„Today, only those restaurants that give 120 percent will survive”
Since its opening in 2015, Bestia, located near the Basilica, has been a popular destination for Budapesters and tourists alike, especially in the evenings. We talked to Norbert Krizmanics about the past years and the current challenges, as well as the restaurant's exciting menu.
Norbert is not new in the business, to say the least, he studied catering in Pécs during his high school years. After moving up to the capital, he started working at the impressive Costes on Ráday Street. From there, he went to Norway, where he worked at Maaemo, a restaurant that boasts two Michelin stars (the restaurant has since been awarded its third star). Despite the unforgettable experiences and the many new experiences, his heart was still drawn back home, so he started cooking alongside Gábor Krausz, and their working relationship became a friendship. In 2019, he became head chef, and last year executive chef, so he is now responsible for the menu not only at Bestia, but also at Tom George.
United in strength
His priorities were to modernise the menu, improve the economic structure and motivate the whole team. Since then, pandemics and cutbacks have come and gone, but the restaurant seems to be successfully overcoming the obstacles under Norbert's leadership. „I think that today, only a restaurant with a maximum of 120 percent, not 100 percent, can survive. And that cannot be achieved without teamwork, so we put a lot of energy and attention into making sure that our staff feel comfortable. We work a maximum of 3 days a week, with 3 or 4 days in alternating weeks, and we schedule to ensure that every other weekend is free.
Modern menu, international flavours, Asian twist
Looking through the menu, you'll find a pleasingly eclectic menu, with a good mix of American classics, Middle Eastern-inspired dishes and vegan options. The menu changes seasonally and the chef's offer changes every 6 weeks. One constant is the Asian twist, thanks in part to Norbert's Chinese-born wife. What better example of this than the most popular dish in the chef's menu, the venison tartare, with premium quality venison provided by Matusz-Vad. „A deer is definitely a winter staple for me and I definitely wanted to some kind of format at least in the chef's offer.”
Deer Register
If it were up to me, it would be on the permanent menu, because it's a delight just to look at it. A venison steaks cut into small cubes, add fish sauce, miso mayonnaise, maldon salt and with black pepper flavoured. To soften the flavours, it's served with a perfect two-minute egg, wonton chips instead of toast, and the pickled shimeji mushrooms are the icing on the cake. If you're salivating, hurry up, because as things stand until 18 December will be available.
Crab tempura and skinny burger
Among the many exciting dishes on offer, the shrimp hidden dressed in a fancy dress. It is based on a cold, dill pumpkin salad with a very piquant, intense spicy mayonnaise, and the crab is fried in a tempura batter. A very complex, yet compact little starter, with a pleasant tang and a From yet it stays fresh and fresh, fantastic delicious!
In keeping with the zeitgeist, vegan and vegán are also rich in food, not to poke meat-free eaters in the eye with a onntott, or with grilled cheese. Fried in the josper beyond burgers with a spicy coriander sauce, which gives it a nice twist. As a garnish, you get a salad mix from a local organic farm, drizzled with homemade dressing. Classic, bucival but you can also order a skinny version, for which I give you extra points.
Fight price rises with kitchen remodelling and continuous supervision
In recent months, every single gas cooker has been replaced by an induction hob, as unnecessary lost energy now no restaurant can afford. „Using induction cookware makes the kitchen run much better. These pots absorb 100% of the heat and you only use the hob for as long as you really need to. you need onlyn on. We also have Josper, which is a big advantage, because it's where the meat is prepared and we can finish a lot of other dishes.” Thanks to their enviably transparent system, they monitor weight loss continuously, down to the gram, and tailor the menu accordingly. Most of the ingredients are sourced from local producers, so they are not dependent on the euro exchange rate.
Another secret weapon is that they don't buy from day to day, but rather reserve a large quantity of certain raw materials in advance. At the moment, for example, 1500 litres oils and now have a larger batch of shrimp available under the Matusz-Vad loyalty partner programme. They need it, as they serve around 500 people a day, and even more at Tom George's. If you want to be one of them, make sure you book in advance in the evening, and it's well worth the detour at lunchtime!
Webpage: https://www.bestia.hu/
Address: 1051 Budapest, Szent István tér 9-11
