Mindy Yuan

Sunday 20 July 2014

Cuisine Crush: Delicious Discovery in Budapest, Hungary

June 23-26,2014 Budapest

Budapest is the metropolitan bridges together the east and the west of the restaurant gastronomique. Our delicious discovery with bargain prices is always the extra surprises to cure our hungers on the road!

IKON

June 23

Since the check-in time is late, we decide to hang around at neighbourhood and hunt our first lunch here in Pest. Passing through Jewish Church, we saw IKON Bristol terrace are full of locals chatting and dining, so here it is. I order main course: duck liver with 2 pork steaks, bottomed with Hungarian baked potatoes and carrots; for drinks, I pick the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Only 12 euros I had those most fatty, softest and melting flavours in my mouth, only after 2-hour arrival I know this city definitely owns something in deep.

IKON

June 24

MNG Museum Café

After climbing to the MNG tower, it’s about time to step down, take a rest and have some afternoon snacks. We spot MNG museum café is quite popular, so we order tiramisu cake, fresh lemonade and coffee Americano. The lemonade tastes like sparkling soda, very different than IKON fresh squeezed one, but still very refreshing. Tiramisu cake is big, rich and superb. A museum café can even reach up a very satisfaction level, and tiramisu cake only 650 HUF (around 2,20e, in Helsinki there is no way I can enjoy tiramisu with this price at café), we have more satisfaction about food in Hungary.

June 25

BRGR Burger

BRGR Burger is yet another evidence to prove that Budapest is a city of deli. I take chicken burger and never expect there tacking a pile of lettuce, a thick crispy chicken, a sunny side-up and 3 deep-fried onion rings! The baked hamburger bread does not have the taste of mass-produced flour. Except Midhill Burger, this is the most tasty burger I take pleasing bites these 2 years.

BRGR Burger
https://www.facebook.com/pages/BRGR/442162375882218

June 25

Alexandra Book café

The most looking-forward café during this trip is Alexandra Book café. Viewing the ceiling oil paintings, listening to the piano alive, sitting on the maroon red velvet sofa and eating Hungarian Dobos Torta, I feel like I am having luxurious afternoon tea in Astro-Hungarian Empire Palace. Fully satisfied, we head another Italian Bristol, take pasta and Spanish tapas (790huf for 3!!) for dinner treat. At late night, a mojito with World Cup at bar is another enjoyment of our Budapest Day.

Alexandra Book café

1061 Bueapest Andrássy út 39

June 25

Gastland Bristol

We don’t suck blood, but we need some good food. Taking the bus downward, we saw Gastland Bristol showing huge black poster as: All You Can Eat, 1190 Huf! We peek inside of the store and then 5 minutes later, we enjoy BBQ, salad, pasta, pizza and Hungarian beef soup for pleasure. I especially like this white broccoli wrapped with deep fried bread crumbs, and wonder how Hungarian vegetables can grow so enormously. After the buffet, we go by metro and take a look of Hungarian Parliament Building. Completed in 1904 with neo-Gothic style, Hungarian Parliament Building ranks as the second biggest parliament hall in Europe, and still stands the tallest architecture in Hungary. Luckily, hubby and I just pick the right time at the right place to witness the changing of guard, which is, yet another unexpected bonus surprise of the happy day.

Gastland Bisztró Moszkva (Facebook)
Budapest Margit krt. 105

June 26

Central Market

Taking the metro to Central Market, our last main attraction before airport, the local and tourism scene concentrate at this largest interior market of Central Europe. We are already quite hungry at the moment, so we rush to the second level for this super delicious Hungarian beef rice with a half liter beer. The tourists and citizens gather and walk in front of the narrow food stalls, and later proceed to highly tourism souvenir stores. At the ground level, vegetables departments, spice cells, butcher’s blocks and deli sections are dancing around us. I love the energetic and vivid atmosphere of Budapest. Central Market is highly commercial at certain level indeed, but the smell of local life is haunting in my mind, until now.

Nanushka: Soft, Fresh and Lush in Budapest, Hungary

Though my major is (or has been, since 2003) comparative literature, but my love toward art and fashion is increasing through the reading experiences of fashion magazines. On the road, I always like to discover some local designer’s brands; luckily, if clothes suitable and price affordable, surely, definitely donate some pieces to my wardrobe.

Nanushka locates at the main shopping district, Deák Ferenc, is the childhood nickname of head designer Sandra Sandor. Born in Budapest, Hungary, she graduated from London College of Fashion, later returned to her home town to establish the label.

