Tlayudas are by far the most recognizable street food from Oaxaca. Ask any local what you just have to eat when visiting, and this will be the first thing uttered from their lips. But, the question is, where are the best places to try the most delicious street food in any country? The answer is always the local spots, those hole in the wall places that only the locals know about. This is where the best food can be found. This is where all street food adventures must begin!

What is a tlayuda?

Tlayudas are the most classic, and probably most popular, late night street food in Oaxaca. They consist of a large, thin corn tortilla that’s toasted until crispy. It’s topped with beans, asiento (unrefined pork lard), meat (usually chorizo, tasajo, chapulines, or sometimes shredded chicken, beef tenderloin, or pork), cabbage, and incredibly stringy quesillo (Oaxaca cheese). There are a few optional ingredients like avocado or salsa, but the above are the musts.

Tlayudas can be enjoyed in two different ways, either open-faced or folded in half. They’re ultimately the same, but the way in which they’re served depends on the place. So, naturally the next question is, where to eat tlayudas in Oaxaca?

Tlayudas Don Ramón

At Tlayudas Don Ramón, they do the best tlayudas in Oaxaca. The ingredients they use are fresh, local and of high quality. They don’t skimp out either! They’ll pack your tlayuda to the brim with all the tasty ingredients you order.

Everything is cooked up fresh at the back of the shop. The meat is grilled to order and added into your thin tortilla with all the other delicious ingredients. It’s folded in half, then grilled over charcoal to give it that extra delicious, smoky flavour. This unique smoky taste is what really sets tlayudas apart from your typical tacos or quesadillas. Not to mention it melts all that tasty quesillo, ultimately fusing all the ingredients together in a perfect medley of greasy, meaty, cheesy deliciousness.

Of course, there’s many famous tlayuda shops in Oaxaca that you can visit, but the best places for us are the local, family-run joints. That’s usually where you’ll experience the best food and best hospitality.

What to order

Their menu is simple and straight to the point, as all of the best places are. Tlayudas Don Ramón only offers a limited number of dishes, with tlayudas as the star choice.

You’ve got three tlayudas options on the menu. The first is Sencilla, which translates to “simple” and is exactly what you’d think; all the base ingredients, with cheese. Second, you’ve got Con Carne, which is “with meat”, and in this case is chorizo and tasajo. Then, your third option is Vegetariana which, as you might have guessed, means “vegetarian”. As meat lovers ourselves, we can never resist a good con carne.

When you get your order, you’ll be able to add some spicy salsas to your tlayuda. They offer two kinds, a spicy picante verde (green salsa) and an even spicier rojo (red salsa).

The vibe

When we say hole in the wall, we really mean hole in the wall. Tlayudas Don Ramón is one of those places where if you’re not careful and keeping an eye out, you’ll walk right past it. The whole place is about the width of the door you walk in. The seating area is a long table along the wall, with stools set along it.

At the back is where the magic happens. That’s where you’ll find Ramón and his wife, busy cooking up a storm. There’s a reason they’re known for having the best tlayudas in Oaxaca.

Quality tlayudas for an affordable price

What sets Tlayudas Don Ramón above the rest is the affordable price for what you get, both in size and quality. Here, you’re guaranteed a massive tlayuda, packed with fresh, local ingredients, and all for an amazing price.

We had ours with chorizo, tasajo and quesillo, and the size of it was worth far more than what we paid.

The best tlayudas in Oaxaca are at Tlayudas Don Ramón

Oaxaca City is full of places serving tlayudas. Sure, the famous spots are worth checking out, but the real magic happens in tiny, family-run shops. Those hidden gems? That’s what travelling’s all about.

The hospitality at Tlayudas Don Ramón can’t be beat; Ramón and his wife are so welcoming and friendly. Supporting their humble shop is exactly what makes travelling worthwhile.

So, next time you’re in Oaxaca City, make sure you pay them a visit for their incredible tlayudas. You may have many spots to choose from, but this is the place you want to visit to try the best tlayudas in Oaxaca. Trust us, you’ll love it!

Name: Tlayudas Don Ramón
Address: Faustino G. Olivera 204 B, Col Figueroa, 68070 Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico
what3words: ///retiring.walks.revives
Price: 50-120 MXN

The post Best Tlayudas in Oaxaca: Why Locals Love Tlayudas Don Ramón appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

The quality and value of the food, plus the traditional style of cooking, has even made Wong Mei Kee worthy of Bib Gourmand status in the Michelin Guide. As you can imagine, being invited to watch the entire preparation and cooking of these incredible pork dishes was a true honour. What’s more, is that despite Wong Sifu’s success, he’s remained humble and ever so welcoming.

If you’re looking to taste the best siu yuk in KL, then Wong Mei Kee’s crispy pork belly needs to be on your list of top foods to eat in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Our morning at Wong Mei Kee started a little before 9:00am, on the quiet, damp, humid streets of Pudu.

We were greeted at the front of the shop by a friendly lady, and announced that we were here to watch the full siu yuk and char siu preparation for the day. We’d been in contact with Wong Sifu days before in order to lock in this special opportunity.

