In June, a rare place in the country is added to the list of bistros and venues. In Tata, at the Old Lake, a couple of lovers decided to make the dream of many of us come true.
The bistro is a hive of activity. Preparations are in full swing, with the doors opening to the public in a matter of weeks. I had the chance to have a look in beforehand, chat to the manager, the chef and even had a quick coffee tasting. There was a lot of excitement, but everyone was smiling, and there was a strange excitement and sparkle in their eyes. The reason was that they were waiting to leave. They have worked hard and with great difficulty to get to this moment of opening.
What type of restaurant can we expect?
Modern gastronomy, where you can find our favourite Hungarian dishes served in a beautiful and rich way. Here we can also think that we will be satiated with the dishes, because chef Tóth Tivadar himself loves to eat. There's plenty to choose from, the ceramics are colourful, the vegetables are home-grown, the sauces and syrups are made locally. You'll also find the real meat soup, the fried steak and the bird's milk. It will also function as a venue for events, a kind of cultural and community space.
The chef who loves to eat and laugh
It is said that the spirit of a place always depends on the people who run it. When you walk in, you not only get a good feeling from the cosy and cool decor, but you can also feel that you've been very welcome. The coffee is delicious, with that thick, deep flavour we traditionally love. Ample space for all tables, wood and green elements in the room. Simple, homely. The chef was in consultation with their gardener, with whom we took turns, and then I saw the dishes on the laptop, they were from the menu already prepared.
Tivadar Tóth, chef: „I'm always talking about food and looking at food. My first word was ’onka’, you know, ham, not mom or dad.” -laughs out loud. „My cooking actually started in a pastry shop because my aunt was a pastry chef. She always took me with her where the aunts loved me. They'd sit me on the table and I could choose from a selection of marzipan figurines. "I'm a pastry chef too," Tivadar laughs out loud again.
From French markets to grandma's meat pot
Tóth Tivadar wants to keep both his experience abroad and his grandmother's, his family's best cuisine in his work.
„I worked on a boat for ten years, from Amsterdam to Budapest, in the Netherlands, on the Black Sea, and in the last year in France. A market in Bordeaux, for example, is priceless: the spices, the fresh fish, the vegetables, and the atmosphere, amazing. Yet something was missing. The Hungarian pumpkin stew, the pig slaughter, the smell of home, and I would actually like to have a Hungarian wife. I thought I would come home and cook Hungarian food, in a slightly new guise, but bringing back the old, real flavours and keeping them. I grow everything I can on my own on my own plot and I process it myself. It seems to work, because the menu at Mill and Duck is just that,” the chef explained.
Special place, special story
The very dilapidated Tóvárosi and Kalló mills were bought by László Fülöp's company in 1988. Her daughter Judit Fülöp and her husband Péter Mogyorósi, the former lovers, now a married couple, started the renovation of the two mills 5 years ago, financed by their own resources. As nationally listed buildings, this has been a challenge and a continuous process of consultation with the heritage office and the designers. As a result, the three original Baroque-era circular wooden columns, the original slab beams and, in some places, the period wall have been preserved in their original state.
They did not give up even after many hardships
Several work processes had to be restarted, teams had to be replaced, and then the water flooded the mill, but unfortunately from the wrong side. An epidemic situation followed, but the owners, Judit and Peter, didn't give up. The Old Lake was once the scene of their meeting. Thirty years ago, they met there and decided that after raising their children, they wanted others to enjoy the place. So they set about restoring the mills that have been in the family for over 30 years.
„Whatever can be used and is of value, we use it!”
The management is active in all aspects of value preservation. Not only in the mills, the building, the interior design, but also in the food. Together with the chef, they are committed to the principle of not throwing anything away. They use everything, and at the same time they are constantly creating something new inside and out. The Tóvárosi or Czégényi mill dates from the 17th century and the Kalló mill from the 18th century. This year, however, both are waiting for us in their original state, where we can not only enjoy better and better food, but also spend a whole day under the spell of history.
Tóth Tivadar Szalon's duck plate + RECEPT!
Ingredients:
5 pieces bay leaf, 1 kg duck fat, 0,5 kg duck heart, 0,5 kg duck goose, 4 cloves garlic, 1 medium head of onion, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp. pepper (grains)
Mustard seed caviar: 3 tbsp mustard seeds, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Sauce: 1 tbsp duck fat, 4 tbsp fine flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 medium onions, 1 tsp seed mustard (to taste), 1 lemon juice from 1 lemon (to taste), 2 dl sour cream (20%), fresh dill
Preparation
I boil the mustard seeds several times, then season them and let them rest for 1 night.
I garnish with potato dumplings, sour cream, parsnip crisps and mustard seed caviar.
Duck hearts and gizzard are cleaned, salted and left to stand for 3 hours, then confit in a warm duck fat for 12 hours in an 85°C oven. I use the falling off parts and the rest of the ingredients to make a base for the sauce which I cook on a slow fire for 3 hours. When it's done, I strain, thicken, season and then enrich with confit onions to achieve the creaminess of the sauce.
Bon appetit!
