a hung(a)ry state of mind
it is a nice sunny-windy friday in paseo de magallanes. cars are parked everywhere. you hardly notice the signage but somewhere at the end of the strip is a quaint little restaurant called Magyar Restaurant. This is also my second time to go to this resto, which means it's safe to say that, the food is excellent. Everything here feels authentic - the waitress dressed in her funny (yet oddly appropriate) Hungarian get-up, the other customer on his phone- which I'm pretty sure is a Magyar himself, the menu - from Goulash to Gundel.
as i am a sausage fan, i didn't waste any time thinking about what to order. i got the Debrecener Sausage, the plate of Spaetzle and to start, i had the Langos.
first the Langos.
the Langos were a treat to eat! it's basically deep fried dough.. (Need i say more??) and the cherry on top, is your average, everyday favorite dairy assortments such as sour cream (garlicky sour cream) and melted cheeeese! two disc-sized (remember the days guys, when we would use the CD-ROM? that's what i meant.. :p) Langos cost Php 110 only.
for my main course - sausage and Spaetzle. now, I have high expectations for sausages. first, they have to be lean. next, flavorful. most importantly, it has to be authentic. if i want Andouille, i need to taste mace and cayenne, if Lucban longganiza - oregano juice and if i order Debrecener, which is a classic Hungarian sausage, i need to taste paprika and marjoram. and let me tell you, i was not disappointed with this one. it was red, juicy, smokey and spice-y. the only issue i had maybe was that it was served to me sliced - which is a personal preference. i just like to cut my own meats. i feel it gives the meat time to rest once they are taken off the pan. Php 90 for one long sausage (even if cut up) is affordable and definitely worth my money.
when i was working in Amanpulo, i remember a guest chef who stayed with us for a week and he taught me how to make homemade Spaetzle. my benchmark for this dish is pretty high because of that man and i remember he would tediously but lovingly roll every piece himself and we just stand in amazement, it was soft, a bit resistent- but not gummy and it was buttery. here in Magyar, it wasn't as wonderful as how my chef would make it, but it was delicious. they're Spaetzle was cooked perfectly, i just thought it lacked a LOT of seasoning. i had to add heaps of salt and pepper on the table. but for its Php 30 price for one whole plate, it was pretty amazing indeed.
i really enjoyed myself (again) in this restaurant. for its authenticity, excellent food, patient servers, good location, extensive menu, and value for money, i'm giving a bold 4.5 stars to Magyar Restaurant. i'm definitely recommending to everyone to try this place and really experience yummy, well prepared Hungarian food.
G/F Unit 3 Maga Center Paseo de Magallanes Makati City Philippines
www.magyarrestaurant.com
