Just when you think there's little new under the sun, along comes a young, enthusiastic chef, two enterprising idea hosts and a seemingly impossible ingredient. Out of this trio came Sulyom restaurant, and it's been a long time since anything better has happened in the Tisza area.
Probably not many people would have given credit to a restaurant whose main concept is based on a raw material that requires a special licence to obtain and is more complicated to use than to „harvest”. And that ingredient is the eponymous sulyom, a prickly, herbaceous aquatic plant. However, its fruit is also a very exciting, chestnut-flavoured, high-starch raw material. During the Turkish occupation it was used as a staple food, but in high gastronomy it is also perfect for desserts and sauces. Andrea Komjáthy and Gyula Kücsön, who have been motorcyclists for a long time, saw this opportunity. Their name is associated with investments such as the Sarudi Adventure Village or the or the Aprópolis playground in Biatorbágy. And the cheekily young but all the more creative Ádám Berecz was asked to run the kitchen.
From grandma's stool to Sulyom's kitchen chef
In my years in the business, I have found that there are two types of chef. One who has been around the stove from a very young age, and the other who for lack of a better idea (Of course, I would point out that neither of them will be better than the other). Adam is in the first camp, as his parents worked very hard, he was looked after a lot by his grandmother, who was constantly soaking up kitchen skills. „To this day I still pay homage to my grandmother in my food, because I learned everything from her. I try to combine the recipes I learned from her with modern technology and serving.” - says Adam. At the age of eleven, he was already adamant that he wanted to be a chef. Right after finishing school, he took a job at the four-star Oxygen Hotel in Noszvaj. After a few years there, he continued his work in the kitchen of the popular 1552 restaurant in Eger, working alongside Dávid Tóth.
Four seasons with professional help
The menu at Sulyom is not endless, which is the result of a conscious decision to ensure that all ingredients are as fresh as possible. The dishes on the menu are prepared in the spirit of fine bistro, mostly local flavours, served in a reimagined way. An excellent example is the foie gras Éclair doughnut served with thyme quince chutney and red onion turkey cream. But so is the Sulyom fish cream soup, which comes with an unusual soba noodle and gorbusa caviar.
Adam was also helped by the Matusz-Vad regional representative in developing the menu. „Perhaps what I appreciate most about working with the company is that the regional representatives used to work in the kitchen themselves. They are therefore able to recommend ingredients to suit my needs in a much more knowledgeable and authentic way. A punctual deliverysi Time and reliable ordering is also a key issue for me. If I run out of the raw material I need, I can have it replaced with a pre-agreed product. I don't get random goods, which also distinguishes Matuz from the competition.” Our company currently orders fillet of tooth, venison sirloin and beef sirloin. But they also cater for a growing number of vegan and intolerant customers. For them, too, they offer a range of unusual alternatives. The sulyom is only present in a few dishes so far (Uncle Gyula's fish stew, sulyom salad), but the aim is to bring it back in more dishes as time goes by.
Everyone, I mean EVERYONE, is welcome at Sulyom Restaurant
The owners and Adam have designed not only the menu, but the whole restaurant in such a way that leaving disappointed is an impossible mission. There is a separate room for mothers with all the necessary equipment, such as nappies, wipes and baby food. For the children, a complete play house with a „parental locker” is provided. Thanks to this, adults can eat comfortably without having to scold the little ones with their phones. And what is probably the most extreme of all the services is that the restaurant is not only dog-friendly in 100%, but also offers a separate vegetarian and meat menu for four-legged family members. A deli shop will soon be added to the restaurant so that guests can take a little of the Sulyom experience home with them. Also planned is the possibility of renting holiday boats for 8-10-12 people. Here Adam can show off his skills at private dinners on request.
I think I am not biased when I say that Sulyom restaurant is not just a restaurant. It is fast becoming one of the main tourist attractions in the area, so it's worth a visit before the queues start to form.
Address: 3386 Sarud, Lake Tisza, Kossuth út 2.
