When Regions Tell Their Stories

For TATI – Farm to Table Restaurant in Budapest, gastronomy is not only about dishes. It is about stories, memories, and the origin of ingredients.

As a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant, one of our latest initiatives is the TATI Origins regional series, where each month we bring an iconic dish from a different Hungarian region to the table,  interpreted through the lens of the TATI kitchen.

These dishes are available for a limited time only, as part of our daily specials. What makes the series truly special is that every dish is connected to a member of our team and the region they come from, meaning that behind every plate there is a genuine personal story.

In March, Vas County Arrives at the Table

The next stop in the series is Vas County, whose iconic dish inspired our March special: Vasi pecsenye.

For our head chef, Gábor Soóky, the dish was already familiar.

“I lived in Vas County for several years, so the dish was not unknown to me. When I asked Borbála, who was born there, which dish from Vas County was her favourite, she immediately said Vasi pecsenye.”

What makes Vasi pecsenye special is precisely its simplicity. Its flavour is built on three essential ingredients:

• pork
• paprika
• garlic

Only a few ingredients, yet a deeply characteristic and refined flavour, the true essence of rural Hungarian cuisine.

A Dish That Brings Back Memories

Our March dish was inspired by Borbála Márton, our HR Generalist colleague, who comes from Vas County.

For her, Vasi pecsenye is far more than a traditional dish — it is a childhood memory.

“For me, Vasi pecsenye always reminds me of family lunches. At home we traditionally soaked the meat in garlicky milk. My grandmother always prepared it the night before, and the next day she coated it in paprika flour and fried it. You could already smell the aromas from the yard.”

These aromas may feel familiar to many of us: the kitchen of our grandparents, the atmosphere of Sunday family lunches, and the kind of care that has been passed down through generations in rural kitchens.

When Borbála was growing up, her family raised their own animals and grew vegetables at home, meaning that everything that reached the table was the result of their own work. Perhaps this is exactly what gives rural Hungarian cuisine its true strength: simple ingredients that create deeply memorable flavours.

Vasi pecsenye in the TATI kitchen

In the TATI kitchen, we reinterpret traditional dishes while preserving their character and essential flavour.

The centrepiece of our Vasi pecsenye is mangalica pork neck, which we prepare using the sous vide technique and finish in a hot pan until beautifully golden.

The dish is accompanied by several textures of potato.

The Hasselback potato is sliced every two millimetres and baked at 150°C for 45 minutes. Once cooled, it is fried in hot oil before serving to achieve a crisp texture.

Our potato purée is made from Hópehely potatoes, butter, milk, and cream, creating a rich and velvety side dish.

We also prepare fermented straw potatoes: julienned potatoes fermented in a 2% salt brine for 6–10 days, then dried and fried until crisp.

The character of the dish is enhanced by a smoked paprika jus, made by infusing our base jus with smoked paprika and finishing it with butter.

Finally, the plate is completed with a confit garlic cream, prepared by slowly cooking garlic in pork fat and blending it into a smooth purée.

The Foundation of Farm to Table: Our Producers

farm-to-table restaurants, and for us the origin of our ingredients plays a key role in every dish.

The ingredients for our Vasi pecsenye also come from Hungarian small-scale producers with whom we have built long-term relationships:

• Potatoes – Falusi Kosár
• Dairy products – Csengő Manufaktúra
• Mangalica pork – Róbert Lackó
• Garlic – Angelfish Farms

For us, the farm-to-table philosophy means knowing exactly where our ingredients come from and ensuring that behind every flavour on the plate there are real people and real stories.

Taste It for Yourself

If you are curious to discover how Hungarian rural traditions meet the kitchen of a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant in Budapest, we warmly welcome you to TATI this March as well.