The chef and the gardener

Patrícia Török and Gábor Horváth lived in the same building. When Gábor renovated his flat, he rang the doorbell of all the tenants and asked for their patience. The last one was Pati, who had been passionately gardening for years, and Gábor had a small garden that she could see from her apartment. This is how it all began. Today, they have a common garden where they grow the plants you can learn about, taste and even take home, and where they also welcome visitors. A visit to their garden is like a flow experience, and anyone who knows their story might think: this is a world where things have fallen into the right place.

For almost a decade, Gábor Horváth was the chef at the legendary Gusteau Culinary Experience in Mád. Listed as one of the best restaurants in the region, Gusteau was as well-known as its chef: Gábor. Gaining more and more success, Gusteau won the Restaurant of the Year award. Gábor wrote cookbooks, made appearances in TV and gave interviews in addition to his duties as a chef. After Gusteau had closed, he did not look for a job in a similar place, even though he could have easily turned his knowledge into money. He uses his creativity in his joint business with his wife, where he creates surprising and dynamic dishes using seasonal organic vegetables and herbs from their garden. The garden and the food are as much a part of each other as the chef and the gardener: they complement and strengthen each other.

Originally a humanities graduate with a degree in international relations, Pati made a living from her excellent language skills. She had been interested in gardening for a long time: it all started with a lemon tree his father gave him. She still has it today. It is almost 20 years old. Pati used every available space: a balconybox, a windowsill, and even a handkerchief-sized garden to indulge her passion. Then, after years of experimentation, she completed horticulture training. She was most interested and amused when she saw a seed sprout or a plant blossom and bear fruit. Her palm, grown 12 years ago from the seeds of a dried date tree, is now nearly 3 metres tall – but every plant is tamed under her hand as she carefully watches, experimenting, looking for the best conditions and methods.

Pati quickly outgrew the balcony boxes, and when Gábor was also committed himself to the project, they looked for a larger space together. An aunt gave them the use of her garden as a trial, and the 800 m2 jungle has now been transformed into a pleasant oasis. They like to experiment: in addition to the traditional plants, they also grow Bolivian coriander, Thai lemongrass, turmeric, fingerlime and all kinds of herbs. Gábor turns ordinary plants like courgettes or tomatoes into special dishes, or makes familiar dishes peculiar with special plants and flavour combinations. The visitor starts with a pleasant garden tour, which not only leads into the world of plants, but also gives a small insight into the life of a chef and a gardener. The tasting at their group picnics is reminiscent of the sophisticated world of Gusteau, only taking place in the garden, accompanied bythe sound of birdsong whilst enjoying the cool breeze from the Danube. 

The culinary experience is enriched with their knowledge and very personal implications. Pati speaks about the garden and its plants, while Gábor explains about the tricks of using their plants. Public garden visits for 10-25 people can be arranged inadvance or on request, and can be complemented by a cooking experience, a cooking course or a trip.