Torna Fratre

Torna Fratre – traditional, Balkan and fishery menu Tunari Street no. 34

Historians and linguists have proclaimed the two words in the name of Torna Fratre restaurant as the birth certificate of the Romanian language, representing a call by a Romanian (Wallachian) soldier, in his ancestors’ language, during a campaign of the Byzantine army against the Avars, in 587, and it means “Return, brother!”. A very suitable name for a restaurant whose menu explores history and tradition, with recipes from all areas of the country” Bucovina, Moldova, Dobrogea, Muntenia, Oltenia, Banat, Transylvania, and also inspired from the cuisine of the “brothers” from Bessarabia, Timoc, from the Istro-Romanians, Megleno-Romanians and Aromanians. You are therefore offered a generous choice with appetizers such as the traditional polenta (mamaliguta) with butter, cheese and sour cream baked in the oven, Bessarabian dumplings stuffed with mursrooms and “phiperchi,” a mixture of peppers, tomatoes, garlic, cheese, eggs and yogurt baked in the oven, from the cuisine of the Aromanians, then main dishes from the “plate of traditions” category – from pork ribs with pepper spices, thyme and garlic, a la Banat, pork steak on the spit a la Muntenia, to cavarma – duck boiled in lard and then roasted on a spit, with garlic sauce and mamaliguta (polenta), inspired from the Megleno-Romanians. The menu also includes sour soups of beans with smoked meats, beef, chicken or tripes, sarmale, smoked bone with cabbage or beans, potatoes mousaka or tochitura. The prices are decent, from 11 lei for an appetizer, 19 lei –coaste haiducesti (Highwaymen’s ribs), duck cavarma – 32 lei and 9 lei – a slice of apple pie. The fishery menu includes the sturgeon bortsch, 14 lei, boiled crayfish with garlic sauce – 26 lei, or dishes you will not find elsewhere, like the Isaccea salad of crayfish tails, vegetables and boiled egg – 20 lei/300 g, and fish brodet – a mixture of fish, seashells, and crustaceans roasted or grilled – from 15 lei to 39 lei, depending on the quantity and the type of fish. The wine menu includes representative Romanian varieties from all the regions.

Adriana Popescu, Citybest.ro