Yummy, yum, yum!

If you’re like me, unwilling to call yourself a foodie but totally in love with good food, then this city will not disappoint you!

We really did not know what to expect as we didn’t do any research into the cuisine and, after dropping our stuff off at the AirBnB place we rented, we were keen on exploring with our taste buds.

Our host, which was super cool, gave us some tips on where to grab a bite to eat and so we ended up at Bodega “La Mahala” for our first dinner. This is a pretty cool place with a super cozy terrace which we initially tried to enjoy but later moved inside as the night as just too chilly.

Hungry and a bit cold, we both decided to start off with some soups. A had some kind of meatball broth and I decided to be the food adventurer that I am and went for the tripe soup (which I usually quite enjoy). We were both immediately in love!

The broth was well seasoned and slightly spicy. Really yummy! As for the tripe soup, it was a surprise as well. Somewhat bitter and served with cream, it was the kind of unusual taste that I really like. 

The main dishes were a little less than the soups though. I had the Pomana porcului  (pork’s apple) and A had the Chifteluţe (meatballs). The pork was actually pretty decent with grilled pieces of meat very well seasoned but it came with polenta. At that moment I figured polenta is not my thing… As for the meatballs, they were OK but quite uninspired and left A with a bit of mixed feelings. 

Good thing the wine was good and that we had a couple more days to explore!

Bucharest can also boast of having really good pizza like snacks and all sorts of super cheap and tasty sandwiches. For all of us penny pinchers out there, I highly recommend just stopping by the small shops and grabbing a sandwich. 

A place we particularly enjoyed was the chain Simigeria Luca. Super tasty and affordable!

My dear travel companion decided to take me out for a date-y dinner on our second day. We were happy with the first evening dinner but she knocked it out of the park with the second evening.

Bucatarasul Cel Dibaci restaurant was a real gem!

We had to go a little bit out of the central area where we were exploring and in a quiet little street we found it. Cozy and full of handball memorabilia, it seemed like a really interesting place and the smile and warmth which the waiter/owner offered us was just delightful.

If on the first night we were delighted with the soups, here we really loved the main. I had the Varza calita cu jumătate de ciolan cu mamaliguta (roasted cabbage and pork shank with polenta) and A had the Ostropel de pui cu mamaliguta (Romanian stew with polenta).

Both were just yummy, yum, yum!

Well seasoned, with the tastes just exploding in your mouth, this was a foodies delight and mine as well! So much so that I did a bit of a 180 on the polenta and quite enjoyed it after all. Hmmm…

We left super satisfied and made sure to get a picture of the owner to make sure he gets the credit for having such a nice little place.

He’s the man!

It should, however, come as no surprise that Romanian food was that good after all.

With influences coming from the Ottoman Empire and the earthy tastes coming from the Slavic countries surrounding it, it is a wonderful melting pot of tastes which will leave anyone satisfied.

And while you’re at it, have a drink too. The Palinca will not let you down!