Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.06.2005, Blaðsíða 32

32
Described as “chic, upscale and casual” on its website, the hotel
restaurant, Salt, actually is. Each table is decorated with a
small porcelain bowl with pink, white and black sea salts, each
imported from its own continent. The salts are, I was told,
expensive enough for the chef to be constantly on the look-out
that customers don’t spoil them.
As the chef gathered various courses into an extensive meal
for my Italian companion and me, he surprised and pleased
us both … but even if this may seem like a perverse complaint
to make, too much so. A bit less would have been a bit more,
as the rainbow of different flavours at some point turned into
a brownish mess … perhaps because, strangely, given the
restaurant’s upscale cooking, the same wine was served with all
parts of the meal, up to a wonderfully innovative main course of
Coca-Cola-glossed quail.
Each element of the meal was more or less delicious – the
pumpkin soup, lobster, wild mushroom risotto and quail
being my personal favorites. But add snails, foie gras and
halibut and you feel as though you were hijacked by an upscale
culinary conspiracy. The place being merely a week old, this
is in line with the somewhat insecure staff – each member
being charming and industrious, as a unit they seemed to be
somewhat less than secure.
The extravagant dinner was topped off with a triple desert,
one part of which was the now imperative hot chocolate fudge.
As everyone seems to serve this it can become a very practical
index of a restaurant’s quality. It is, if I’m not mistaken, basically
an underbaked muffin, and needs some delicacy in preparation.
This time round it was delicately prepared, but the ingredients
not quite chocolaty enough.
I’m being something of a prick, but this restaurant sets its
standards high and can be measured accordingly. It is among
the most promising and potentially amusing kitchens I’ve been
to, but not quite there yet.
I’d also like them to make stronger coffee.
Salt, Hotel 1919, Pósthússtræti 2, 101 Reykjavík,
Phone: 599-1000.
MARU
It seems to be common practice when one restaurant files for bankruptcy
to start another one in its place. In this tradition, Maru is a sushi place by
Aðalstræti, where there used to be a sushi place.
Sushi consisting of various combinations of raw material – that is,
raw material – mostly raw fish, boiled rice, if the fish is fresh one can stay
and leave happy. At Maru, the fish is fresh. Actually, the ten-piece plate
menu item “Maru-sushi” was quite delicious, and according to my Italian
companion exceeded any sushi she had ever had in Italy.
The environment is enjoyable … grey seems to be the new white, and this
particular greyishly coloured space is elegant, yet cozy, in a Scandinavian sort
of Japanese manner … add Scandinavian love of soothing South American
jazz and you have a strangely harmonious atmosphere.
Grey being the new white, hot chocolate fudge is the new vanilla ice
cream. We had ours downstairs, in the bar, where they make decent cocktails
and where some nice old fellows tried to sleep at the end of a long national
celebration day but were politely shown out. The chocolate fudge was, as so
often, the part of the meal that came closest to sublimity.
Maru, Aðalstræti 12, 101 Reykjavík, Phone: 511-4440.
$ $ $
Restaurants in Reykjavík
3 Frakkar, Baldursgata 14, p: 552-3939
Apótek bar grill, Austurstræti 16, p: 575-7900
Argentína, Barónsstígur 11a, p: 551-9555
Cafe Oliver, Laugavegur 20a, p: 552-2300
Café Opera, Lækjargata 2, p: 552-9499
Hornið, Hafnarstræti 15, p: 551-3340
Humarhúsið, Amtmannstíg, 561-3303
Jómfrúin, Lækjargata 4, p: 551-0100
La Primavera, Austurstræti 9, 561-8555
Maru, A›alstræti 12, p: 511-4440
Pasta Basta, Klapparstígur 38, p: 511-2238
Rauðará, Rauðarárstígur 39, p: 562-6766
Shalimar, Austurstræti 4, p: 551-0292
Sjávarkjallarinn, A›alstræti 2, p: 511-1212
Skólabrú, Skólabrú 1, p: 562-4455
Tapas, Vesturgata 3b, p: 551-2344
Thorvaldsen bar, Austurstræti 8, p: 511-1413
Tjarnarbakkinn, Vonarstræti 2, p: 562-9700
Tveir Fiskar, Geirsgata 9, p: 511-3474
Við Tjörnina, Templarasund 3, p: 551-8666
Vox Nordica Hotel, Su›urlandsbraut 2, p: 444-5050
H
.S
.
This cheesy fast-food pizzeria offers a no-
nonsense buffet, soup, steak, pizza, vegetables,
pasta courses … the whole lot – English-Italian
cuisine the Icelandic way. The name of the place
is Icelandic for Robin Hood, and in line with its
ideologue’s vision, the place offers endless refills
of soda drinks. You will eat and drink your fill and
even if afterwards you suspect that you might have
consumed a bit too much monosodium glutamate,
if you entered primarily hungry you certainly leave
primarily content. A two-for-one special with an
International Student ID improves the experience
greatly.
Hrói Höttur, lunch buffet, Hringbraut 119, 107
Reykjavík, Phone: 562-9292.
HRÓI HÖTTUR
$ $
SALT,
HOTEL 1919
$ $ $ $
DINING,
EATING
GRUBBING
Restaurants Haukur Már Helgasson on Reykjavík Dining
Under ISK 1000
Between ISK 1000 and ISK 2500
Between ISK 2500 and ISK 4000
$
$ $
$ $ $
$ $ $ $
Over ISK 4000
&
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