We were sent down the side of the building and met by Wong Sifu’s grandsons. He’s been slowly guiding them over the last several years to take over the business. They do most of the preparation in the morning, and are met by Wong Sifu himself later in the day. The last stages of cooking are overseen by him, mind you. When it comes to chopping and serving the siu yuk, Wong Sifu is still the master.

This morning, his grandsons were beginning the process of preparing the massive slabs of skin-on pork belly, soon to be turned into the crispy roast pork. We could tell within the first two minutes of arriving that we were in for a treat today.

The crispiest pork belly starts with charcoal

Wong Sifu has a special set up in the alleyway behind the restaurant where he roasts all of his meat. It’s back here that Wong Mei Kee’s charcoal roast pork gets its name. There’s three 55-gallon charcoal fired barrels to roast the pork, and an extra-large barrel-like contraption for the roast chicken.

The slabs of pork belly are prepped, boiled and pounded

The first stage of preparation for the siu yuk is to boil the slabs of pork belly in water to begin the cooking process. Once boiled for several minutes, they’re taken out of the water, rubbed with coarse salt, and hammered with a meat mallet covered in two-inch-long spikes.

The pounding process is twofold. First, it penetrates the skin with salt. Second, it allows the skin to release moisture during cooking, thus causing it to dry out more easily. This final preparation stage really facilitates the extra crispiness of the skin, the ultimate desired outcome.

After this, it’s time to hang and cook the massive slabs of pork

On this day there were 14 huge slabs of pork belly to prepare. Wong Sifu uses only the best cuts of meat. High-quality skin-on pork belly, with distinct layers of skin, fat and meat are the finest.

After his grandson carefully placed meat hooks into the slabs of pork belly, they were hung inside the barrels. In the meantime, burning charcoal had been slowly added to the barrels to begin heating them up.

We watched intently as the pork belly was methodically hung off the inner sides of the drums, four slabs in each. By the time all the pork belly was dangling inside, the barrels had heated up nicely. The skin on the pork instantly started to sweat.

Within minutes the meat was roasting, giving off the most tantalizing aroma. We would have stood there for the next two hours, getting as many whiffs of the dripping pork as we possibly could, but more work was yet to be done.

Next up, the pork shoulder is cut and seasoned by hand

As the slabs of pork belly were happily roasting in the drums, it was time for the Chinese BBQ pork.

Wong Sifu’s grandson dumped out a massive pot full of the best cuts of fatty pork shoulder. He meticulously went through each of the long strips of meat, one by one, cutting off any unwanted parts.

The chosen pieces were added back into the pot and seasoned. Hoisin sauce, sugar, five spice powder, salt, a massive heap of freshly minced garlic, as well as a few other secret ingredients, were added to the pot for ultimate taste. Everything was stirred in together by hand. This ensured each piece of meat was evenly coated with the crimson red, sticky sauce.

As everything gets going, Wong Sifu arrives

It’s about this time that Wong Sifu arrived and took over the general overseeing of things. He met us in the alleyway behind Wong Mei Kee. We were hovering over the drums, of course, and greeted us with a beaming smile. This is a man who loves what he does.

Wong Sifu began his own siu yuk business when he was just 20 years old in 1982. Over the last four decades he’s been perfecting his method of cooking to create the best, crispiest, juiciest siu yuk in all of KL. During these 40 years, he’s made a name for himself. Wong Mei Kee is known as one of the best places to go to in KL for siu yuk, char siu, and roast chicken.

Wong Sifu went from drum to drum, checking on the siu yuk, rotating the slabs and adding extra charcoal as needed. The slabs of pork belly were now fully crisping up and starting to make our mouths water. This was truly starting to look like the best siu yuk in KL.

The pork belly finishes, so the BBQ pork begins

The pork belly finished cooking and was given the green light from Wong Sifu. The tender, juicy, insanely crispy slabs were taken out of the drums. The last stage of Wong Mei Kee’s charcoal roast pork is to scrape off any char that had built up on the bubbly, crispy skin to make sure it tastes perfect.

Now, it was time for the Chinese BBQ pork to take its rightful place in the drums. The amount of char siu was much less than the siu yuk, with three skewers of meat in total.

All three fit perfectly into one drum. It didn’t take long for the outside of the meat to begin to caramelize. Each piece slowly dripping with the sticky, gooey, crimson red sauce and mouth-watering fat.

Part way through the cooking process, Wong Sifu took the long strips of barbecue pork out of the drum and put them into a bath of honey barbecue pork sauce. The char siu was basted and doused with the thick, syrupy, garlicky sauce; the perfect balance between sweet and savoury.

Now freshly glazed, the strips of pork shoulder were put back into the drum for the final stage of cooking. The overall cooking time for the barbecue pork is only about 20 minutes, depending on the heat of the drum. It takes a proper master to monitor the heat and adjust the cooking time accordingly.  

Perfect meat requires constant attention

It was a busy place at the back of this humble shop. Wong Sifu went from drum to drum. He patiently waited for the perfect time to lift out whatever pieces of meat were left.

