LOCATIONCentrally placed on Caulfield’s restaurant and shopping strip.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAIf you feel like you’re in need of a large gourmet hug, this is the place to come for comfort food. Steaming bowls of chicken soup, great plates of schnitzel and traditional Hungarian goulash will satisfy any craving for some good home cooking. The decor is sparse – a few simple prints, and a shelf full of schnapps and Hungarian bull’s blood wine – show the focus is on the food, and it feels a little like you’ve lobbed up to someone’s kitchen and asked for a feed. And a feed is what you’ll get from Elizabeth Csuka’s kitchen. It’s simple, substantial and satisfying food, although vegetarians will struggle to find much here beyond cabbage, mushrooms and potatoes.
Entrees include chicken soup with noodles or matzo balls, crumbed mushrooms, or indulge yourself and have the crumbed cheese – maybe to share. Little Hungarian specialises in traditional-style dishes such as chicken paprika, goulash, chicken liver with onions and stuffed cabbage rolls. Try the pork goulash with sauerkraut and parsley potatoes for a really hearty taste of Hungary. Other mains include veal or chicken schnitzel variations, or roast veal with a huge portion of potatoes and cream spinach on the side. Dessert crepes make a light, sweet finish, and keep an eye out for the weekly special plum or apricot dumplings. The restaurant is small and popular every night so make sure to book to ensure a table. There is also takeaway for early birds, available between 4pm and 5.30pm.
Angela Costanzo