Lou Lou goes in search of a star

Lou Lou is that relative rarity in Budapest`s restaurant world, an eatery that is both long standing and popular.

And now it wants to go one step further. Owner Károly Rudits is hoping the restaurant will become the first in central and eastern Europe to win a coveted Michelin star.

The French culinary bible seems trapped behind a Cold War barrier. Although the Michelin Guide (also known as the Red Guide) covers 12 countries - the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain and Portugal - and a guide to the Main Cities of Europe covers 68 of the Continent`s most important cities, and there are even guides to New York and San Franciso, there are no starred restaurant further east than Austria.

That leaves a huge swath of Europe uncovered and, as Rudits admits, there is strong competition out there. `There are some very good restaurants in Prague, for example, and then there is Moscow, a city of 10 million compared to Budapest`s two million.`

To become the first one-star restaurant in Hungary would be something, of course, but to become the first in an entire region. Well, that really would be a story to dine out on.

And Rubits is serious in his intent. With Lou Lou`s previous French chef having left to set up his own restaurant (Csalogány 26, reviewed by The Budapest Sun on Mar 29), the owner had to find a man who could cook him to success.

He had heard of a young Hungarian working as sous chef in Waldo`s, the Michelin-starred restaurant of the UK`s Cliveden House hotel.

And now Rudits has tempted Benedek Binder (the pair are pictured above), not yet 30, to return to Hungary. According to Lou Lou`s own publicity people, Binder `perfectly juxtaposes and alloys inventive European cuisine with Hungarian traditions. Everything is made with the most thorough precision, exactness, slowly, with perfect timing as well as brave and finely tuned creativity.`

The food has clear French hints in terms of presentation and size of portions, but Rudits says he was keen to maintain Hungarian traditions and influences too.

There is little point in describing the press meal I was invited to. The food is clearly going to be good, given the aspiration. The real interest will lie with consistent delivery.

`There are few who can continually provide the same quality, and even fewer who can raise this level higher. Here, at Lou Lou, we strive to do just that,` says Rudits.

Lou Lou first appeared on the Budapest scene in 1996. `Two weeks after opening there was already a two- day reservation. The guests entered my own home,` Rudits claims.

Creativity and modernity have been constant watchwords, the restaurateur says, along with a constant drive to improve quality.

`Only perfect creations can reach our guests, nothing that is just almost perfect.` Rudits also had interests in the Carne di Hall (A carnivore`s dream come true, The Budapest Sun, Aug 26, 2004) restaurant on the Buda side of the Danube, but pulled out of that, deciding, he says, to devote all his energy and creativity to Lou Lou.

That resulted in a third remodeling, dominated by a giant wooden horse, suspended over the bar.

It looks like it was from an old carousel, but, more than 100-years-old, it was, apparently, purely decorative. Rudits spotted it on a trip to Austria, fell in love with it and decided to bring it home.

Under the antique horse, a row of glowing red lamps resemble cooking plates, with Philippe Stark barstools.

Louis XVI style

The restaurant can seat 40. To the right as you come in, there is a grandiosely furnished salon, featuring Louis XVI style silk-velvet armchairs in delicate blue and pale purplish brown, a red lacquered commode and an enormous, wall-size mirror reflecting the fabulous wooden horse and the crystal chandelier.

The wallpaper is slivery purple, while the lights from the lamps on the ceiling are reflected by mirrors directly onto the tables. It is a mixture of modern and classic motifs.

The `new` look was actually revealed to the public in April of 2006. But just as Rudits was ready to make a noise, the restoration work of the nearby Spinach House began to take over the street.

For much of the past year, Vigyázó Ferenc utca has been either very dirty, very noisy or closed to traffic, and sometimes all three.

With the near-by renovations complete, a new chef in place, and the stated desire of reaching the coveted Michelin star rating, one year on, Rubits has decided now he can make a noise.`It was a very long soft-opening,` he joked.

The Michelin Guide dates back to 1900, when André Michelin published the first edition of a guide to France to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring. It included addresses of gasoline distributors, garages, tire stockists, public toilets, and the like.

In 1926, the guide introduced the star to denote good cooking; two and three stars were added in the early 1930s.

One star represents `a very good restaurant in its category,` two stars stand for `excellent cooking, worth a detour` (harking back to its early days as a drivers` guide), and three stars equates to `exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.`.



Lou Lou Restaurant

Pest, District V,

Vigyázó Ferenc utca 4.

Tel: +36/1 312-4505

Fax: +36/1 427-0595

www.loulourestaurant.com

Open: Monday to Friday: noon - 3pm, 7 - 11pm, Saturday: 7 - 11pm, Sunday: Closed

Robin Marshall
www.budapestsun.com - Wednesday, April 25, 2007