His grandsons were busy scraping off the last of the char from the roast pork belly skin. Each scrape revealing the heavenly crispy and salty crackling underneath. It’s a labour-intensive process, with 14 slabs of pork belly to tend to.

Wong Sifu, the master of Wong Mei Kee himself, made sure that all of the meat was ready to be taken to the front of the shop. His last quality check is the finishing touch. We knew what that meant, it was time to eat!

As hungry customers gather, this is what to expect

Restoran Wong Mei Kee opens at 12:30pm, with people starting to queue up at least an hour beforehand. By 1:00pm the restaurant will be so busy, there’ll be a queue out the door. By 2:00pm most days, everything is sold out; char siu, siu yuk, and the roast chicken are all gone.

It was 12:30pm. People had queued up and begun to order, pay and take different numbers for either dine-in or takeout.

Before long, every table was full.

The restaurant, packed to the gills.

Forks and spoons at the ready, as is customary in Malaysia, the excitement was palpable. Each table was full of hungry customers awaiting their share of the spoils. They’d heard about the best siu yuk in Kuala Lumpur and now they wanted their fix, too. Both new and returning customers alike, patiently waited for their order.

We were shown to our table, nestled near the front of the shop, in perfect view of all the action.

Prepared by others in the shop were the BBQ pork and roast chicken . Meanwhile, the crispy pork belly, the pièce de résistance, was sliced, chopped and portioned out by the master, Wong Sifu himself.

He prepared each slab by cutting off any unwanted areas of the meat, leaving only the highest quality pork belly behind. Next, two strips were placed beside each other and cut and chopped into each individual portion. At the same time, he made sure that each chunk of layered fat and meat had an accompanying piece of the crispiest pork skin to go with it.

It’s time to eat, starting with the siu yuk

Finally, our feast arrived.

By this time, we’d been a part of the process since 9:00am and we were absolutely famished. After watching the preparation and smelling the wonderful aroma of roasting meat for the past few hours, we were ready to taste what all the hype was about. We’d heard so much about Wong Sifu’s crispy roast pork being the best siu yuk in Kuala Lumpur that we just couldn’t wait!

We tucked straight into the siu yuk, Wong Mei Kee’s charcoal, crispy roast pork belly.

It was served in big bite sized chunks. Each piece with an equal amount of lean meat and streaks of melted fat running through, all topped off with a golden crackling piece of crispy pork skin.

The meat itself was extremely juicy, tender and just that bit salty. Our teeth sank right into it. Likewise, the fat was cooked to perfection. Buttery, rich and soft, it just melted in our mouths. The skin, oh my gosh, the skin! Crispy, salty, juicy, fatty, slightly greasy and satisfyingly crunchy, just how you want pork skin to be.

In particular, we could taste the smoky charcoal in every bite, adding a whole other dimension to the dish.

It was about this time that we realized we were eating the best siu yuk in KL. All the labour and hard work that went into creating this delicious cut of pork really shone through.

After the crispy pork is the char siu

The char siu was just as satisfying as the siu yuk.

The barbecue pork had the perfect ratio of meat to fat, making every bite extremely tender, succulent and oh so juicy. The outer layer was covered in the sticky, crimson red, honeyed barbecue pork sauce, now caramelized and gooey after roasting over the charcoal. A sweet and savoury flavour bomb exploded in our mouths after every bite.

Lastly, the roast chicken

Last but not least was the roast chicken. By this point in the meal, it was no surprise to us that the chicken was extremely tender and moist, just like the other meats.

This skin was just a little bit crispy from frying in the oil, giving it a nice texture and flavour. The sweet light sauce poured over top before serving added a hint of sweetness to the savoury meat. Everything led to an incredibly succulent plate of chicken.

An unforgettable day deserves big thanks

We finished every bite, not leaving a morsel behind.

Afterwards, we went up to Wong Sifu at the front of the shop, busy slicing, cutting, chopping and placing. We thanked him for having us and for showing us such incredible hospitality throughout the day. It was truly an unforgettable experience to be invited into his kitchen to witness the craft he’s been perfecting for the last 40 years.

It’s no wonder people line up every day to have a taste of what really is the best siu yuk in Kuala Lumpur.

The best siu yuk in KL is at Wong Mei Kee, Pudu

The unique street food in Malaysia never ceases to amaze us! After hours of preparation and cooking, Wong Sifu produces the best, insanely crispy siu yuk crispy pork belly and tender char siu Chinese BBQ pork in Kuala Lumpur. Melt in your mouth fat, tender meat and crispy pork skin, coupled with the gooey stickiness of the barbecue pork is just mind-blowing.

Wong Mei Kee Pudu is truly a must visit spot for the best roast pork in Kuala Lumpur.

Name: 王美記 Wong Mei Kee
Address: 30 Jalan Nyonya, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
what3words: ///taxi.tonight.slid
Price: RM28/strip

Check out the video below for our full experience at Wong Mei Kee, Pudu!