The flagship store has a sense of boho chic, but yet a bit with Arabic 1001 nights touch. Draping fabric from the ceiling, white paper lamps shining, wooden floor oozing the smell of cedar, a city bike is depending at the corner, and a water colour painting standing as the folding screens of the fitting rooms, all transforming the whole store into yet a contemporary art gallery.

From the lovely staff’s introduction, Nanushka aims to ‘combine playful cuts and lush fabrics with elegance and comfort to create collections that exude a harmony which contrasts the overwhelming noise of the big-city experience’. Its SS 14 collection has sporty cuts, soft materials and high-tech coated fabrics, inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice’s story from the Greek mythology. I especially like the water colour silk blouse, unfortunately it performs too hollow of my armpit parts. Fortunately Nilus white pencil skirt fits me perfectly, with 20% off offer, sure, why not? Let me take you home!

Nilus skirt is sewn a piece of enclosed polyester wash label, 41% cotton, 41% polyester, 18% Polyethersulfone, with yellowing copper YKK zipper at the back, the lining is 100% viscose. As well the polyester label is also sewn inside of the 100% cotton flax white tote bag, nanushka fonts on the both sides, what a practical freebie as a shopping bag! Nilus skirt price tag is bronzing and affiliated with its social media domain names. Fine design with top quality, no doubt nanushka quickly becomes my new fashion favourite in 2014.

Phone/Fax: +36-70-394-1054

Email: hello@nanushka.com

www.nanushka.hu

Fashion Fun Budapest! Zara Silk Top with Marc By Marc Jacobs Accessories

June 2014 Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is burning hot in June, and how to wear cool and easy is definitely not a simple question. I go for Vivienne Westwood 50% viscose and 50% cotton top as the basic must-have, occasionally I change to Zara 50% silk and 50% cotton camisole/100% cotton T-shirt, together with Guess? denim jacket or Vanessa Bruno 100% cotton cardigan to mix and match. As for the bottom, I take Forever 21 100% polyester pants, its navy blue colour goes very well with all my pastel tops, and since it’s been shrunken for an unknown reason, it will be the disposal piece after the journey. I notice that I have to leave some traces after every journey, so there is no missing personal belonging left behind.

As for accessories, Marc by Marc Jacobs burgundy square tote is my new-found at summer sale, and it can tuck wallet, iphone, sunglasses, cosmetic pouch, travel guide, umbrella, a bottle of water, FUJI X-10 camera and my hubby’s wallet as well, I love the reddish touch to complete the whole look of outfit of the day. Also, the dark-frame sunglasses also from Marc by Marc Jacobs, it’s a bit too wide for me but the lens shape suits me super perfectly.

VANESSA BRUNO

On the Road: Donau so Schön und Blau--Museum of Fine Arts & Central Market! June 26, 2014

June 26, 2014

By visiting Museum of Fine Arts Budapest (Szépművészeti Múzeum in Hungarian) is the best way to conclude the last day of our Hungary trip. Situated at Heroes’ Square, this eclectic-neoclassical building has collected all periods of European arts, including my favourite French sculpture Auguste Rodin’s The Age of Bronze (L’Âge d’airain).

Free admission with Budapest Card for permanent exhibitions, Museum of Fine Arts Budapest is huge enough for nearly 4-hour tour tour. The gallery at basement holds the second largest collection of Egyptian art in central Europe. It comprises a number of collections bought together by Hungarian Egyptologist Eduard Mahler in the 1930s. The most interesting are mummy alligator and mummy kitties. The alligator can be clearly seen the sharp teeth and details of skin, while kitties are at kneeling position behind the glass. For the mummy coffins, as the same experience at British Museum, those dry fleshes evoke my goose bumps constantly.

The 3000 paintings in the collection offer an almost uninterrupted survey of the development of European painting from the 13th to the late 18th centuries, which, are split up into Italian, German, Flemish, French, English and Spanish art. Rubens’ Mucius Scaevola Before Porsenna, Sebastian Vrancx An Outdoor Banquet (I purchased the postcard as souvenir) and Gauguin’s Tahiti ladies collection are all in front of visitors’ gazes.

Due to the prohibition of photo taking, my pictures are limited at the hallways. When cruising between the galleries, Yale University’s all-female a cappella group, Whim’n Rhythm, is performing a 60-minute concert at the ground hall. The choir is elevating by the spacious indoor auditory, perhaps quite a pleasure for certain audiences, still, viewing paintings and sculptures in a rather quieter environment is what I prefer.

