The first Michelin recommendation was a surprise, the second was confirmation

You opened in Fonyódliget last May. How do you see the time that has passed since then, what were the most important lessons learned?

This all came very unexpectedly. We closed in Kéthely in December, and we had no plans to reopen in the spring. In the meantime, we opened Lokalista in Nagykanizsa, but we couldn't transfer the same thing we did in Kéthely there. It's a much more accessible restaurant, primarily aimed at locals, while in Ricsi there was a need to continue the fine bistro and small plate line somewhere.

Then we got an opportunity in Fonyódliget that was hard to say no to: our lease agreement was such that we could buy the property after two years. This was especially important to us after what happened in Kéthely: we put a lot of energy into that place, we planned for the long term, and then they pulled the building out from under us.

Here we had less than four months to create the guest area, the kitchen, practically the entire restaurant from three separate business premises. We had to grow up very quickly to operate on a much larger scale.

This also meant a significant jump in the size of the team.

Yes, and that was probably the biggest challenge for us. A few years ago, we only had three or four colleagues, even during the season, but now we work with about 15–20 people. It’s completely different to run the service with a few people than to be responsible for so many colleagues. We were never classic boss types, we always tried to do everything together, and we’re still learning how to run it well with a larger number of people. In addition, our original team also dispersed: some moved abroad, others settled elsewhere, so last year we essentially had to build a new team. But now, a very good community has developed.

Last year, we over-insure ourselves, we hired too many people. This year, we started with a smaller team, while we had a lot more guests. We pretty much managed to hit the right ratio, but next year we'll probably be preparing with a little more people.

Producers' raw materials have always been crucial for you. How well can you maintain this despite the increased turnover?

In two places, the proportion of producer raw materials was over 90 percent, but with such a large volume, we can no longer maintain this. Our consumption has increased so much that even the full capacity of our existing producers would not be enough. In Fonyód, the proportion is now around 70 percent, and in Kanizsa, around 60 percent. This is still very good, but for us it is a decline compared to the previous level. This year we have already managed to improve compared to last year, and we would like to continue to find new producers and build our existing relationships even better.

However, seasonal thinking has not changed: we work with what is in season, and we preserve, can, and ferment a lot of it.

Did you manage to attract new producers?

Yes, the circle is constantly changing. For example, we have a chicken supplier that we started working with last year, and it's a big step forward that he can deliver more regularly. Previously, the supply was so uncertain that we often couldn't keep chicken dishes on the menu, even though guests were looking for them.

On the vegetable front, we are working with the same people as before, but we have also started to visit the Nagykanizsa market hall, and we have developed new relationships there as well. In the meantime, however, we are increasingly seeing how vulnerable the producers are to the weather. No matter how much we discuss what we need at the beginning of the year and in what quantities, due to the heat and drought, they are often unable to deliver what we originally planned, through no fault of their own. We have a producer who is trying to supply us and our Nagykanizsa farmers' market at the same time, but he is also struggling a lot with this year's weather. And we have to constantly adapt to this.

Did you also keep your own garden?

Yes. This year we thought we might not do it, but I insisted. In the end, we didn't have as much time as we would have liked, but it yielded a nice harvest. Developing irrigation was very important to Ricsi, so we dug a large water tank and built a system so that we could irrigate with rainwater and our own well. We haven't been able to fully exploit the benefits of this yet this year, but it could mean a lot next year.

We have also planted a lot of flowers that we can use in our dishes. However, we are already feeling the effects of the extreme weather conditions on our tomatoes, eggplants and apples.

Are you also trying to recycle kitchen waste into this system?

Yes. We have been working with CleanEco since the beginning and we purchased an industrial composting machine from them. This way we can process the compostable waste and then recycle it back into our own garden. For me personally, this was a very important step.

You have also launched a farmers market in Fonyód. What have your experiences been with this so far?

We try to organize it every month, but it is completely unpredictable: there have been very weak and very strong occasions. The producers are enthusiastic regardless, and we always try to add some extra program, such as a barbecue. We see that people really like it when there is some kind of experience connected to the whole thing.

Is that why you started organizing workshops and wine programs?

Yes. We mainly hold workshops in Nagykanizsa, because the space is bigger there. We have also had pasta making, grilling and meat-themed workshops, but the pasta workshop is by far the most popular. We have also held one in Fonyód, but it is more difficult to organize there due to the 90 square meter space. We have also done wine programs, and with these we experience that people are not only interested in the wine itself, but also in the stories and the encounter.

Your non-alcoholic offering has also evolved a lot. Was this a conscious direction?