The post The Best Siu Yuk in KL is at Wong Mei Kee: The Ultimate Crispy Pork Belly appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

If you’re looking to add some incredibly yummy street food to your list of best foods to eat in Manila, then make sure these are at the top! Their kuchay (chive) dumplings are so delicious, they’ll have you fighting over the last one.

The historic district of Binondo

The Binondo neighbourhood of Manila is famed for being the oldest Chinatown in the world. Founded in 1594, this district has undergone many changes throughout the years. From small Chinese settlement to the centre of commerce and trade of Manila, one thing’s endured; the incredible street food that Binondo is known for.

The dumplings that originated in Dong Bei

About 20 years ago, a family moved from Dong Bei in northeastern China to Manila. In hopes of having a taste of home, they opened up a small shop selling what they knew how to make best, pork and chive dumplings.

Their plan was to have a small business sharing this local, traditional food with their community.

To their pleasant surprise, the chive and pork dumplings were a hit! Before long, their homemade and authentic dumplings became one of the most famous dumplings in Binondo.

Now, Dong Bei Dumpling is on every Manila street food tour and Binondo food trip list out there.

Full transparency of freshness

In China, it’s common for food to be made in the front of the shop, so that you can see the ingredients that are going into the food. Keeping with tradition, this is something Dong Bei Dumpling has implemented from the start. They make their dumplings by hand in a traditional way, fresh to order and with local ingredients.

How the best dumplings in Binondo are made

It all starts with a mixture of pork, onion and plenty of chives (kuchay). This is then generously packed inside a piece of circular, thin dough and sealed along one edge. The now chubby dumplings are immediately dropped into boiling water and left until they float to the top. With dumplings this fresh, they only take a few minutes to cook.

The secret, however, is adding in the pork mixture raw. This allows the meat to cook as it boils, releasing flavourful juices that are trapped inside the skin. The result is a dumpling so tasty and juicy, it practically melts in your mouth! If you’ve ever had a soup dumpling, you know what we’re talking about.

It’s time to eat, here comes the sauce

The dumplings are served with a delicious homemade sauce of garlic, vinegar and soy sauce. For those of you with taste buds that need an added kick, there’s also homemade chilli sauce on the side to bang them up a notch. Speaking from experience, you won’t need much of this to spice up your dumplings!

At the time of writing, there’s no area inside the shop to sit and eat. So, the best way to enjoy your dumplings is right there on the street.

What makes Dong Bei dumplings so special?

What has set Dong Bei Dumpling apart from competition over the years, is that the dumplings are made fresh to order with quality ingredients. Because of this, the dumpling is more delicate, the skin lighter and the meat juicier. Not to mention they’ve stuck to the same simple, delicious, authentic recipe that’s brought their customers back over and over again.

How to get there

Dong Bei Dumpling is located in the Binondo, Chinatown area of Manila, west of the Estero de la Reina. If you’re arriving from the east of Binondo, once you find Ongpin Street you’ll be at the heart of the neighbourhood.

Following Ongpin Street west across the Estero de la Reina bridge, you’ll come across Yuchengco Street, right after the ‘Shoppers’ Mart’ grocery store. Turn right on Yuchengco Street and follow the road almost to the end. Here, on the right, you’ll find Dong Bei Dumpling.

There’s no big fancy sign on the top of the shop, however, just a sign in the window as you walk by. This little establishment has kept itself humble despite its fame over the years, so if you don’t pay attention, you might walk right past it! Luckily, there will most likely be other hungry pedestrians looking for their dumpling fix, so follow the line of ravenous customers.

The best dumplings in Binondo

Eating at Dong Bei Dumpling is a must if you’re in the Binondo neighbourhood of Manila. No food trip in the city is complete without them. From the freshness of each dumpling to the quality ingredients used to make them, this is a place you can’t miss.

Name: Dong Bei Dumpling
Address: 642 Yuchengco St, Binondo, Manila, Metro Manila
what3words: ///gossip.sugars.outdoor
Price: ₱200/order (14 dumplings)

The post Dong Bei Dumpling: the Best Dumplings in Binondo, Manila appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

In Budapest there are loads of places that do a mean lángos (pronounced lan-go-sh). We’re here to tell you the best place for lángos in the city is at Krumplis Lángos. This hole-in-the-wall shop is a local favourite, meaning great taste and quality ingredients made with love.

What is lángos?

Lángos is quite possibly the most popular Hungarian street food. If there’s one Hungarian food you need to eat when you visit Budapest, it’s lángos.

Lángos is best described as deep-fried dough, similar to a Canadian beaver tail, except savoury. Proofed balls of dough are stretched into discs and fried in oil until golden brown. Crispy on both sides and soft and light on the inside, lángos is the ultimate Hungarian comfort food!

The dough itself is very simple, made of milk, flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Some places even add potato to their dough for a different texture, and Krumplis Lángos is one of them. The Hungarian word for ‘potato’ is krumplis, leading to their name!

You’ve gotta have toppings!

