Gundel is better and more effective publicity for Budapest than a shipload of tourist brochures. This is how the New York Times raved when reviewing the official restaurant of the Hungarian pavilion at the 1939 World\u2019s Fair. The celebrated man after whom the restaurant is named learnt his craft in the finest French, English, Swiss and German establishments. The bar has been set high for anyone following in the founder\u2019s footsteps. Viktor Moldov\u00e1n (on the left in our photo), head chef at the reopened Gundel Kert \u2013 whose Hokkaido restaurant, V\u00edz, was the first Hungarian establishment abroad to be included in the local Michelin Guide \u2013 has taken up the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s be honest: gastronomy, when practised well, is like poetry. I was thinking about this the last time I visited \u2013 or, more accurately, dined at \u2013 the reopened Gundel Kert, where the restaurant\u2019s two chefs were discussing the dishes. The chefs pay particular attention to proportions and emphasis, just as in a poem. \u2018At Gundel, we portion out every ingredient and take our time over the cooking. The base for the goulash, for example, is cooked for two and a half to three hours, and only then is the meat added. That\u2019s when the dish acquires the depth on which we can build,\u2019 says chef Viktor Moldov\u00e1n, before his colleague, Andr\u00e1s Wolf, adds: \u2018We love it when the ingredients work in synergy with one another.\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the reopened Gundel, not only has the menu been revamped, but the outdoor seating area has also been given a makeover. The old dark parasols have been replaced with light-coloured ones, a trickling fountain has been installed in the centre of the space, and alongside the plane and chestnut trees, oleanders and palm trees have been planted, from which golden-coloured animals \u2013 such as gorillas and flamingos \u2013 gaze out at us, a nod to the neighbouring zoo. \u2018We look forward to welcoming not only tourists but also Hungarians to the revamped Gundel. We no longer have a dress code, as in the old days, and we are a child- and dog-friendly venue\u2019 \u2013 says Norbert Poly\u00e1k, the restaurant\u2019s manager, adding that during the restaurant\u2019s refurbishment, they researched every aspect of the Gundel family\u2019s heritage to restore the venue\u2019s original atmosphere even more fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But let\u2019s get back to the menu \u2013 we are, after all, talking about Gundel. The selection includes lighter dishes \u2013 such as lecs\u00f3 with Mangalica sausage and eggs \u2013 as well as heartier options \u2013 such as goulash soup with homemade csipetke or matured sirloin, Budapest-style. We must also mention the desserts, and you can never go wrong with the original Gundel pancakes. We tried them ourselves and can attest that the chocolate sauce and walnut filling were a heavenly combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Gundel, of course, it goes without saying that the menu is impeccable; after all, the restaurant has boasted excellent chefs since its inception. However, not even Gundel has ever had a chef quite like Viktor Moldov\u00e1n, who popularised Hungarian cuisine in Japan. \u2013 I never wanted to leave Hungary. I always wanted to cook Hungarian dishes and showcase them at home. Then, one day fifteen years ago, I received two job offers from Tokyo, from two different places at that. I felt it was fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moldov\u00e1n began working as head chef at the Hungarian Embassy in the Japanese capital, which meant he could continue to prepare Hungarian dishes. And although his posting was for five years, at the request of his wife, whom he had met whilst there, he stayed in the country, where he soon went on to run a restaurant called V\u00edz on the island of Hokkaido.\u2013 Hungarian cuisine is rarely found in Japan, especially of a high standard, says Moldov\u00e1n, who eventually realised that Hokkaido and Hungary lie in the same climate zone, meaning that the vegetables available are similar. \u2018In the southern part of Japan \u2013 on the islands of Kyushu, Honshu and Okinawa \u2013 completely different vegetables grow to those we have here, but fortunately in Hokkaido the selection is the same,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His Japanese employer was also pleased with Moldov\u00e1n\u2019s meticulous style, so the Hungarian chef remained in the country for a further eight and a half years. The V\u00edz restaurant, which he managed, became the first Hungarian restaurant outside Hungary to be included in the local Michelin Guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his return to Hungary, Moldov\u00e1n realised there was work to be done in the field of Hungarian gastronomy. When chef Andr\u00e1s Wolf asked him to join Gundel, he set to work straight away. \u201cI wrote down each recipe down to the gram, be it paprika chicken, Carpathian pikeperch or butcher\u2019s stew. We don\u2019t work by eye. We know exactly how much water, salt and vegetables each dish requires, and how long it needs to be cooked for. This is the only way to consistently deliver the same quality,\u2019 explains the master chef. When they cooked their first dishes together with Andr\u00e1s Wolf in the Gundel kitchen, and then tasted the results with spoons in hand, they immediately identified what makes a dish good. According to Wolf, if you can\u2019t stop tasting it, then the dish is ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The history of Gundel dates back to 1866, when the Zoo opened in the City Park, alongside which a restaurant was established \u2013 on the site of today\u2019s restaurant. Its first notable owner was Ferenc Wampetics, who financed the refurbishment in 1894 after the venue had become increasingly well-known amongst artists and politicians alike. In 1910, the restaurant was taken on lease by K\u00e1roly Gundel, who renamed it Gundel Restaurant and, in doing so, revolutionised Hungarian hospitality and cuisine. He introduced classic dishes such as \u00dajh\u00e1zi chicken soup and Pal\u00f3c soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gundel flourished even between the two world wars; over time, it took over the restaurants at the Gell\u00e9rt Hotel, and its reputation spread as far as overseas: in 1939, it became the official restaurant of the Hungarian pavilion at the New York World\u2019s Fair. Moreover, during K\u00e1roly Gundel\u2019s lifetime, not only did the business expand, but his family grew too: he had thirteen children and twenty-six grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the restaurant did not escape nationalisation in 1949, and the family were exiled to a farmstead because of their German origins. The restaurant was initially run by the National Tourism Hotel and Restaurant Company, then became part of HungarHotels, and was later incorporated into the Forum Hotel. It closed in 1973 and reopened in 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201erevival\u201d was brought about by Gy\u00f6rgy L\u00e1ng, who left Hungary in 1947 and went on to become a world-renowned restaurateur in New York. With funding from his friend Ronald Lauder \u2013 one of the heirs and directors of the Est\u00e9e Lauder empire \u2013 he relaunched the restaurant, and managed to secure K\u00e1lm\u00e1n Kalla as head chef, who revived the old recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2004, Gundel was taken over by CP Holding, owned by the British Schreier family, and the restaurant thus became part of the Danubius hotel chain. Since last year, Gundel and the associated Bagolyv\u00e1r Event Venue have been operated by the Eventrend Group.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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