📍Agi's Counter, New York City

Hungarian Crepes at Agi's Counter

I like having a cup of coffee and food and thinking about the week. Brunch is a vital part of my weekend self-care routine. This time I was committed to visiting Agi's Counter. It had been on my list of places for a long time. I saw an Instagram post about their Hungarian crepes and that was enough to get on the list.

I took the train over around 9 a.m. I got a bit turned around leaving the subway and I ended up walking around the block once. No matter, it was still early. I walked in. There's a door with heavy curtains inside to keep the temperature steady inside. To the left is a takeaway counter and a couple of tables. Ahead is a counter next to the espresso machine and more tables in the back. Cozy quarters with about half the tables full when I walked in. Cozier quarters when I left when every seat was occupied and a few people were waiting to sit.

I got a cup of coffee while I deliberated over the menu. I came for the crepes, so I was going to get that but I wanted something more with it. I ordered the breakfast biscuit. I'm not sure who the roaster of the coffee is but the roast was on the darker side with nutty notes.

Pogacsa Biscuit with Egg, Speck, and Cheddar and Housemade Hot Sauce at Agi's Counter

The biscuit is called Pogacsa, which is a Hungarian cheese biscuit. This biscuit had cheddar and herbs in it. The biscuit was buttery and solid as opposed to layered like an American Southern biscuit might be. I want to describe it as texturally similar to a scone but with more moisture.

The biscuit comes with a fried egg, alpine cheddar, and an optional speck. I ordered the speck. The cheddar flavor came through in this. While alpine cheddar is lighter and a bit nuttier, the cheddar in the biscuit married it together nicely without overpowering the sandwich.

The egg was a perfect circle fitting within the biscuit. It came assembled so I wasn't aware of how runny the yolk was until I bit into it and it exploded. It dribbled everywhere. The next time I eat this, I should use my knife to slice into the yolk and spread it around before eating it. It was a yolk from a high-quality egg that I couldn't take advantage of.

While ordering, I was asked if I wanted their homemade hot sauce. It's got an upcharge so my expectations for it are high. It's one of those things that I'll always order at restaurants. It comes in a small bowl with a spoon. I put it all, oil and chili peppers, inside my biscuit sandwich. It was a little fruity and very smoky. It was chipotle-esque (the pepper, not the chain) without any of those adobo notes that are usually present. It brought good character to the biscuit without a lot of heat.

The crepes are called Palacsinta on the menu, the Hungarian version. They came rolled up tight and smothered in salted brown butter, powdered sugar, and a thick cream on top. These crepes were rich with butter and batter. They straddled this sweet and salty world between the powdered sugar and brown butter. The crepe had a very thin application of lemon curd which brought some much-needed acidity. The cream on top was buttery and tangy, like a creme fraiche.

Just look how tightly rolled they are. Thank you Ray-Ban Metas for that shot.

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