Restaurant Review: The Hungarian

Location: 362 Bridge Rd, Richmond

Phone: 0421 993 132

Cuisine: Hungarian

Overall Impression: 6.5/10

The Hungarian has been slowly but surely, gaining a cult following in the Melbourne dining scene. Having had the opportunity to dine there last Saturday night, it is easy to understand why. Set in a small dining area, the setting makes you feel immediately warm and very much welcome. It almost felt like I had been invited over for dinner by a Hungarian friend, whose nagymama was busy in the kitchen preparing us a hearty meal.

Having said that, as with home-style cooked food, the dishes were undoubtedly one dimensional when it came to flavour. Not that that was a bad thing. Everything was hearty, well-seasoned and had beautiful flavours. However, that said, the variations that appeared from dish to dish were slight. Everything tasted quite similar.
The soups were not what I had expected. What was named on the menu as "The heartiest Lentil soup in the world' was surprisingly thin in consistency but again, was smacked full of flavour and well seasoned.

The desserts were good. The Sour apple strudel was delicious with the ice cream. Even though on the menu, the ice cream is optional, I would highly recommend paying that extra $1 for it because it really balances the otherwise very sour strudel.

The prices were very reasonable. With entrees around the $10 mark, soups around $10, mains around $20 and desserts about $7.

The following are pictures of the dishes we had with the descriptions per the menu. Enjoy!

Entree: soft rolls with potato and beef - four petite crumbed soft spring rolls with creamy beef, mash and delicate spices

Entree: Csirkeraguleves (chicken and vegetable soup)

Entree: The heartiest lentil soup in the world

Main: The secret of Buda - This secret is not out yet, so DO NOT ASK! We make it, you eat it, full stop. ***

Served with Rice or Noki.

Main: The Drunken Pig - A less subtle, masculine dish; a robustly spiced paprika-pork casserole, concocted with a lot of heavy Hungarian Dreher beer to save you on alcohol.
Served with Rice or Noki.

Main: Hungarian Goulash

Served with Rice or Noki.

Dessert: Sour Apple Strudel served with a ball of ice cream

Dessert: Hungarian ground walnuts and cinnamon crepe

All in all, The Hungarian delivers what it promises, good, hearty, wholesome-tasting, home-cooked Hungarian food. It does not however, go any further. Which, in this case isn't necessarily a bad thing.