dish’s flavour profile meets the demands of today whilst remaining true to the traditional recipes.”

Traditional dishes with a modern twist

Alongside the chicken paprikash on the menu, you’ll also find Bakony sirloin and Carpathian pikeperch, both of which uphold the Gundel tradition. When I ask the master chef which old recipes he uses, I secretly expect him to say he cooks from Károly Gundel’s own cookbook, but the chef simply laughs at the question.

„It would be impossible to cook today in exactly the same way as a hundred years ago. Dishes were prepared quite differently, and, to put it mildly, kitchen management wasn’t particularly environmentally conscious. For example, 15–25 years ago, white asparagus was available on the menu all year round; if I were to follow that model today, I’d have to import asparagus from faraway countries every week,” – explains Viktor Moldován, before immediately adding that great attention is paid to sustainability when preparing the dishes. This is a shared priority, as the Gundel restaurant’s pricing policy has also taken a new direction; whilst it will never compete with the pricing of mid-range restaurants, it remains affordable for both local guests and tourists.

The latter group of guests is particularly keen on the chicken paprikash and the Gundel pancakes; though, to be fair, even Hungarians find it hard to resist the dessert named after the restaurant’s founder. „When we know that a party of a hundred guests is coming, we prepare at least eighty Gundel pancakes. On average, we make several hundred of these desserts every day,” says the master chef, who adds that, despite this, he never tires of the kitchen, either as a chef or as a diner.

Don’t change a winning strategy

Thanks in part to Viktor Moldován, the Gundel restaurant remains one of the most outstanding venues in Hungarian gastronomy, and the chef has no intention of changing this winning strategy. „I gained experience as a chef in Japan, I’ve lived in Asia for a long time, and I’ve had every opportunity to experiment with Japanese dishes, but I’ve never used matcha tea or any other popular local spices in the kitchen; I have always stuck to authentic Hungarian flavours.”

The chef is well acquainted with the world’s culinary trends, yet he does not cast aside traditional values in the face of new fashions. As he puts it, a chicken paprikash is only authentic if, when we taste it, it brings back memories. This is what a dish served at Gundel Restaurant must do too: evoke old memories in a way that meets today’s expectations. What would Károly Gundel say to this, were he still alive? We’ll never know, but he’d certainly be asking for another plate.