Heroes’ Square (Hősök Tere in Hungarian) is just in the neighbourhood. After our brains are filled with again too many signifiers, it’s essential to walk outdoor and enjoy some Vitamin D. The square has played an important part in contemporary Hungarian history and has been a host to many political events. Directly behind the cenotaph is a column topped by a statue of the archangel Gabriel. In his right hand, the angel holds the Holy Crown of St. Stephen (Istvan), the first king of Hungary. In his left hand, Gabriel holds a two barred apostolic cross, a symbol awarded to St. Stephen by the Pope in recognition of his efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity. The statues of the basement of the column depict the 7 Hungarian chieftains led by prince Árpád. The regime history is rather unfamiliar to us, but it’s always fun to see archangel Gabriel and a female statue as Peace Goddess.

The square lies at the out bound end of Andrássy Avenue next to City Park (Városliget). Taking the metro to Central Market, our last main attraction before airport, the local and tourism scene concentrate at this largest interior market of Central Europe. We are already quite hungry at the moment, so we rush to the second level for this super delicious Hungarian beef rice with a half liter beer. The tourists and citizens gather and walk in front of the narrow food stalls, and later proceed to highly tourism souvenir stores. At the ground level, vegetables departments, spice cells, butcher’s blocks and deli sections are dancing around us. I love the energetic and vivid atmosphere of Budapest. Central Market is highly commercial at certain level indeed, but the smell of local life is haunting in my mind, until now.

Walking along Andrássy Avenue, prolonged antique bookstores are non-stop. Picking up our luggage at hotel, taking Metro 3 and then E200 bus directly to Liszt Ferenc Airport, we spend our Huf on smoothies and beer, use euro on liquor and perfume. Writing postcards and drinking at the rest area, this Grand Budapest trip is highly eventful, emotional and educational.

Museum of Fine Arts Budapest

Budapest, Dózsa György út 41, 1146

http://www.szepmuveszeti.hu/main

Special Thanks: JMH

On the Road: House The Terror in Budapest! June 25, 2014

June 25, 2014

Hungary has a rather complicated history on the road toward Democracy and Freedom. Aside from the fine art, we would like to learn a more cruel but realistic past of a state by visiting a rather unpleasant spot on our journey. In Poland we’ve witnessed Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps, in Hungary we proceed to House of Terror (Terror Háza in Hungarian), the Neo-renaissance building designed by Adolf Feszty in 1880, now a museum located at Andrássy út 60, Budapest, once a headquarter of Hungarian Nazi and communist ÁVH in the early 20^th century.

There are very limited pictures taken at the museum tour since shooting is prohibited at House of Terror. During the Second World War, Hungary came into the crossfire of the rise of dictatorships. Jews were forced to wear the yellow stars, and thousands of innocent Jews were shot and plunged into the icy Donau River. After the Arrow Cross Party tyrannical regime, Hungary ended up under the Soviet occupation in 1945. In House of Terror, those ÁVH members (which was similar to the Soviet Union KGB) tortured the victims during the interrogations, sent the citizens to the gallows or the cellars. At the second floor of the House, the exhibitions show the dining room and clothes changing room of Double Occupation from the 1940’s; taking the elevator down to the first floor, the short-film in the elevator tells the collective farmer’s sad story.

There are several torture chambers and brigs, the narrowest room is nearly a standing coffin. Basement contains more prisons, cellars and retaliation devices, even numerous of crosses in Hall of Tears cannot shed my sorrows away. I feel the interior design is ‘too modern’ but lost certain origins due to the renovation in 2000. There are quite some school students having history class at House of Terror today. I wonder if they can recognize any of the face at the Perpetrator’s Gallery.

I haven’t taken any bath after 2007 due to the apartments I have lived only equipped showers. Happily, we are heading to the largest thermal spa of Europe. Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, built in 1913 in Neo-baroque style to the design of Győző Czigler. From the outer appearance, the building looks mottled and pied, but the entrance hall is rather classical antique. The adult ticket is 4000Huf, 25% off with Budapest card. By using this watch-alike e-ticket as also the key to the locker, visitors do not have to worry about the lost or destruction, quite a very smart design. 2 Outdoor pools and 15 indoor ones, I like this swirl pool and experience getting ‘flushed’ around with the stream. I am also very fond of this green thermal pool, feeling calm and 27 degrees perfect for me. Though I was trapped for around 5 minutes in the dressing room because of my foolishness on not unlocking the door by lifting up the bench, plus my stomach didn’t feel too good after devouring a large BRGR burger, I was wet and tired, only wanted to rest at hotel bed. Later I found my 5 hairpins rusty, but my left leg rash was getting better ever since.