Yes, we really got into it this year. We already make kombucha and fermented drinks, and our colleagues really realized how much potential there is in this. For example, we have made cucumber and melon-based drinks, and we also have a spritzer offered from a soda siphon, which we always adjust to the season. We see that there is a serious demand for this, sometimes their consumption is almost greater than that of alcoholic beverages. And if someone chooses wine, more and more people are interested in natural wines, which we are especially happy about, because this line is close to us.

When you opened, you started with two concepts: more classic dishes during the day, and small plates in the evening. But that has changed since then.

Yes, it worked that way for a while, but it put a lot of strain on the kitchen. We started this way because we knew that we were close to the beach and not all guests were looking for small plates. However, the 90 square meters include the guest area and the kitchen, so we simply didn't have the capacity for it. We rearranged the kitchen a bit in the fall, and then we decided to introduce a bigger plate section in addition to the small plates.

The small plate is fundamentally closer to us, and many of our guests come to us specifically for this reason, and we didn't want to give it up. Meanwhile, in a family gathering, a seventy-year-old grandmother and a twenty-year-old granddaughter can easily sit next to each other, with completely different needs. That's why the bigger plate section also has more understandable dishes, such as fried wild boar. We see that this structure has worked.

Fonyód is a highly seasonal place. What is a winter like in your area?

We were also very curious about it. Last September was very bad, so this year we are preparing more consciously for this period. October is usually easier because of Restaurant Week, the autumn break and the long weekends. November, December and January are harder. Last winter we were open three days a week in Fonyód, this year we have not yet decided whether it will be three or four.

Our first winter didn't go as badly as we expected. The programs and workshops helped a lot, and in January Lake Balaton froze over, which really hit the traffic. Of course, you can't count on that. If there are at least as many people in January and February this year as last year, I'll be happy.

Are you trying to balance out the seasonality with others?

Yes. We were contacted by Babérliget Kúria around February. We can't take over the entire operation, and our team isn't equipped for weddings with hundreds of people, but we are very happy to take on smaller events. We already had an event there in the spring and we have many inquiries for next year as well. Smaller weddings, team building events, and retreats are a good fit for us.

This year, trout "canned" was named Beach Dish of the Year in the bistro category. Where did the idea for the dish come from?

It's a very funny story. Ricsi and I say that one of the biggest mistakes of this summer was that we simply didn't have time to think. But in the spring, we still had time.

Then we went to Lisbon for a few days. We ordered food from several places at Time Out Market, but because of our little boy, we ended up ordering them to take away. At one place, the fish dishes were already served in cans, so we simply put the lid on. We went back to our accommodation with the dishes, sat out on the terrace overlooking the ocean, and ate them there. In the meantime, we talked about how much better the whole experience was, and that this canned idea could be done at home, with Hungarian fish.

Is that how you got to the trout?

Yes. The trout comes from Panarini. Ricsi experimented a lot with it because filleting it is quite tricky due to the bones. The final dish has fried, filleted and torn trout with spicy mayonnaise, dill, pickled red onion, capers and blackcurrant vinegar. Before serving, we seal the can in smoke, which is released when the guest opens it. I don’t think it’s necessarily our most complex dish, but the experience made it one of the most memorable. Just seeing it on the menu makes people curious: “canned” trout.

And that's where the idea for the picnic basket grew from?

Yes, because we wanted to give you the same experience that we had in Lisbon: you take your food to a nice place, sit down, and eat it there. We are only a few hundred meters from Lake Balaton, but you can't see the lake from the restaurant. But we can give you this experience with the picnic basket. In addition to the trout "can", it also contains local cold cuts and cheeses, seasonal vegetables, and sourdough bread. You can take it to the beach, take it on a boat, or go on a hike. We recommend it best for sunset, because we think it looks best from the south coast.

Are you feeling the impact of the Beach Food of the Year award?

Very much so. We never thought it would have such great marketing value. Since then, many people have come to try it, and in the process, they get to know the restaurant better.

In the meantime, you also received a Michelin recommendation. What did that mean now?

Lokal47 was Michelin-recommended six months after opening. That was our first restaurant, we were complete beginners, and at the time we honestly felt that maybe we didn't deserve it. Now it was different. Lokal47 had been Michelin-recommended for three years, and we actually continued that concept in the new location. Now we felt that we had put in so much work and time to be at this level. We would have been very disappointed if we hadn't received it. Of course, it was very good, and it will definitely bring in foreign guests.

Looking ahead to next year, what is one thing you would definitely like to do differently?

We want to have more time to think. This year we were constantly working, rushing from one task to another, and we didn’t have time to stop. Now, with so many colleagues, it’s much more important to build systems. We started this year, but we’re moving slowly. The goal is to have the two restaurants, the farmers market, the workshops, and the events work side by side without us constantly rushing after ourselves.