Meal with an amazing view: Fancy a Hungarian lángos at the foot of an Icelandic glacier?
An inspired and ambitious Hungarian man, Dániel Balogh, opened a special Hungarian buffet in Iceland with his partner. They serve Goulash soup and lángos, the latter has a myriad of topping options, including both savoury and sweet choices. The charming eatery is still a family-run business, offering both traditional and new flavours. While many Hungarians visit Lángos Factory, Icelanders also enjoy indulging in the deep-fried dough delicacy!
A dream come true
You must crave a delicious snack after a long hike near an Icelandic glacier. Who would have thought that you could eat a traditional Hungarian lángos in such a setting? HVG reports that Dániel Balogh and his partner opened a special Hungarian buffet in Iceland. Dániel first visited the island inspired by a Colombian colleague from his riverboat job, and started working as a chef in the astonishing country. However, his ambition was always to start his own business, which he achieved three months ago with the launch of Lángos Factory alongside his partner, Sara Ósk Rúnarsdóttir.
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Lángos Factory’s opening
Dániel ordered a trailer from Romania last year, had it equipped with furniture and kitchen utensils in Hungary within a week, and shipped it from Amsterdam to Iceland. However, he faced unexpected challenges beyond logistics, such as adapting his lángos recipe to local ingredients, eventually finding that Icelandic lactose-free cheese worked best in place of trappista cheese.
Dániel and his partner introduced a unique offering to Iceland’s street food scene, where fish and chips, pizza, and hot dogs dominate. His Hungarian lángos (deep-fried dough with cold toppings) often confuses first-time diners, some of whom mistake it for pizza. Despite this, Dániel finds that Icelanders’ love for deep-fried food has helped them embrace his cuisine.
Hungarian customers are regular
The Hungarian food trailer in Iceland, run by Dániel and Sara, attracts not only locals but also a steady stream of Hungarian customers, with around 2-3 visiting daily. With approximately 1,500 Hungarians living in Iceland, word has spread through Facebook groups, drawing people to this unique dining spot. The eatery operates daily, except during extreme weather, and despite only having summer experience so far, they hope to attract more visitors during winter.
A yummy experience
Their menu, featuring quality ingredients at affordable prices, has received positive feedback so far. A classic cheese and sour cream dish costs 2,100 Icelandic króna (EUR 13.9). However, the options go way beyond the classy cheese and sour cream lángos. For instance, the menu includes traditional, vegan, and langoustine options. Do you have a sweet tooth? No worries, there is a myriad of sweet topping options as well: marshmallows, Nutella, and banana slices. Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it? Dániel and his girlfriend run the business themselves, driving 40 minutes each day to the charming eatery. They find this daily trip a peaceful time to collect their thoughts and prepare for the day ahead.
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