Caviar & Bull, Budapest – Pookie's Honest Take 🥂

Hello my lovely foodies! 💁‍♀️

So, I was having a little clear-out the other day (you know how it is – one minute you're looking for a scarf, the next you're lost in a box of memories!) and I stumbled upon something rather special. My old food notebook! 📓

Now, this little treasure is from before my MasterChef 2022 days, back when I was just Pookie, cooking up a storm in my kitchen and scribbling down thoughts about every restaurant I visited. It's filled with all my honest opinions, the dishes that made me swoon, the ones that could have been elevated a little, and of course, plenty of notes about the beautiful plates that caught my eye!

I thought it would be such fun to share some of these past reviews with you, a little trip down memory lane before I launch into my brand new culinary critiques. Consider these my "Pookie flashbacks", and a chance to see where my food journey began and how I developed my love for visually stunning, absolutely delicious cooking.

And so, without further ado, here's my very first review from the notebook – a visit to Caviar & Bull in Budapest. I remember this evening so clearly, the excitement, the gorgeous food, and of course, what I wore! Let's dive in... 🍽️

Right then my lovely foodies, I have a rather special restaurant to start with and I've got all the delicious details for you! 😋

So, we were visiting Budapest and managed to secure a booking at the renowned Caviar & Bull Restaurant, and let me tell you, it's nestled in the Corinthia Hotel, which was once the Royal Hotel. The executive chef is Marvin Gauci. He is an award-winning chef who has worked mainly in Malta but across many countries worldwide. He has five outlets in total, with this being his second Caviar & Bull. Anyway, enough of the background, let's get to the good stuff!

First Impressions – Simply Gorgeous!

Walking through the entrance, you're immediately reminded of other luxurious hotels, I was so glad I'd chosen a long black evening dress for the occasion as it fitted right in! The restaurant has a sophisticated elegance about it, and we received the warmest welcome from the staff. They put patrons at ease so effortlessly, and we chose a table by the window because I do love to watch the world go by.

Once seated, I couldn't help but be impressed with the décor and layout. The beautiful bar caught my eye immediately and they even had an ice bar unit that gave me ideas for home! (Heath, if you're reading this, we NEED one. Just saying!) They pay such wonderful attention to both mixology and their assortment of fine wines. The wine list includes several highly elegant and special bottles – some well out of our price range, but a girl can dream, right? 💭

The Tasting Menu – Let's Begin!

We ordered the Cosmopolitan Tasting Menu and a lovely young female sommelier helped us choose a beautiful bottle of wine that was the perfect accompaniment. Apple with hints of pineapple and apricot in a lemon yellow wine – beautifully balanced. A definite go-to for future visits! 🍷

First up: the Amuse-Bouche!

Before the first course arrived, we were presented with a spoon containing a jelly bubble. Placing it in your mouth, the bubble bursts and the pure olive gives way to an explosion of flavour. I was SO impressed that when we got home, I promptly bought everything needed to make these myself. Yes that's me, always inspired! As a MasterChef 2022 finalist, I know how special it is when a dish makes you want to recreate it in your own kitchen. 🧑‍🍳

Course 1: MARENNES-OLÉRON OYSTERS

Medium-sized beauties served with a choice of two small pipettes to add a note to the oyster, lime and Ponzu soy. Accompanied by thin kale crisps and micro-thin sliced carrot and turnip with a coating of oil and nuts. A very good start to the evening, if I do say so myself!

Course 2: HOUSE SMOKED SALMON CARPACCIO

Now this was a picture on a plate! Parmesan textures, aged balsamic caviar, truffle & honey emulsion, nori julienne, toasted pistachios, cherry tomatoes and to balance it all, a hint of lime skin. I thought this was one of the best salmon carpaccios I've ever had. The salmon was delicate and thinly sliced, and that apple-wood smoky flavour gave it an extraordinary taste. The soft carpaccio contrasted beautifully with the crunch of the pistachios, and with what I think was a goats cheese sphere, it just worked wonderfully. More of this please! 👏

Course 3: BLACK ANGUS TARTAR

Oh. My. Goodness! Russian sturgeon caviar presented with capers, Amarone shallots, explosive quail egg (yes, it pops in your mouth!), whole grain mustard ice cream and twisted Carasau bread. The Black Angus tartar is second to none and melted like butter in my mouth. I thought this was the best dish so far, and honestly, as my husband says I could have eaten it every day and twice at Christmas. Full of flavour, absolutely stunning! ⭐

Course 4: KING PRAWN IN ANCIENT TEMPURA

Perhaps I was coming down from a high but I think this dish could be elevated a little. It seemed to rely upon the visual as it looked very nice, the black plate with the bright prawn and the green of the mango and sweet chilli chutney. The "caviar" on the side was actually made from sweet chilli into tiny balls to look like caviar. Clever, but perhaps they could add a little more to the dish to make it sing. After that incredible tartar, it just felt a little quieter in comparison.

