Feeling an unexpected calm wash over you upon arriving in a new place is likely a universal experience. It is sometimes confused with, or found to be very much the same as the feeling of ‘coming home’. his sentiment became etched in my soul during my initial visit to the gently rolling landscape of Őrség, adorned with its distinctive mosaic-like scenery and tiny buildings seamlessly blending into the environment.
Since then, I have returned every year around the same time: the cool but sunny late fall and the gray days of early winter are both magical here. This is why, when I was pondering what my next column should be about back in October, I had nothing but this scenery on my mind. And so it was finally decided—and whether it was my personal mood or the onset of freezing temperatures, it became clear that spending one day in the dreamy landscape of Őrség could become irresistible to many others through my testimony.
When people think of Őrség (the westernmost region of Hungary, whose name translates as ‘guardpost’—the Transl.), the first thing that comes to mind is Őriszentpéter. This is where eleven years ago, Flóra Marjai and Ferenc Kvasznicza dreamed up the present-day Pajta restaurant. The family business started as a small eatery, sometimes offering coffee only, other times accompanied by cake, tailored to the needs of the guests. Since then, Pajta (meaning ‘barn’ in Hungarian—the Transl.), known as the region’s favorite restaurant, was awarded the Michelin Welcome and Service Award as well as the Michelin Plate in 2022, which they defended in 2023. Much else has also happened in the past year: a new chef, István Akács, arrived directly from Mexico to head the kitchen at Pajta, and the Kástu, consisting of seven wooden cabins, was opened in the fall. The tiny chalets are located only a few meters away from the restaurant, in a two-hectare clearing surrounded by forest, completing the homey guest experience.
Then came December 2024 and the Michelin Gala in Hungary, where Pajta received its first star.
This interview was published in the 10th issue of Hype&Hyper in December 2023.
“Our aim in creating the lunch menu was to make it as varied as possible so that it could be updated on a daily or weekly basis. When the weather is good, the surrounding area is rich in flap mushrooms and chanterelles, also called ‘nyulica,’ in the Őrség region (derived from the word ‘bunny’—the Transl.), so we add a wild mushroom buckwheat risotto mushrooms to the menu. Then as the weather turns cold again, this item disappears—you could say that nature dictates the menu,” explained Flóra and Ferenc.
One of the specialties of the new menu is another signature item that pays tribute to Chef István and his experiences abroad: empanada with mangalica pork and corn.
“It soon became clear to me that I wanted to work with ingredients from the Őrség, but I deliberately dreamed up a menu of non-traditional Hungarian dishes. In Pajta, the empanada is made with ingredients sourced from local producers: wild garlic makes an appearance in the dough, and the inside is filled with pulled mangalica pork (a local pig breed covered with curly hair—the Transl.) meat, cooked on charcoal. The dumplings are served over corn sauce, sprinkled with parsley powder.”
“When my wife and I arrived in Őrség, the world of mushrooms was still unknown to me, as I had never really delved into it before. (...) We have been living here since March, and luckily we had a summer with plenty of rain. I spend a lot of time in nature, often before my shift starts, studying woodland species—it has become a passion of mine. I’m pretty sure mushroom dishes will be regulars on the menu, as I think they represent the assets of the region quite well,” said István.
“We could say that during the growing season, we only source our vegetables locally. The winter season is more challenging of course. (...) We buy all our beets and Jerusalem artichokes from local producers, and the potatoes come from Kondorfa.
Another good late autumn ingredient in these parts is white turnips, which enjoy a long tradition in the region. There is a nursing home in the area, run by a retired teacher: the residents of this home in Ivánc cultivate two hectares of gardens, which include a large orchard. There is also a large family farm in Kerkáskápolna as well as that of a sibling duo in Bajánsenye—all of which we buy beautiful vegetables from.
Pajta’s kitchen gets game meat from the wild game cold storage in Teskánd, and these animals come from the forests of Zala and Vas, just like the mushrooms.
When we talk about cheesemaking, it is important to mention János Molnár and the Németh Porta, a family-run cheese factory.”
“One of the characteristic folk crafts of the Őrség is pottery, which the locals prefer to call gerencsérség (borrowed from neighboring Slavic folks—the Transl.), a product of the clay soil typical of the region. The heart of this craft is in the Veleméri Valley. The plates we use at Pajta are made by István Berta in Vönöck and we are proud to partner with him. (...) He fires the objects in a wood-fired kiln, so each one is unique. The ash burns into the plates, and their placement in the kiln, and thus where the heat comes from, also makes a difference.”
“The cabins were all built on site and we’ve made sure that they closely align with the Pajta in appearance—heat-treated ash wood covers the exterior, while the interior is made of oak. Much of the structure is heated glass, which besides being practical, also offers a view of the surrounding greenery from every angle. We envisioned the Kástu (a local word for ‘pantry’—the Transl.) as part of the restaurant service, so its design resembles a hotel room—and we provide the catering.”
HOT SPOTS in Őrség:
- Hársas-tó
- Szentháromság-templom, Velemér, Paprét, 9946
- Őrségi Ízek Portája, Szalafő, Papszer 22, 9942
- Két Szilvafa Vendégasztal, Kercaszomor, Fő út 76, 9945
- Ízrestaurátor – Kézműves Csokoládé Műhely, Ispánk, Nyugati út 16, 9941
- Kápolnapusztai Bivalyrezervátum Zalakomár, Zalakomár, Kápolnapuszta, 8751
Beet tartare with goat cheese
– Recipe courtesy of chef István Akács
“We have a really close relationship with local producers (...) So it happened that one day there was a knock on the door of the Pajta: it was an old lady who grew beetroot. She told us that they had an agreement with a trader for a lot of beetroot, but the trader disappeared. They now had hundreds of kilos of beetroot, which they were trying to sell in small quantities. I immediately said that we would definitely find a place for beetroot on the menu, as it was in season, which is something we pay special attention to here at the Pajta. We were just about to launch a new menu, so we added the beet tartare to the evening Degustation Menu, replacing the previous meaty version. This dish is perfectly complemented by some goat cheese, which we buy from János Molnár, a master cheesemaker from a small village in Zala. His goat cheese is considered one of the best in the country.”
Ingredients:
2 kg beetroot
100 g goat cheese
1 lemon
100 ml white balsamic vinegar
100 ml olive oil
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
fresh horseradish to taste
Method:
Peel the beets and cut 1.5 kg into small, even cubes.
Save any excess (about 200 grams) from chopping for later.
Place the cubes on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme, and bake for 40 minutes at 180°C, covered with aluminum foil.
When the time is up, remove the foil and roast for another 20 minutes.
Break down the leftover pieces using a food processor and reduce to a syrupy consistency over low heat.
Set the cubes and the reduction aside to cool.
Take the remaining 500 grams of beets and cut 100 grams into 2 mm slices using a kitchen mandoline. Then air dry the slices in the oven at 100°C until they have the consistency of chips. Once dried, grind them into a powder with a coffee grinder.
Cut 100 grams of the remaining 400 grams of beets into 2 mm slices and marinate them in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
The ratio of olive oil to balsamic vinegar should be 1 to 1.
Cook the remaining 300 grams of beet until tender then mash into a puree. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
When everything is done, mix the diced, baked, and roasted beets with the reduction, grate lemon zest and horseradish on top, and season with salt and pepper. Then drizzle with olive oil—this is our beet tartare.
Serving:
Using a piping bag, squeeze some of the puree into the center of the plate and pile the mixed beet tartar on top.
Top with crumbled goat cheese and marinated beet slices.
Sprinkle with beet powder to finish.
Photographer: Dániel Gaál
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