This may be the first instance in the Budapest Burgerwar™ in which the burger has served as a trimming rather than an entrée. Pár Perc Krumpli (“Few Minute Fries”) is, after all, a Belgian fry stand that also offers an assortment of burgers to go along with their spuds. Even a small portion PP’s thick-cut and freshly-fried frites (Ft 320/€1.30) is filling enough to act as a near-meal, and in any case wallops the burger, dwarfing it in both size and quality.
At first glance, the Pár Perc Cheeseburger (Ft 400) seems like a good value. But the beef had a suspicious red color, as if it had been dyed or irradiated. It was really more of a beef sliver than a patty, leaving the bun and condiments to do the majority of the work, flavor-wise. The bun was an egg-glazed kalács, nothing new or interesting there, and came with standard Hungarian cheese and lettuce, tomato, catsup, mustard and a few cucumber slices just to remind you that you are not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Weirdly, the combination tasted a lot like a McDonald’s cheeseburger. But if Pár Perc cheeseburger has an American allegory it would have to be the White Castle burger, what we fans call a “slider,” a bite-sized burger designed to be ordered in multiples rather than alone.
Though the burger at Pár Perc is basically a non-starter, that is no reason to pass the establishment by. The fries are fantastic, and come with a variety of sauces, from the mayo so beloved by the Belgians to curry and Indonesian saté. Since opening on Ráday in District IX, Pár Perc Krumpli has worked out a few kinks by hiring more staff and streamlining the ordering process to keep the constant flow of fry-craving tourists happy and moving along. My only complaints about Pár Perc are that, the summer terrace notwithstanding, there is no place to sit and eat: It is essentially a take-out stand. Also, they really need to stay open later. It would be a great alternative to the ruling status quo of gyros joints that are open after a night on the town. Even if the misbehaving burgers should be sent to bed early, let’s keep those fries up late.
How They Stack Up:
Meat: (1/10)
Bun: (6/10)
Trimmings: (10/10)
Service/Setting: (7/10)
Affordability: (8/10)
===============
Total Score: 6.4/10