House of Terror

1062 Budapest, Andrássy út 60

www.houseofterror.hu

On The Road: All the Roads Lead to Buda! June 24, 2014

June 24, 2014

Donau is rather green than blue. Crossing upon the river from Pest, in my head the tune ‘An der schönen blauen Donau op. 314’ is ringing. Built in 1849, linking the modern Pest and Old Buda, Chain Bridge carries buses, cars, passengers and bikers to Old Buda.

Buda Castle Quarter is built on the hills. Travelers can take gellért (trolley, costs 1100 huf=3,70e for adult ticket) to the top, and visit around Castle District, where is full of Medieval, Baroque, and 19th-century houses, churches, and public buildings. Since it’s about to rain, we take some tourist pictures at the plaza and then first check Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria). Museums in Budapest usually do not allow to have photo shoots, sadly, since each room is a lot more magnificent than dozens of modernized fine art spaces in Europe (Musée d’Orsay Paris, National Gallery Slovenia, or Rijks Museum Amsterdam).

Due to Hungary had been going through the kingdoms from the Huns, the Ottomans, and Astro-Hungarian Empire, the exhibitions in MNG show more horseback battle paintings rather than merely baby Jesus or Virgin Maria. I personally like collection of Baroque Art and the 19^th century paintings; Hungarian painter Lotz Károly’s soft touches on colours are reminding me of Pierre Auguste Renoir’s bright hues. Still, since I am super fan of Gothic arts, I don’t get bored watching those Mothers, babies and three wise men at all. On the contrary, it’s more interesting to study the bible stories from those panel paintings and wood carvings than from the Book.

Before another Buda adventure, at MNG museum shop, I bought ‘Gothic Panel Paintings and Wood Carvings’ by Gyöngyi Török, in order to study more related art history, I also pick a bookmark with József Rippl-Rónai’s painting ‘Woman with a Birdcage’, and a miniature picture book ‘SZENT ISTVÁN KIRÁLY’, illustrated by Schmal Róza. I have a habit of collecting local fashion magazine for true souvenir (not from those shabby made in china t-shirt or snowball at cheapo souvenir shops), unfortunately I couldn’t find any perfect one this time, a cute children’s book is as well very lovely to own.

Our experience on travelling is that signifiers in museums usually overload our brains, so after museum tour it’s always good to have either food or alternative adventure. A travel blog recommends this worth visiting underground labyrinth in Castle District, though the entrance is extraordinary unnoticeable. Following Lovas utca, the mark ‘Labirintus’ leads us to this chilly, dark, yet unknown space. With Budapest card, the admission fee has 25% discount (original price is 2000 huf=6,60e). Underground labyrinth is around 350,000 years old and 10 to 15 meters below ground level. On a 1200-metre stretch, there are gothic and renaissance stone monuments and Turkish tombstones. Though after 18:00 there is oil lamp tour, but it’s good to visit around 16:00 since we are the only visitors at the moment.

The labyrinth is bleak and deep. It was functioned as food/wine storage, later served as refuge during the war times; most of cave cellars are constructed, but they are in fact of natural origin. I found playing soprano opera as background music in a rather darker underground extremely creepy, plus those mannequins wearing Casanova gowns with white smoke just evoke my goose bumps non-stop. A few black wells and sealed doors force me wonder what’s actually behind, sometimes a chopped head would appear in sight. We continue this one-way narrow tunnel, at that moment I grab my hubby’s arm and realise that, without light, everything around is simply pure black. Darkness first blinds a person, then isolates an individual, creats the fear, and finally devours the whole body. In my head, Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ suddenly repeats again and again….until at the tail of the tunnel, we found the tombstone of DRACULA! At that moment my dread is gone but replaced with piercing ecstasy!!

From the reading, we know that Dracula was captured by King Matthias, with his wife to Buda Castle Hill where he was held prisoner. Though the exact length of Vlad III Țepeș’ period of captivity in Buda is open to some debates, and the location of Vlad’s bury is still in mystery. Nevertheless, it is highly exciting, because no matter how misleading the information is, for the centuries, the carved name on the stone inspiring numerous creations on music, movies and literature.