Hungarian Mood @ Restaurant Miko, Cluj Napoca, Romania

Koloszvar (the Romanian Cluj Napoca), a city with many different faces, as in the past, as now in present time, has the second largest urban Hungarian community in Romania, made by 50.000 people that represent the 16% of the local population.

Many different historical reasons and people's mouvement prepared and created these conditions (that we are not going to analyze here), until nowadays when many different activities and institutions kept their own Hungarian roots and language. As for example, schools, shops, theatre, cofee shops, and of course restaurants, giving the feeling to have a small city inside a bigger one.

Miko is one of the most well-known Hungarian restaurants, despite his young age (open since one year and half now. Zsolt, the manager, have a lot of experience and travelled a lot. He invites us, in Strada Clinicilor 23, on a walking distance from the city center, for a Friday evening, when it happens the special Magyar night, with music, dances, and food.

The menu is very attractive and clear: every dish is accompanied with a nice photo and the ingredients description, written in three different languages. Almost all the plates are Hungarian.
We start with a colourful and velvety Chicken Paprikash with Sour Cream and Dumplings, together with a Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc and Feteasca Regal, produced in the area, for one of us. For the other one an, instead, an intense Beef Stew with Red Wine and Dumplings together with a Cadarca de Minis, also local wine, but from Hungarian varietal.
The Nokedlivel are very common in Hungary: eggs noodle, like home-made dumplings that goes together with many dishes.
We enjoy the a lot the combinations, and both plates give us a memory of home. We felt like embraced from this flavors, delicate, but very defined at the same time.

Is very interesting then talk a little bit with Zsolt and hear about his experiences, and specially, about his visions about restaurants, food, and the psychological aspects that connect them with humans, and listening about traditions. On the next week, will happen the carnival day, and in Hungarian villages, people meet together to make a bonfire with old clothes, in a way to chase away the winter. In Miko Restaurant instead, the guests will come with a mask in their face and they will dance with the same spirit.

During the time we spent at our table we could see many people dancing and having much fun together with the live Hungarian music, and we had opportunity to see a future bride and the ceremony with her friends and a long table with the guests cheering and singing to themselves and to the life. It was for us a little moment to feel and be part of this Hungarian Mood.

For the conclusion of our evening we had the chance to taste Somlò, Sponge Cake, with nuts, vanilla, and Rom and Gundel Pancakes, delicious, also with raisins, nuts and Rom that got the name from Karoly Gundel, an Hungarian famous gastronomic genius, whose books of recipes become the base to most of the Magyar cuisine. On the website of Miko, you can see all pictures from the menu. www.restaurantmiko.ro