Lángos is served with a variety of different toppings, with the most traditional and popular being sajtos-tejfölös (garlic sauce, sour cream and grated cheese). This is the preferred choice with Hungarians. It sounds a bit strange at first, especially since the cheese is cold and not melted, but trust us, it’s the perfect flavour combo.

It’s important to note that they’re traditionally brushed with a slathering of strong, fiery garlic (fokhagyma) mixed with oil, so you’ll need to specify whether you want it with or without this, depending on your tastes. You definitely want it though!

Served to you straight out of the bubbling oil, they’re best eaten hot when they’re at their freshest.

The best lángos means exceptional quality with affordable prices

The price of lángos within the main city centre of Budapest is expensive. Within this area you’ll be paying anywhere from 1500-2500Ft ($4.30-$7.20USD) for the most popular lángos, sajtos-tejfölös. This is pricey considering lángos is traditionally known for being an affordably priced quick snack.

The prices at Krumplis Lángos represent more of a local price, not one that’s been inflated by the high prices of the touristy areas.

Lángos here range in price from 650-1050Ft ($1.80-$3.00USD), with many options to choose from. The cheapest option is your plain sima lángos, with or without garlic, coming in at 650Ft. The most popular sajtos-tejfölös (cheese and sour cream) for 920Ft, and the most expensive sajt-tejföl-bacon-hagyma (sour cream, cheese, bacon and onion) for 1050Ft. The latter is absolutely covered with ingredients and cheaper than the sajtos-tejfölös served at most other shops in the city centre.

Not only is the price definitely right, but the quality that you get for what you pay is beyond anything you’ll find in the city. This is truly where to eat the best lángos in Budapest. The size of them alone is one of the biggest, and the friendly ladies who run the shop are extremely generous with the toppings.

How many different lángos are there to choose from?

Okay, so we’ve covered cost and quality. Now it’s time to talk about variety and all the delicious tastes and flavours of this popular Hungarian food.

There’s more variety here than you’ll see at many other places throughout the city. With 14 different kinds of lángos to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice! Another reason why this is where you can eat the best lángos in Budapest.

As we mentioned above, they start out with your ‘plain jane’ sima lángos and work their way up, adding toppings as you go down the left side of the menu. The mid-range lángos are your one topping options of just tejfölös (sour cream), sajtos (cheese), or sonkás (ham).

The second half of the menu is where things really pick up!

You’ve got your most popular lángos, which is the sajtos-tejfölös (garlic, cheese and sour cream). There’s every combination you can make out of ham, cheese, and sour cream, all the way down to the most covered in toppings… The pièce de resistance, the sajt-tejföl-bacon-hagyma aka garlic, cheese, sour cream, bacon and red onion.

Which ones we tried

We tried two different lángos off the menu on our multiple trips to Krumplis Lángos, and we highly recommend them both.

The classic sajtos-tejfölös is deliciously flavourful and an absolute must. Creamy, cheesy and garlicky all on top of the crispy fried bread, stomach officially grumbling.

Our number one go to, however, became the fully loaded sajt-tejföl-bacon-hagyma. Now this one, this one was truly special and will leave you with the best breath you’ve ever had!

There’s something about the crispy soft bread, spicy garlic, velvety sour cream, salty bacon, savoury cheese and crunchy raw red onion that just completely works as a fusion of texture and flavour. Okay, now we’re drooling!

The vibe

It’s a quick grab and go affair here. There’s no tables and chairs to sit and eat, but a bar where you can stand and devour your lángos. To be honest, when indulging in something like this, sometimes it feels better to stand and eat. They’re so good it won’t last long anyways!

If you do want to sit down and enjoy your lángos, however, the park just outside of the underpass has some seating.

Location of this must visit spot

Krumplis Lángos is located in one of the most unassuming and unsuspecting places. Found almost underground in an underpass, it’s not quite where you’d imagine to eat the best lángos in Budapest. Mind you, it’s in these off the beaten path places like underpasses and down small alleys where you find the best lángos. Either way, this is exactly where you want to be.

The location itself is a little far from the centre of downtown Budapest, but extremely easy to get to. Public transport is so prolific in the city, and Krumplis Lángos itself is along multiple train, tram and bus lines. So, wherever you’re coming from in the city, you’ll have no trouble getting here.

How to get to Krumplis Lángos

Budapest is divided into districts, and you’ll find Krumplis Lángos in District III, also known as Óbuda.

From Pest side

From the centre of downtown Budapest at Deák Ferenc tér, the best way to get to Krumplis Lángos is to take the M3 (blue) subway towards Újpest-Központ.

Hop on at Deák Ferenc tér station and head to Göncz Árpád városközpont. Disembark here and make your way above ground to the eastern side of the intersection. Take the 1/1A Tram from Göncz Árpád városközpont M towards Bécsi út/Vörösvári út, disembarking at Flórián tér.

Since almost all the Metro (subway) lines cross the 1/1A tram line, you can easily get to Krumplis Lángos from all areas of the city, no matter where you start out from.

When you come from Flórián tér, it’s a bit more of a direct, less scenic route than from the Buda side.

