Agota Hofman, founder and owner of Ízbisztró
September 2017
Tucked away on Szilágyi Dezső tér, Ízbisztró looks to be just another new neighborhood café. But owner Agota Hofman has created something far more than just a new locale for the caffeine-needy. And the venture has been far less “easy” than breezy Agota makes it look. In fact, Ízbisztró is the culmination of years of work dedicated to healthy eating and a greater well-being overall.
Agota started out in the food biz as a marketing manager for Vorwerk, where she spent a good amount of her “marketing” time leading cooking classes for customers looking to buy the company’s Thermomix food processor. Her business acumen became finely tuned along with her culinary skills, and soon enough, Agota realized that kitchen equipment sales had simply been a stepping stone to what her real calling was.
During the time when her career at Vorwerk was taking off, Agota’s step-grandfather succumbed to cancer. Agota became terrified her grandmother, now alone, would also die, which would in turn devastate her own mom. She thus dedicated herself to finding ways of helping her loved ones stay healthy, mentally, emotionally, and physically, and began her multi-year journey into the correlation between diet and disease. With the aid of her then-husband’s uncle, who was a cancer researcher, she educated herself on the science behind certain foods and their effect on the human body.
Tucked away on Szilágyi Dezső tér, Ízbisztró looks to be just another new neighborhood café. But owner Agota Hofman has created something far more than just a new locale for the caffeine-needy. And the venture has been far less “easy” than breezy Agota makes it look. In fact, Ízbisztró is the culmination of years of work dedicated to healthy eating and a greater well-being overall.
Agota started out in the food biz as a marketing manager for Vorwerk, where she spent a good amount of her “marketing” time leading cooking classes for customers looking to buy the company’s Thermomix food processor. Her business acumen became finely tuned along with her culinary skills, and soon enough, Agota realized that kitchen equipment sales had simply been a stepping stone to what her real calling was.
During the time when her career at Vorwerk was taking off, Agota’s step-grandfather succumbed to cancer. Agota became terrified her grandmother, now alone, would also die, which would in turn devastate her own mom. She thus dedicated herself to finding ways of helping her loved ones stay healthy, mentally, emotionally, and physically, and began her multi-year journey into the correlation between diet and disease. With the aid of her then-husband’s uncle, who was a cancer researcher, she educated herself on the science behind certain foods and their effect on the human body.
Italian barley salad with tuna
Agota applied her findings to herself first. Having come to the realization that they were both in need of some serious weight loss, Agota and her husband committed to shedding unwanted pounds using the new anti-cancer diet by Dr. Johannes Coy. This diet emphasized limiting carbohydrate intake to only those carbs that are not quickly absorbed, spiking blood sugar levels fast, an issue that leads to fermentation, inflammation, and disease. Agota was also guided by some valuable advice and clinical input from the uncle and stuck to foods that were all-natural without any artificial additives or processed ingredients.
Agota applied her findings to herself first. Having come to the realization that they were both in need of some serious weight loss, Agota and her husband committed to shedding unwanted pounds using the new anti-cancer diet by Dr. Johannes Coy. This diet emphasized limiting carbohydrate intake to only those carbs that are not quickly absorbed, spiking blood sugar levels fast, an issue that leads to fermentation, inflammation, and disease. Agota was also guided by some valuable advice and clinical input from the uncle and stuck to foods that were all-natural without any artificial additives or processed ingredients.
Fresh artisan breads and butter
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Sugar-free chocolate cake and raspberry sorbet
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Agota’s career at the time helped as well. Her step-granddad’s death and newfound diet occurred right as she was immersed in cooking classes for Vorwerk’s restaurant clients. As she taught them how to use the high-end equipment, they (indirectly and most likely inadvertently) taught her all about cooking. This on-the-job practice was a meaningful ingredient to Agota’s success with her own fresh-food preparation and weight loss, and both she and her husband did indeed lose weight. But Agota also realized that there was no way most people could have the time for the intensive amounts of cooking involved in their new-found diet. Thus, the idea for Íz Therapy was born, and Agota and a couple friends began preparing and selling tasty items for those looking to eat all-natural meals in order to slim down or just improve their overall health.
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The venture didn’t stop at mere food delivery. Íz Therapy featured cooking classes for those who did want to learn to cook for themselves or who simply wanted to know what went into their meals. Clients could also request a checkup and consult with a medical doctor, dietician, and kinesiologist to monitor basic vitals or address more specific concerns. Soon, Agota incorporated fasting camps, complete with a life coach for a “mental hygiene” intensive, at a villa just outside of Budapest, and event catering was then added to the mix as demand grew for such wholesome eats to be an option at both private and corporate gatherings.
