Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.06.2009, Qupperneq 29

The star sapphire amongst Reykjavik’s
ethnic eateries, Austur-India Félagið,
is a place often cited as a favourite
by the local glitterati and at which
Indiana Jones (the dude who plays him
anyway) dines when adventuring in
Iceland.
With its unpretentious
minimalism, Austur-India Félagið is a
relaxed version of the usual upmarket
affair, but still not quite your corner
take-out curry shop. The restaurant’s
following is strong: at 8 pm on a
weeknight the place was full, so
reserve ahead.
For a starter, my date chose the
signature salad with tiger prawns
grilled in coriander, cumin, chilli and
masala (1.995 ISK). Sadly four prawns
on a limp looking canteen style salad
bed was a bit of a let-down. Thank
goodness for my pappadums (1.295
ISK) with raisin, tomato and coriander
chutney and a big bottle of cold Cobra.
I drowned the rest of my
signature salad sorrows in a delicious
mango lhassie (400 ISK).
For the main course, I had Kori
Gasi, chicken breast in coconut,
turmeric and ginger (3.295 ISK).
Medium-spicy and tender—a safe bet.
Companion’s filet of lamb in almond,
cinnamon, cloves and cumin (4.195
ISK) came from the tandoori oven on
a bed of sizzling onions, meat softly
crumbled at the edges and blending
into the delicious seasoning, though
not quite capturing the exquisite
tenderness you would hope for from
lamb filet.
As an accompaniment we had
gorgeous Pulao (895 ISK), basmati
rice with cinnamon, cardamom and
cloves; garlic naan bread (390 ISK)
and cucumber-yogurt rajita (695 ISK),
which my date, having announced
cucumber to be his arch enemy, ate
if not in ecstasy, at least in honest
approval.
For desert, we drained a mango
soup with coconut cream with such
enthusiasm that the table next to us
ordered whatever we were having.
Most things from food to service
to setting were in good order on our
visit to Austur-India Félagið, but for
this one must pay. Our dinner for two
(sharing beer, accompaniments and
dessert) gathered a 13.000 ISK bill
— which borders on being too much,
even after careful considerations
on the general cost of eating out in
Reykjavik and kreppa.
— SARI PELTONEN
* Indiana Jones in the ‘Indiana Jones
and the Temple of Doom’ 1984
Austur-India Félagið
Hverfisgata 56
www.austurindia.is
Flavour: Indian
Ambiance: Relaxed, up-scale
Service: Pleasant and friendly
Lunch
1 Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16a
Nothing quite beats a good brunch at Grái
Kötturinn. Their hearty servings of gourmet
breakfast foods and intimate, personal
atmosphere will ensure repeat visits.
Especially recommended for those in need of
hangover resuscitation.
2 Tíu dropar
Laugavegur 27
We really, really like Tíu dropar for coffee and
pancakes, succulent soups and a glimpse
of old Reykjavík. Really, this is an excellent
place to spend ones Saturday afternoons.
Very kid-friendly too.
3 Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar
Geirsgata 1
Grapevine pretty much subscribes to the
Búlla burgers for sustenance while creating
the paper you are now reading. Not only is
it an extremely tasty, meaty and succulent
burger, it comes for a very fair price, too. And
the staff-members are all super friendly. This
is the place to go for burgers downtown,
unless you want a blue-cheese special (more
on that in our next issue).
Fancy Schmancy
1 Gallery Restaurant at Hótel Holt,
Bergstaðastræti 37
If you can afford to go there, go there. Simple
as that. Atmospheric, old-school decorations
and prominently displayed paintings by some
of Iceland’s most revered masters lend the
place an air of sophistication, but the real
draw is the sheer quality of their food and
service.
2 Tapas Bar
Vesturgata 3b
Tapas Bar actually borders between fancy
and casual, but it sure ain’t no budget food-
hole. Any of their variety menus, along with
some nice red wine and a couple of cocktails
are a sure-fire way to kickstart a night on
the town with friends, the tasty food and
relaxed, carefree environment are sure to get
you started. However, do expect to fork over
a nice sum at the end of your meal. Added
quality: they probably serve food later than
every other sit down restaurant in Iceland
(23:30 on weekdays, 1 AM on weekends).
3 Fiskmarkaðurinn
Aðalstræti 12
Master chef Hrefna Sætran conjures up some
truly exhilarating courses from Iceland’s best
and freshest seafood. Usually has foreigners
frothing at the mouth with excitement, and us
locals like it fine, too.
Cheap Eats
1 Núðluhúsið
Laugavegur 59
Núðluhúsið offers up a mean plate of Pad
Thai, big enough to comfortably serve two
and just right in the taste department. We’d
surely recommend some of their other dishes,
but frankly we’re too tempted to just get the
Pad Thai every time we go there. As an added
bonus, the place is as close to dirt-cheap as
you get in Reykjavík.
2 Santa María
Laugavegur 22a
This place was a revelation to the good
people of Reykjavík when it opened its doors
just over a year ago, and it’s pretty much
been filled to the rafters ever since. With a
solid and admirable price policy of “nothing
over 1.000 ISK” (which might actually have
gone up a couple hundred krónur when you
read this), Santa María’s low prices are only
beat by their nice service and tasty take on
authentic Mexican food.
3 Drekinn
Njálsgata 23
Nothing beats Drekinn for cheap eats in
101 Reykjavík. Nothing. Their burgers are
ludicrously inexpensive, and surprisingly
tasty. And they have that awesome chilli-
ketchup that makes anything worth eating.
For full restaurant and food
listings and venue finder visit
www.grapevine.is for detailed
information.
“Anything can happen, it’s a long
way to Delhi”*
VEGETARIAN CUISINE
Skólavörðustígur 8 b, tel. 552 2028
Open from 11:30 am–21:00 pm
www.graennkostur.is
What we think:
Austur-India Félagið is like
Harrison Ford: reliably charming,
easygoing with a dash of style,
but just a bit too big of a name to
come cheap.