You’ll get off at the Flórián tér tram station, and on the north side of the street you’ll see a large mall called ‘Flórián’. Cross the road in the direction of the mall, past some interesting Roman ruins. Then, head down below the street into the underpass on your right, you’ll see the sign for Flórián tér. As you enter the underpass, you’ll see Krumplis Lángos directly to your right, about fifty metres or so down.

From Buda side

If coming from the Buda side after exploring the castle, take the H5 from Batthyány tér towards Békásmegyer/Szentendre (it’s the first stop on the H5 line so it can only go in one direction). Be aware that Batthyány tér station is underground and the H5 is a proper train, so don’t be alarmed that it’s not a metro car. Disembark when you reach Szentlélek tér.

Once you arrive at Szentlélek tér, you’ll disembark and head northwest past Vasarely Museum and through Fő tér. The quaint square of Fő tér is surrounded by beautiful old buildings and is a sight in itself. You’ll probably want to take a moment to snap a few pics. As you exit the square from the northwest corner, you’ll continue along Kórház Street, past local apartments, until you stumble upon a large road overpass.

As you see the overpass come into sight, the only way to cross it is underground. You’ll take the stairs that lead down below the road and turn left. The underpass is quite long, so continue until about half way down and boom, you’ll come upon Krumplis Lángos on your left.

Luckily, it’s not hard to miss when coming from either direction. There’ll most likely be a queue of people looking for their fill of steamy hot lángos, just like you.

Getting around while in Budapest

Public transport in Budapest is extremely convenient and affordable. Depending on how long you’ll stay and how you plan to spend your days, the Monthly Budapest-pass is the way to go. It works on every form of transport in the city; bus, tram, trolley, train and metro.

We found it super convenient because you can take any form of transit without having to worry about tickets, fumbling with money, or how often you want to use transit throughout the day.

Budapest itself is extremely easy to get around because there’s transit pretty much everywhere you could possibly want to go. It’s one of the most accessible cities we’ve ever been to in terms of all the different modes of transit and how far they reach.

Below is a list of transit prices so that you can make the most informed decision based on the length of your trip and needs while in Budapest:

• Single ticket (valid for one ride) 350 HUF
• 24-hour Budapest-travelcard 2 500 HUF
• 72-hour Budapest-travelcard 5 500 HUF
• 15-day Budapest-pass 6 300 HUF
• Monthly Budapest-pass 9 500 HUF

Check out the official ‘BKK’ Budapest transit website for more info.

The best lángos in Budapest is at Krumplis Lángos

Recommended by locals, the mouth-watering lángos at Krumplis Lángos is one of the top places to get lángos in Budapest. Nothing beats the taste of their freshly made lángos, covered in spicy garlic, smooth sour cream and salty cheese. Yum!

So, if you’re looking for an affordable, local, delicious lángos made with quality ingredients, you’re gonna want to head to Krumplis Lángos. This is the place to eat the best lángos in Budapest by a long shot, the most popular Hungarian street food.

Name: Krumplis Lángos (LÁNGOSOS – Flórián tér aluljáró)
Address: Budapest Aluljáró szint, Flórián tér 1, 1033, Hungary
what3words: ///backward.runner.bunks
Price: 650-1050Ft

The post Where to Eat the Best Lángos in Budapest appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

You can’t go far in Turkey without stumbling upon someone having a çay, a strong black Turkish tea sweetened with sugar. Whether it’s a shop keeper standing outside awaiting their next customer, locals on a few makeshift stools on the side of the road, or someone carrying a tray full of them to who knows where as they bustle down the street. Çay is a part of Turkish culture.

Tucked away in Beyoğlu

One of our favourite places to stop into after a long day of eating and exploring Istanbul was at a quaint little local Çay Evi, or teahouse, on the corner of Kurdela Sokak and Ömer Hayyam Caddesi. A mere five minutes’ walk from the popular Istiklal Caddesi, Huzur Çay Evi is exactly the place we always needed after a long day to enjoy the best Turkish tea in Istanbul.

It’s got the absolute perfect location, right on the side of a busy street. The best place for watching the world go by, day or night. Being a local shop in a more local area, you’re able to experience the comings and goings of a local Istanbul neighbourhood. Be it the traffic, the people, or the Sunday market across the street, this is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the hustle and bustle around you.

What to order

As there isn’t a proper menu as such, it’s good to know what’s on offer. At many of the teahouses in Turkey, you’ll have the option of tea or coffee. At Huzur Çay Evi you can order a çay (pronounced chai) or a türk kahvesi (which is a Turkish coffee of considerable strength).

What is a Turkish tea

The çay in Turkey is quite strong. It’s a black tea that’s made so strong, they only fill your cup a third of the way with the brew, then fill the rest with boiling water. This gives you the perfect strength tea, that’s still so strong you’ll need a little something to take away the bitterness.

How to drink Turkish tea

Turkish tea in general is drank black without milk, so you won’t be seeing that anywhere nearby. At Huzur Çay Evi they have the best Turkish tea in Istanbul, strong and full of flavour. In order to cut the strength of the tea, it’s drank with sugar, lots of sugar. There’s always a bowl full of sugar cubes on the table at Huzur Çay Evi, so you can add in as many or as little as you like. The local way is to go for two cubes, we prefer one so it’s not too overly sweet, but to each their own!

