There seems to be two types of places that Anthony Bourdain recommends.

Either expensive places often frequented by tourists, or random, out in the sticks gaffs that serve cheap, local cuisine.

For Budapest, we chose to visit Pléhcsárda which falls into the latter category.

After a 20 minute bus ride out from the center of Budapest, we arrived at the restaurant to locals and some tourists eating on tables outside.

They had an array of things on their plates: dumplings drowned in some orange sauce, rice and meat and the famous schnitzel that’s literally the size of your head.

Being a vegan, practicing vegetarianism for this trip for ease, it wasn’t looking great.

But after translating the menu to English, I soon saw that there were a few options available to me. I settled on deep fried mushrooms and potatoes with tartare sauce. Ludo had some random beef dish that we still aren’t sure of its exact contents.

Everyone also seemed to be drinking a red fizzy drink so we ordered one of those too.

The drink turned out to be raspberry soda, lightly flavoured, refreshing and an essential alternative for what was to come.

In front of me lay what could only be described as a pile of brown things. Lots of whole deep-fried mushrooms on top of fried potatoes.

The portions were generous, perhaps too generous, but you can’t complain.

You can order to eat in or takeaway. If you choose takeaway, your food is placed in a see-through plastic bag. No judgement, just an observation.

First up, the mushrooms. Each one was coated in a crispy batter that retained some crunch even 20 minutes after being served.

They didn’t really taste like batter, and they didn’t really taste like mushroom. It was more a textual experience than anything else.

Inoffensive but uninspiring.

The potatoes told a similar story. They were lightly salted and a bit floppy.

When both elements were combined and dipped into the tartare sauce, it elevated things somewhat, but there’s only a certain level that potatoes and fried mushrooms can reach.

You may be thinking, how much can you really say about a dish that is ostensibly some potatoes and some mushrooms?

The answer is not a lot.

I left with a full belly and I think that’s what Pléhcsárda is all about. Properly feeding locals on a cheap budget.