101 Bistro Budapest

Located on the Buda side of the Danube, 101 Bistro is a new addition to Budapest’s growing group of hip pan-Asian restaurants. It’s the type of place where ear-catching Japanese hip-hop drifts from the speakers and a sleek wood-paneled interior with small tables and low backless stools evoke the chic dining rooms of Tokyo.

Chef Márton Keve, who worked at top restaurants abroad, is in charge of the kitchen, which draws inspiration from the food of Taiwan. Of the lunch menu, the braised pork rice (lu rou fan) was most memorable, packing tender cubes of pork belly that sit on a bed of firm rice grains brightened with sugary soy sauce and thin slices of ginger. The dinner menu consists of small plates, many of them vegan. Be sure not to miss the fried and marinated sweet-sour eggplants.

Note that 101 Bistro isn't cheap — a dinner with drinks will set you back by about €30-35 per person. If you'd like the fun to continue after your meal, drop by Nemdebár next door, one of the coolest bars on the Buda side.