The server spoke to me first in Hungarian, and then apologized for not realizing that I spoke English. I thought this was a bit odd (how would she have known), but she was very nice and spoke English quite well. When she told me that she had just gotten back from Ireland I realized that she did have an Irish accent. Weird! Sometimes it sounded like she was pretending to have an Irish accent because she also had a Hungarian accent. It was quite fun to listen to her. Apparently she just moved to Budapest from the countryside.
Now for the food. I splurged (forgive me Rachel) and bought the following:
- Lamb Saag ($3 more expensive than chicken, beef is half way in between)
- Basmati Rice (had to be purchased separately)
- Garlic Naan
- Lime-Mint Lassi
Saag dinner at Kashmir
The Saag was very green, so it looked less like *ahem* than Bombay House’s. I don’t think it was as creamy, however. I asked for it hotter than normal, and it was the hottest Saag I think I have ever eaten. That is to say it was about as hot as Bombay House’s Non-Saag “Hot”, or a 3-4 star curry at a Thai restaurant. Though I would normally prefer things a bit hotter, I quite enjoyed it since spicy Saag was a bit of a shock anyway. The lamb was excellent–reminiscent of Bombay House in the old days. Lamb Saag may very well be what prevents me becoming vegetarian.
The rice that I ordered was plain basmati rice and I was a little disappointed that I had to order it separately. I also had the choice of a spiced rice (not sure all that this entails) or potatoes, but I wasn’t feeling that adventurous. I needed some comfort food.
The Naan had black sesame seeds on it and was good. I do not believe they had Aloo Paratha which just a shame.
The Lime-Mint Lassi was good, though it didn’t have the overpowering taste of Bombay House’s Lassis. I couldn’t distinguish the lime taste as such but it was more than just mint. It contained chopped up mint, and lime rinds which I felt lent it a nice touch.
The total bill including tip was 4,500 Ft. (about $22.50). Thus it appears that those who claim Budapest is slightly more expensive than the states may be right. The portions were probably identical to Bombay House (so about 175% of ideal for me, but little enough to be consumed entirely if one is hungry–and I was today). All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable affair, but perhaps not repeatable too often on my current budget. So, if your IIFSF (Ivan’s Indian Food Stinginess Factor–defined as enjoyment of Indian food divided by stinginess) is greater than about 40 and you happen to be in Budapest you should try out the Kashmir restaurant. Most importantly you should treat me. :) They also deliver and have a lunch buffet for 1400 Ft ($7).
As a side note, I have decided that I can no longer be friends with anyone whose IIFSF is below 20.
Raven 