Course 5: SALMON TORTELLACCI

I found this quite salty, and the pasta was a little thick and pasty for my liking. My hubby Heath wasn't sure he agreed and thought it was "OK". Perhaps a bit more lemon foam would reduce the saltiness beautifully and lift the whole dish. We couldn't quite decide if the pasta was too thick so the jury's out on that one! 🤔

Palate Cleanser – We were offered a small cocktail made from the national drink with white wine tikka. It was lovely and did the job perfectly, preparing us for what was to come...

Course 6: LOBSTER POPCORN

Now, you can decide from the photographs, but I thought the lobster looked more like a crayfish. It was presented on a very grandly designed plate but there was actually very little to it. I think it must have just met legal standards! Served with chilli and ginger chutney, micro greens and spicy mayo. Nice, but not quite the showstopper I'd hoped for.

At this point, after a little more wine, we started comparing it to the Westbury. We couldn't easily split the two, but not too many dishes here made me go OMG! (Beef tartar aside, obviously). The sommelier had previously suggested a wine to go with the next course. Now perhaps it was the language differences, but despite us saying we were happy without it turned up anyway. It was a small but exquisite glass of 2015 yellow golden nectar to accompany the...

Course 7: SEARED FOIE GRAS

Now, you remember me saying not many OMG moments? Well HERE WAS ONE! The Hungarian foie gras had been pan-seared and was absolutely divine. It just melted in your mouth, so gorgeous you hardly knew you were eating meat. The chocolate moss was really quite sweet, perhaps a little too sweet, but still delicious. Served with raspberry hollandaise, mandarin caviar and coco bean tuille it was a perfect offering! 🌟

The Surprise of the Night!

Now, sometimes when you're sat there with your notebook, documenting everything you're eating, the serving staff either stay clear or pay particular attention. Well, the head waiter arrived and asked if we would like to take our final course at the CHEF'S TABLE! 🎉

What a lovely surprise! We followed him to a small table in an alcove at the end of the large, clean and very well organised commercial kitchen. The wall behind us was covered in messages from other patrons who had enjoyed this experience – and soon Pookie would be leaving her mark too!

Final Course: "DRINK ME!"

A glimmering strawberry consommé poured over compressed watermelon. With gin, candy floss and an ice pop – just magical! The restaurant manager came over and explained they were opening a new section specialising in a very visual experience to accompany good food. This sounds like a brilliant idea because wherever I've been, the experience of food has almost always been enhanced by careful visual presentation. You know Pookie loves a stunning plate! 😍

I wrote on the wall and left my mark as sawasdeekat.com because at the time our website was about our boat, not my MasterChef experiences! 💋

The Verdict

In summary, the Cosmopolitan tasting menu was absolutely delicious. The menu was very well balanced with extra treats along the way. The service could not be faulted, every member of staff was friendly and welcoming. And finishing with a table in the chef's kitchen was an unexpected and delightful surprise.

The total price was an eye-watering £250 – but around £80 of that was on the wine. So for us, it was OK value for money. If we were in Hungary again, we definitely be back to see how the menu has changed.

So. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Just perhaps they could add a little more to the prawn dish to make it truly sing, and maybe adjust the seasoning on the tortellacci. But that beef tartar was a Chef's kiss! Trust Pookie on this one. 😉

Oh, and if you're wondering what I wore, a long dark-black and slightly mysterious dress, one of my favourite stylish coats and a bright gorgeous scarf to finish the look. Because darling, if the food is going to be a feast for the eyes, Pookie has to match! 💃

So there we have it, my very first review from the notebook! I do hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me. It's so lovely to look back and see how far I've come, from scribbling notes in my kitchen to standing on that MasterChef stage. And now, here we are, starting this brand new culinary critique section together! 🥰

I can't wait to share more past reviews with you, and of course, plenty of brand new ones too. There are so many more restaurants to explore, dishes to taste, and beautiful plates to photograph!

What do you think, my lovely foodies? Shall we continue this delicious journey together? Let me know in the comments – and if there's a restaurant you'd like Pookie to visit, do tell! 💕

Until next time, keep cooking with love and a little bit of Pookie magic! ✨

With love, Pookie x