Honorable mention, Turkish coffee

The türk kahvesi coffee is your other menu option. The coffee grounds are boiled with hot water to brew the coffee, and are served to you in the cup with the coffee. Make sure you give the grounds a minute or two to settle to the bottom of the cup before drinking! Before your coffee is made, you’ll be asked how much sugar you’d like. This is so you don’t try and add the sugar afterwards and mix it up with all the grounds. A little sugar means one cube, regular sugar means two.

The incredible hospitality at Huzur Çay Evi

What kept us going back almost every day wasn’t just the strong tea and rich coffee. It was the incredibly friendly owners of this humble local shop. Over the three weeks we stayed in the Beyoğlu area of Istanbul, we got to know Dilaver and Seher, the warm and hospitable husband and wife running the place.

Whether we stopped in for a çay or not, every day we passed by we were greeted with smiles and a wave, an even bigger one when we stopped in. Each day we headed back to our accommodation, we looked forward to seeing their kind, beaming faces.

Even though none of us spoke each other’s language, it was easy to communicate with such good-natured and heartwarming people. That’s something we love about travelling to other countries, communicating with people through other means than words. It’s amazing what you can get across through the use of body language and accentuated facial expressions!

A connection beyond your typical customer relationship

The last few visits we had at Huzur Çay Evi, Seher sat down with us as we all enjoyed the hot, sweet çay that Dilaver had made. Sitting and chatting unreservedly with Seher was a pleasure. She told us about her life, how they came about the shop, and how she’d worked there for many years before they bought it for themselves. Her kind heart was so evident that as I looked into her eyes, I could feel the emotion in her stories. I feel like we sparked up a true connection that went deeper than someone who was serving drinks to a customer.

By the time we had to leave Istanbul, I was very sad to go and say goodbye after making such an intimate connection with this woman that I had only briefly known, yet felt like I had known much longer. When the day came for us to say farewell, we embraced for many moments, with a silent knowing of the bond we had formed during the past few weeks.

What started off as a local place to stop by for a hot drink, ended up creating some of our most memorable moments in Istanbul. The strong aroma of coffee and traditional stools set up on the side of the busy street brought us into Huzur Çay Evi. But it was the friendly, warm, smiling faces of Dilaver and Seher that had us coming back over and over again to warm up on their fresh çay and rich türk kahvesi.

Make sure you visit for the best Turkish tea in Istanbul

If you find yourself in the Beyoğlu area of Istanbul, or along Istiklal Caddesi, make sure to stop by Huzur Çay Evi for some of the best Turkish tea in Istanbul. Whether it’s a glass of their delicious çay or a cup of their robust türk kahvesi, you will not be disappointed.

Don’t forget to take a moment to meet Dilaver and Seher while you’re there. You can’t miss their friendly, smiling faces, most likely beckoning you into their teashop, so we’re fairly sure you’ll know who they are.

Name: Huzur Çay Evi
Address: Kalyoncu Kulluğu, Ömer Hayyam Cd., 34435 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Türkiye
what3words: ///purest.lump.pose
Price: çay 3TL, türk kahvesi 6TL

The post The Best Turkish Tea in Istanbul is at Huzur Çay Evi appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

The most important meal of the day is not taken lightly in Turkey

Kahvalti is a traditional Turkish breakfast consisting of an unbelievable spread of small plates of food. All of this is meant to be shared with friends and family. Starting with fresh salty white cheeses, olives and eggs. Leading into sweet clotted cream, honey, preserves, spreads, and fresh bread. It’s a gathering full of so many delicious dishes that you’ll be looking forward to it the night before. No matter how modest the table, you can be sure to find it full of all the kahvalti staples.

Where to go for the best breakfast in Istanbul

With our new found knowledge, we set out to try the best traditional Turkish breakfast we could find. One of the more well-known places to visit is Van Kahvalti Evi. We wanted to try it out to see if it lived up to its reputation… and did it ever! If you find yourself in Istanbul looking for an authentic Turkish breakfast, then this restaurant has to make it onto your ‘must try’ list. It’s definitely the best place in Istanbul to try kahvalti, and we’ll show you why.

When to go to beat the crowds

With Van Kahvalti Evi being such a popular spot, it can get crazy busy on weekends. The busiest is mid-day, when a queue of hungry Istanbulites and tourists can be found lining the street. If you don’t feel like lining up with the rest of the city, then we highly recommend visiting during the week. We visited on a weekday about 1:00pm and had no issue finding a table.

What to order to get the full experience

The full kahvalti breakfast has two set menu options. Either of them must be ordered for at least two people, so make sure to bring your best eating buddy with you.

Of the two options, the more expensive “Serpme Van Kahvalti” was our go to choice. This option has the most variety of dishes to get the full experience. Not to mention the unlimited tea (more on that later), we figured you gotta go big or go home.

