While I've never met an Asian cuisine I didn't like, I've long had an extremely soft spot for Vietnamese. Indeed, just the other night I cooked up a big pot of cà ri gà, or chicken curry with sweet potatoes and lemongrass. It was delicious! Even better, it took less time to prepare than traveling all the way to one of Budapest's bizarrely non-central Vietnamese restaurants.

Unlike some other countries in Central Europe, Hungary has never had many Vietnamese residents, so it's not surprising that the Hungarian capital is light on Vietnamese dining options. In fact, it's somewhat remarkable that right now there are at least three: The long-standing Ha Noi, the more recently-opened Édenkert, and the Long Island Vietnámi Étterem, which served its first bowl of phở sometime last fall. (The Felszálló Sárkány Vietnámi Étterem ("Rising Dragon Vietnamese Restaurant"), a slightly less out-there Vietnamese place we reviewed a few years back, has since been grounded.) But what all three have in common is that they cannot be quickly or easily reached from the center of town.

I don't think I've eaten at Hanoi since I've eaten in Hanoi, and I've not yet made it to Édenkert, in part because it bills itself as some kind of cultural center, which for me sounds unappetizing. I have, however, hiked out twice to Long Island, which sits in what I assume is the former premises of a café or bar of the same name on a side street near the southernmost stop of the M3. Let's take a look at what you can get if you actually get it together to go:

In terms of the staple meal-in-a-bowl soups known as phở, we tried both the beef (phở bò) and the chicken (phở gà). Both cost Ft 950, and, aside from being a bit light on the fresh coriander and mint, were just fine. As, by the way, is messing with your mobile while eating in a place like this: Asians love their phones even more than Hungarians do. On the other hand, the one thing Asians love even more than their mobiles is cigarettes, and weirdly, it's a non-smoking joint. Go figure.

This smaller bowl of canh tôm chua cay (sweet and sour shrimp soup) cost a more hefty Ft 1,450, but was simply choking with rák, and was terrific.

Less impressive was the restaurant's version of the signature nem (fried spring roll, Ft 1,200). Usually nem turn out glossy and really crisp. Perhaps because of the rice paper available in Hungary, these didn't. Either way, you might consider saying nem to these guys.

Better were the spicy chicken and beef salads, both of which cost Ft 1,750.

Among the mains we tried was the garlicy squid (Ft 2,100), which was tasty.

But the real star was this plate of bò xao dau phong, or beef with peanut curry (Ft 1,950), which was simply awesome.

And there is much more where this came from: the menu is packed with all kinds of inviting dishes, including things like frogs' legs with chili coconut sauce and garlic quails. There are also six different lunch menus, most of which come with three elements/courses and mineral water, and range from Ft 1,200 to Ft 1,500. The beers are also pretty cheap, and the service friendly and unobtrusive. So all in all, it's exactly the kind of place I'd probably go to once a week, if it didn't take me half a week to get there.

Before anyone complains about me being a downtown snob or shut-in, let me just say that I have no problem with ethnic eateries like this generally being located close to the where the communities they are primarily meant to serve live (I assume this is why all three restaurants are where they are). Still, if there are going to be three Vietnamese places in Budapest, doesn't it make commercial sense for at least one to be relatively close to downtown, wherever that is?

And that said, if you're really in the mood for a little Mekong, the trip won't kill you - and might inspire you to brush up on your own Vietnamese cooking skills.