Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.05.2010, Síða 24

Food & Drink | Venue finder
3 Frakkar
Baldursgata 14 | G4
Aktu Taktu
Skúlugata 15 | E6
Alibaba
Veltusund 3b | D2
American Style
Tryggvagata 26 | D2
Argentína Steak-
house
Barónstígur | F6
Austurlanda-
hraðlestin
Hverfisgata 64A | F5
Á Næstu Grösum
Laugavegur 20B | E4
B5
Bankastræti 5 | E3
Bakkus
Tryggvagata 22 | D2
Ban Thai
Laugavegur 130 | G7
Basil & Lime
Klapparstíg 38 | E4
Babalú
Skólavörðustígur 22A
| G5
Balthazar
Hafnarstræti 1-3 | D2
Bæjarins Beztu
Tryggvagata | D3
Brons
Pósthússtræti 9 | E3
Café Cultura
Hverfisgata 18 | E4
Café d'Haiti
Tryggvagata 12 | D2
Café Loki
Lokastígur 28 | G4
Café Paris
Austurstræti 14 | E3
Café Roma
Rauðarárstígur 8 | G7
Deli
Bankastræti 14 | E5
Domo
Þingholtsstræti 5 | E3
Einar Ben
Veltusundi | E2
Eldsmiðjan
Bragagata 38A | G4
Fiskmarkaðurinn
Aðalstræti 12 | D2
Geysir Bar/Bistro
Aðalstræti 2 | D2
Garðurinn
Klappastigur 37 | F4
Glætan book café
Laugavegur 19 | F5
Grái Kötturinn
Hverfisgata 16A | E4
Grillhúsið
Tryggvagata 20 | D2
Habibi
Hafnarstræti 20 | E3
Hamborgarabúlla Tó-
masar (“Bullan”)
Geirsgata 1 | B2
Hlölla Bátar
Ingólfstorg | D2
Hornið
Hafnarstræti 15 | D3
Hótel Holt
Bergstaðarstræti 37
| G3
Humarhúsið
Amtmanstígur 1 | E3
Hressó
Austurstræti 20 | E4
Icelandic Fish & Chips
Tryggvagata 8 | B2
Indian Mango
Frakkastígur 12 | F5
Jómfrúin
Lækjargata 4 | E3
Kaffi Hljómalind
Laugavegur 21 | E4
Kaffifélagið
Skólavörðustígur 10
| F5
Kaffitár
Bankastræti 8 | E4
Kaffivagninn
Grandagarður 10 | A1
Kofi Tómasar Frænda
Laugavegur 2 | E4
Kornið
Lækjargata 4 | E3
Krua Thai
Tryggvagata 14 | D2
La Primavera
Austurstræti 9 | D2
Lystin
Laugavegur 73 | F6
Mokka
Skólavörðustígur 3A
| E4
Nonnabiti
Hafnarstræti 9 | D3
O Sushi
Lækjargata 2A | E3
Pisa
Lækjargötu 6b | E3
Pizza King
Hafnarstræti 18 | D3
Pizza Pronto
Vallarstræti 4 | E2
Pizzaverksmiðjan
Lækjargötu 8 | E3
Prikið
Bankastræti 12 | E3
Ráðhúskaffi | E2
Tjarnargata 11
Santa Maria
Laugavegur 22A, | F5
Serrano
Hringbraut 12 | H3
Shalimar
Austurstræti 4 | D2
Silfur
Pósthússtræti 11 | E3
Sjávarkjallarinn
Aðalstræti 2 | D2
Sólon
Bankastræti 7a | E3
Sushibarinn
Laugavegur 2 | E4
Sushismiðjan
Geirsgötu 3 | B2
Svarta Kaffi
Laugavegur 54 | F5
Sægreifinn
Verbúð 8, Geirsgata
| B2
Tapas
Vesturgata 3B | D2
Thorvaldsen
Austurstræti 8 | D2
Tíu Dropar
Laugavegur 27 | E5
Tívolí
Laugavegur 3 | E4
Vegamót
Vegamótastígur 4 | E4
Við Tjörnina
Templarasund 3 | E2
Vitabar
Bergþórugata 21 | G5
“They put on such a beautiful
meal for us. We had the most
amazing freshest fish I've
ever had in my life. It was all
so perfectly cooked too...
Beautiful!”
Jamie Oliver’s Diary
and a delicios lobster
at Fjörubordid in Stokkseyri
by the sea
Sp
ör
e
hf
. -
R
ag
nh
ei
ðu
r Á
gú
st
sd
ót
tir
F D
For your mind, body and soul
R E V I E W S
Portuguese-speaking food in Reykjavík
Nestled down near the harbour
(Geirsgata 9), Piri Piri is marked with a
rooster as iconic to Portuguese eateries
as the golden arches are to McDonalds.
Inside it’s a clean-lined, spacious place
dominated by roomy booths lining the
walls and featuring a sprawling playroom
with goodies to keep the kiddies
entertained whilst their parents get down
to the more serious task at hand: Eating
chicken.
The menu boasts quite a few ways
to take your chicken—whole, halved,
quartered, topping a salad, etc. My
lunch date and I opted to share a whole
chicken with a choice of two sides
(2640 kr.); we went with black-eye bean
salad and tomato rice, but plain white
rice and French fries are also available.
Having become accustomed to puny
chickens (compared to the super sized
variety native to North America), we
were optimistic the portion would fit our
appetites. Once the food arrived—rather
quickly—we were wishing there was a
third person to help us out. It turns out a
whole chicken is a lot of food no matter
the continent!
While Piri Piri’s menu states that
their chicken is “glazed with hot piri
piri sauce,” I found myself feeling lied
to. Don’t get me wrong, the chicken
wasn’t bland ole breast meat but it’s a
painful stretch to call the glaze “hot”.
It did, however, have a pleasant hint of
barbecue flavour that was nice but not
overpowering or blackened. The bird
was accompanied by a fresh yogurt-like
sauce and a red sauce that delivered more
of a bite. Try mixing the two together
for a mouth-watering combination. The
sides were nice, though they suffered
the same ill-fate as the piri piri glaze, I’m
afraid. The black-eye bean salad was a
nice cold accompaniment and the tomato
rice, while a really great texture and
consistency for a cold rice dish (i.e. it’s not
dry) could have benefited from maybe a
pinch of salt or maybe just more of the
flavour that was trying to distinguish the
grain from its plain white cousin.
For the incredible price Piri Piri is
a place I plan on going back to, either
with two other people or with a hungrier
guest. It’s good, simple chicken.
Frango e Arroz, e Tudo de Bom
Flavour: Could use more piri piri
Ambiance: Casual, clean
Service: Friendly and helpfully
honest
Piri Piri
Geirsgötu 9
What we think: Good,
simple chicken
One thing that first struck me about Reykjavík’s food-scene is the plethora of ethnic selection. For such a small city, this place
offers a world-tour of restaurants that rivals other cities of comparable size. That being said, some countries are more amply
represented than others (I’m looking at you, Thailand), so it’s nice to see a couple of new countries step up to show 101 what
their homeland gastronomy is all about. Let’s all extend a warm Food Page welcome to Portugal and Brazil!
Piri Piri Is Hot,
But Is It Hot Enough?
CATHARINE FULTON
JULIA STAPLES