Nevertheless, these additional activities were the responsibility of other collaborators who came and went as their own interests and pursuits shifted. But the one element that never changed was food delivery, and demand here had remained a constant source of income for Íz. This activity alone was Agota’s real baby, and she was left with a choice to make: pursue Íz full-force or go back to the corporate life. It didn’t take her long to decide.
"Without the owner, a venture is spiritless"
Food delivery had been great, but it was time for a permanent address. Ízbisztro was originally at a villa over in the 12th district and is now an airy, boutique-style café in seaside pastels located just near Batthyány tér. The moment you walk in, you already feel a sense of wellness, and the detail and care with which Agota has appointed the tiny space is very apparent. Workers from nearby office buildings (including in the building itself) as well as neighborhood residents and tourists come by for freshly made cleansing juices from carrot, beets, celery, or spinach and fresh-fruit spritzers with raspberry, strawberry, and apple. Sandwiches, cookies, and cakes are also available, and most everything is made from ingredients sourced in Hungary, including vegetables and fruits from local farms.
Ízbisztró cafe in Budapest
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Baking supplies
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Omelette with spinach & spinach, strawberry, and mango smoothies
Most importantly, everything on the menu is made with low or zero amounts of carbohydrates. Instead, sandwich breads are buckwheat and whole-grain, and breads made in-house for special delivery are baked using rye, oats, or spelt. All sweeteners used are fructose, Stevia, and Erythritol, and all baked goods are made with almond, poppyseed, or coconut flour. In fact, Agota grinds and cooks these last three into a milk which she also uses in recipes, leaving the remaining “flour” for cakes, pies, tarts, and cookies. For gluten-free requests, any item can be baked with coconut, corn, almond, or poppyseed flour. And for those who simply want a healthier carbohydrate, they can ask for items to be made with oats, rye, or barley as well.
Beyond the basic sandwich, treat, homemade yogurt, or juice, customers can also order grilled chicken breast, baked Camembert, garlic barley and vegetable purées, salads, omelettes, and an array of soups from broccoli to strawberry. A dip platter features serrano ham, eggplant and tuna purée, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cream, and the red lentil soup even comes with bacon if desired.
And yes, there is also coffee. :)
Apple tart and chocolate cheesecake with spelt
As with everything, Agota insists moderation is key. She seeks to enlighten people to some key changes they can make which are healthier and just as tasty such as sourcing more protein from lentils and other beans to replace some meat intake or cutting out refined sugars and white flour given the bevy of other options. Feeling good and contributing to your long-term health is not supposed to be difficult. In fact, the original name of Agota’s company was “Ease” Therapy, a name still found on her website. Locals had had trouble with the pronunciation, so she switched to “Íz,” which is pronounced the same as “ease” and which also fittingly means “taste” in Hungarian.
There is no doubt that the food at Ízbisztro tastes divine. But it is also cost-intensive. The fresh ingredients, alternative sugars and flours, and time taken to make fresh items every day all come at a price, and Agota aims to keep her prices affordable. But this is more than a money-making venture. “I have to make a profit, but this is my life’s passion. This is more than money. I love to share what I have learned, and I enjoy every minute of it.”
Aside from enjoying fresh local ingredients, people can also pick up local Hungarian-made products for home including Tokaj pomegranate balsamic vinegar, pumpkin and walnut oil, and numerous Hungarian craft beers. Then there are the slew of items from Sicily such as organic and bio olive oil, organic cherry tomato sauces, and pistachio butter. For the past two summers, Agota and a friend have taken a group to Sicily for five days of cooking, walking in nature, and doing yoga at a countryside farm. Agota lived in Italy for a year a few years back, and it was there that she further intensified her culinary skills and love for being in the kitchen. The trips have been wildly successful with Hungarians and other nationals of all ages, and she plans on continuing them in the future. She hopes to start arranging day visits to local biofarms here in Hungary as well.
"I love to share what I have learned"
Cooking classes also continue strong at the eatery and contribute a third of the company’s income today. These include Indian, French, and Italian cuisine, classes for baking bread as well as making butter and yoghurt, and a Paleo/vegan culinary course. The most popular classes have been Italian and Indian thus far.
Agota is on-site almost every day at Íz. She has had other obligations and interests from time to time and often thinks of ways to possibly expand. But her presence at the eatery has been, and probably will continue to be, a priority. The business is still very much her baby, and the bistro is its soul. “Without the owner, a venture is spiritless,” she tells me. Any entrepreneur can tell you that; the key is to make sure you enjoy the effort as much as the results. For her part, Agota seems fully invested. “Eating is forever,” she tells me with a reluctant smile. With food like this, I guess the idea is to be able to eat well and make living healthy “easy” for at least a very long time. Her efforts themselves may be anything but easy, but Agota Hofman is clearly enjoying the ride.
