2013-11-17: Day 53
Once you are confident that it's an entirely wholesome proposition for a young gentleman to partake of it's not an offer that's easy to refuse... so I didn't.
Jókai bableves is, of course, essentially a bean soup and we were guided to the "For Sale" Pub near the Grand Market. It's a curious place, a peanut bar for want of a better word with nuts on the table which you are encouraged to crack and discard the shells on to the straw laden floor. I've been to somewhere with the same reputation in Skopje but that didn't feel like they actually wanted you to drop them on the floor. The walls and ceiling are adorned with slips of paper denoting previous visitors. Emails, travel documents, hand written notes and even photos surround you and you can't help but wonder just how many identities could be stolen by careful amalgamation of the various details. So as to feel like I was entering the spirit I deposit a Slovakian train ticket amongst the multi-layers fire hazard and return to the important business of the day.
Menus arrived and were distributed although exactly why remains unclear as we were left in no doubt as to what we were here to consume. Under guidance we only order three portions despite the fact there are four of us... when it arrives it becomes clear why.
The Portion sizes are not insignificant.
Along with the bubbling cauldron of soup is a heft whack of bread and sour cream and three types of chili (whole, flaked and pureed) with which to adorn your decanted helping.
It had been given a hefty billing but lived up to it comfortably. Genuinely excellent and to be hunted out again on future visits.
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