22 MARCH 28 MARCH 2013

THE BUDAPEST TIMES

E A T I N G O UT

V. Zoltn u. 16
(next to Szabadsg tr)
Reservations:
331-4352

Budapests favorite Italian

restaurant for over 10 years
Real Tuscan cuisine
Budapest, V. Belgrd rakpart 13
w w w. t o s c a n a . h u
Tel.:+36 (1) 327 0045

...then call Rob

on 06-30-552-0840
or visit
www.primecuts.hu

Nuts over Brazil

Review: Casabrasil, District VI

Arany Kaviar Restaurant

INES GRUBER

Eat like a Russian Tsar

1015 Budapest, Ostrom u. 19. | Tel.: +36 1 201 6737
Email: reservation@aranykaviar.hu
Open every day from noon to 3pm and from 6pm to midnight
www.aranykaviar.hu

Home-made pastries
Traditional recipes
Special cakes and ice cream
Beijgli for the festive season
Only natural ingredients
No added preservatives or colours
Sugar-free products
with fruit-sugar and birch sugar
We take orders for cakes and pastries
1068 Budapest, Lvlde tr 5.
(entrance from Szv utca)
+36 (1) 341 0118, +36 (30) 922 6676
Open Mo-Fri 9am to 7pm
Sa, Su 10am to 7pm

19

etween Liszt Ferenc tr (square) and the

State Opera House lies the new and only
Brazilian restaurant in Budapest,
casabrasil. Two large windows, which are
opaque from the exterior, provide a view of
Andrssy t and conceal the modern restaurant within.
Walls with a brown linen finish, decorative framed coffee
bean sacks, rectangular and round wooden tables, and
comfortable chairs await customers.
The ground floor of Casabrasil is reserved for the
restaurant. A large wine rack serves as a divider, around
which you can get a glimpse into the kitchen. On the first
floor a lounge with a bar and leather armchairs invites
guests to linger. The only shortcoming is the music: the
Brazilian numbers are played rather too loud for
pleasant conversation.
The menu is wide-ranging. In keeping with Brazilian
tradition, visitors are offered "rodizio", which contains
both starter and main course in one. This consists of
three parts: tasty balls of cheese served hot, a crispy
mixed salad with carrots, tomatoes and pieces of pickled
heart of palm and a well-seasoned and slightly spicy
olive oil dressing, and a black bean soup.
Again in line with tradition, the cream soup is drunk
and is therefore served in a cup. The aromatic and wellseasoned broth is enhanced by bacon and onions and is
the perfect temperature for drinking.

www.sommer-cukraszda.hu

The list of main courses and side dishes is long and

promising. The waiters laden the table with aromatic
rice, black beans with meat, crispy chips, fried and
breaded banana and polenta, farofa (made from toasted
manioc flour) and vinaigrette.
Next the Portuguese chefs present large meat spits,
from which as much is cut off for each customer as they
request: marinated chicken, turkey wrapped in bacon
(which is tasty but unfortunately somewhat dry), pinkcoloured picanha (Brazilian cut of beef with a layer of fat
known as the rump cap) with or without a garlic crust,
aromatic mangalica and many more.
Everything tastes excellent and is tender and mostly
succulent. The selection varies slightly from day to day
because the beef is imported from South America and is
not always in stock.

Guests can season the dishes additionally with the

spicy oil available on every table. Unfortunately the
tables are rather close to one another, which does not
make life easier for the chefs. They only speak
Portuguese and a little English, so there is a language
barrier to overcome, though the agreeable waiters are
happy to interpret.

The range of desserts is currently rather more limited

than for the main courses but this will soon change, says
owner Karin Schmitz.
The restaurant is still experimenting somewhat with
the desserts depending on the availability of the ingredients. In one or two months the selection will be fixed and
will be presented on the menu, Schmitz says. Anyone
who can even think of dessert after the opulent main
course should not hold back.
The typical Brazilian fruit mousse from papaya,
mango, avocado, passion fruit or chocolate is certainly
worth savouring: consisting of lightly whipped cream,
which is soft but has a pleasing, fairly firm consistency,
and adorned with passion fruit juice and seeds, it is a
feast for the eyes too.
The Hungarian, Brazilian or Argentinean wines on
offer are an excellent accompaniment to the plentiful
meal.
Casabrasil is likely to appeal to gourmets and those
who are curious about other cuisines. It offers highquality food in a pleasant and refined environment.
Children up to the age of five can eat for free and halfprice is charged for children up to 12.

Price points
Starters and soups:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 450-2,540
Mains: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 1,550-3,750
Desserts:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HUF 650-750

Casabrasil
District VI, Andrssy t 34
Open Sun.-Wed. 11.30am-midnight, Thurs.-Sat.
11.30am-2am
Kitchen closed daily 4pm-6pm
Tel. (+36-1) 787-6164
www.maceszhuszr.hu