Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.02.2010, Síða 22

A tale of two noodle joints
Open:
Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30
Sundays 16:00-22:00
Now offering
catering service!
Viking hotel
Viking restaurants
Viking live entertainment
Viking Souveniers
For booking and further information:
Tel.: (+354) 565-1213
vikings@vikingvillage.is - www.vikingvillage.is
Strandgata 55 Hafnarfjordur
and a delicios lobster
at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri
by the sea
Sp
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ag
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For your mind, body and soul
R E V I E W S
The cover girl of the Icelandic
culinary Noodle bars have taken over
Skólavörðustigur, with Núðluskálin
and the Noodle Station setting up
shop within spitting distance of
each other in recent months. As an
authority on all things—noodles not
excluded—the Grapevine thought it
appropriate to indulge in the offerings
of each establishment so that the next
time you’re torn between stopping by
Skólavörðustigur 8 or continuing uphill
to 21A you can reflect upon our sage-
like words and make the right choice.
Hopes were high when walking
out of the cold into the sparse decor
of Núðluskálin and they remained
high when reading the menu: seven
offerings (plus a build-your own noodle
dish option) for just 990 ISK with
meat (790 without) and an MSG-free
disclaimer kept them high through the
ordering process. The menu even lists
the caloric tallies of each dish, for those
concerned with such things, and they
are all are pleasingly low.
Gwiddiáw Domm Kha it was,
with a coconut soup base: 3 out of 3 on
the spicy scale and promising notes of
chilli, garlic, coriander and ginger. I was
optimistic that I would be heading back
out into the cold night happily satisfied.
Unfortunately what I was presented
with was more akin to skim-milk soup,
lacking in the spice department (until
the end of the dish, where all the spice
settled despite constant stirring, at
which point I felt as though I was being
cooked from the inside out), and with all
those anticipated f lavour notes falling
entirely f lat. My date’s Fideos de Mexico
dish oddly presented a bottle-esque
marinara sauce where tomato soup
was promised, with few other f lavours
fighting through, save for the jalapeño.
Both were served in disposable take-out
dishes with clumsy and f limsy plastic
cutlery, a constant whether eating in or
taking away.
The gimmick of Núðluskálin
is that the customer can add his or
her own flavourings, with helpful
suggestions listed alongside each menu
option. While some may be gifted in
the self-spicing department, those
of us who just want the food we paid
for to arrive at our tables seasoned
as the chef intended run the risk of
spicing too little or too much. The
saving grace of the experience was
the noodles themselves, which were
fresh and filling, despite nearly all the
other elements of the dishes failing to
impress.
The Noodle Station is in a league
of its own. Equally sparse aesthetically
as its noodle competitor, but with a
punch of simple and complementary
f lavours that overwhelm the senses. It
really is simple, with only two options
on the menu: chicken or beef. Both my
date and I opted for chicken and neither
of us was disappointed. The meat was
seasoned independently of the soup,
but did not compete with the broth or
accoutrements therein; it was tender
and moist to the point of breaking apart
easily and delicately. The soup base is
an authentically spiced broth, with bean
sprouts and noodles intertwined within
it and topped with accents of chilli
and peanuts. And it is served in a deep
noodle bowl, with a metal spoon and a
good pair of sturdy chopsticks. Bonus
points for real f latware and utensils.
Minus points for not enough seating
and uncomfortable seating at that.
The Noodle Station serves noodles
the way noodles should be: f lavourful,
comforting and enjoyable to slurp and
savour. The conservation of words
dedicated to this refreshingly enjoyable
little shop should be construed
only as an indicator of my complete
satisfaction. Just like these noodles, no
embellishments are needed.
- CATHARINE FuLTON
Skólavörðustígur Shuffle
Flavour: Authentic
Ambiance: Sparse, no frills
Service: Fast and friendly
Noodle Station
Skólavörðustígur 21a
What we think: Seriously
good noodles
Flavour: What flavour?
Ambiance: Sparse, no frills
Service: Optimistic and helpful
Núðluskálin
Skólavörðustígur 8
What we think: Good in theory,
disappointing in reality
Probably the best pizza
in town
Pizzeria tel. 578 8555 Lækjargata 8 Downtown