The freshest food, made in-house that morning

What makes Van Kahvalti Evi so special is that all of the food is made in-house, some of it even that morning. The Serpme Van Kahvalti comes complete with a plate full of fresh cheese, olives both green and black, eggs two different ways, fresh vegetables, honey and cream. With spreads, preserves, dips and jams, all ready to be eaten with your basket of freshly baked bread. This is the ultimate traditional Turkish breakfast.

The variety of fresh white Turkish cheeses are something to write home about. Consisting of a white brine cheese, braided cheese, string cheese, and an extra special sheep’s cheese that the restaurant calls Ottu Van Peyniri.

Made in-house, Ottu Van Peyniri is a herbed sheep cheese. It’s super sharp and full of flavour from the wild herbs that are used to make it. In English, it can be referred to as Van cheese. This name refers to both the region of eastern Turkey that this type of cheese originates, and the restaurant itself.

The ultimate treasure here, however, has got to be the kaymak. If you haven’t tried kaymak before, you must! It’s somewhat akin to clotted cream, except it’s made from buffalo milk and is a sure-fire way to put a smile on your face.

Here, it’s made fresh every morning and is served as a slice because it’s so thick. Take some on your fork or with piece of bread baked in-house, with a decent helping of fresh thick honey, and you’ll be beaming from ear to ear.

Did someone say, unlimited tea?!

What sets the “Serpme Van Kahvalti” apart, including the extra menu items, is the unlimited tea. Any meal in Turkey is not complete without a hot glass of tea, or çay, and breakfast is most certainly no exception. Breakfast must be served with plenty of freshly brewed black tea. Here, you can be sure to have a new glass brought to you as soon as your last has been downed.

Amazing hospitality and a friendly experience

From the moment you arrive till you walk out the door, the hospitality at Van Kahvalti Evi is incomparable. The amazing people working here are full of information about all the different dishes. They’re extremely attentive if you needed anything, especially a fresh glass of çay! In fact, we wouldn’t suggest this as the best breakfast in Istanbul for any less.

Kahvalti is not just a meal, but a whole experience

A traditional Turkish kahvalti is not just a meal, but a whole experience unto itself. Something that must be shared over great company and conversation.

At Van Kahvalti Evi, the combination of amazing food made fresh in-house, with wonderful service and hospitality, make their traditional kahvalti an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for a true traditional Turkish breakfast, that goes beyond just the food, then Van Kahvalti Evi is the place for you.

Name: Van Kahvaltı Evi
Address: Kılıçali Paşa, Defterdar Ykş. 52/A, 34425 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey
what3words: ///circular.longer.finger
Price: 100TL/person

The post Traditional Turkish Breakfast: The Best Breakfast in Istanbul appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.

The flaming testi kebab is a Turkish pottery kebab that originates from the Anatolia region of Turkey. It’s a very unique and special way of cooking kebab in a clay pot, that’s similar to a pressure-cooked stew. If you find yourself in Turkey, but aren’t able to make it into this central region of the country, there are a number of different restaurants in Istanbul that serve up this special dish just as good as the original.

Where to go for authentic testi kebab in Istanbul

Of all the restaurants that serve testi kebab in Istanbul, the best one is at the İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant in the old Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. Here, it’s served up with an amazing show and wonderful hospitality that’s incomparable.

The most unique part of this dish is the flaming testi kebab fire show that you get with your meal. As far as fire shows with the Turkish pottery kebab go, one of the best in the city is here at the İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant.

What to order

There’s one option on the menu for testi kebab, ‘individual’ sized pots that are portioned for two people. They’re the perfect amount to share and be pleasantly stuffed. So, make sure you bring an eating buddy with you or you’re extra hungry!

The pottery kebab is full of lovely fresh ingredients like beef, chicken, or both, with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and green pepper, with lots of tasty herbs and spices. It’s made by putting all the ingredients together into a small clay pot and then sealing off the head with aluminum.

The pot, full of all this deliciousness, is placed into a tandoor oven to cook. This special cooking style creates a pressure cooker atmosphere inside the clay pot, which is the secret behind the taste and flavour of this unique kebab.

What to expect

The best part of this dish, minus how delicious it is of course, is the fire show that comes with it! There’s a reason they call it ‘flaming,’ and the fire show here is unparalleled. After the kebab has been cooked and stewed in its own juices, they set the pot aflame and serve it up, piping hot, ready to burn your mouth. Make sure you watch out for those first bites!

Dessert, anyone?

Honorable mention is the delicious, fresh baklava and apple tea that’s served to each customer for dessert. Nothing sits quite right at the end of a Turkish meal than a fresh, crispy, sweet piece of baklava to wash it all down.

Name: İstanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant
Address: Alemdar, Biçki Yurdu Sk. No 5, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
what3words: ///teaches.audio.securing
Price: 230TL

Are you interested in seeing what this amazing fire show is all about? Then click below to see the best restaurant for authentic testi kebab in Istanbul.

The post Best Restaurant for Authentic Testi Kebab in Istanbul appeared first on Hungry Two Travel.