Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2011, Side 50

F D
For your mind, body and soul
Happ is full of new ideas and fresh talent,
but seems to stretch out in all directions,
embracing every ideology and theme,
some less compatible than others. This
problem starts at the front door. The styl-
ised Happ sign (also spelled as HaPP or
“hagg” according to the logo) rests on an
attractive faux Danish colonial built af-
ter the previous one burned down. The
house carries an old-timey charm that
doesn’t quite meld with the coloured dots
on the windows, and made me uncertain
of what to expect. The interior greets
you with an elegant design but one that
seems to fluctuate between a modern
health food place and the colonial mood
set by the house.
The menu compounds this by seem-
ingly trying to appeal to raw foodies, local-
vores, vegans, vegetarians and carnivores
young and old, with food that’s organic,
free-range, sustainable, seasonal, Icelan-
dic, Thai, Italian and, you would think,
colour-coded and alphabetised should
you require it. The selection and the spir-
it in which it is done are commendable,
but they will need to project a clear image
of what Happ is all about. And right now
it is a little cluttered.
Happ are offering some excellent
courses, and I would hate to see people
dismiss it out of hand based on a miscon-
strued notion of what the place is about.
Probably they could solve a lot of this by
prominently displaying their menus. In
any case, if you go there with an open
mind you might just risk having it blown.
To drink we were content with the
Villa Lucia but Happ offer a small selec-
tion of some very attractive choices like a
Darioush Cabernet and Chardonnay and
the Chilean Morandé.
For first course, wifey received a
heaping portion of roasted beet salad
with sweet potatoes, roasted nuts and
plain feta with a honey-orange sauce
(1.250 ISK). Roasted beets and chevré
tossed with a good vinaigrette are my life-
force, and anything that approaches that
is going to get in my good graces. A tasty
and moderately priced starter, which is
offered as an even bigger serving on their
lunch menu along with a selection of
other tasty salads.
I had the raw food ravioli (1.550 ISK),
which consisted of tapenade sandwiched
between thin, mustardy slices of turnip
accompanied with a rucola pesto and a
basil cream. I am not a raw food enthusi-
ast, and the dish didn’t particularly excite
me, but it compares well with the other
raw food I’ve tried. I will give points for
creativity.
The filet of lamb they blessed me with
for main course is a whole other story.
The lamb (3.650 ISK) came in a savoury
sauce of liquorice root and port, with
roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes and
a rhubarb and red onion jam on the side.
That damn lamb was godlike genius and
that liquorice sauce should be on tap in
every home. Dense but perfectly cooked
and the only complaint I have is that the
onion-rhubarb jam felt a little Gerber-
like to me...but wifey loved it so what do
I know. And I loved the simple deep-dish
plates they served it on (mental note:
steal them next time).
Wifey had the chicken breast in coco-
nut milk with spicy noodles and mango
sauce (2.900 ISK). I would not order
chicken breast, and the description didn’t
sound that interesting, but I was pleas-
antly surprised by that too. The chicken
breast was neither dry nor flavourless,
and the sauce was fresh and tangy. A
well-balanced dish, far better than the
chicken breast you usually get in Reykja-
vík.
We got a mixed tasting platter of the
desserts. a) A deliciously moist banana
bread b) a raw food agave and avocado
chocolate mousse that was as good as
a vegan mousse is likely to get, but left
me pining for eggs and dairy c) a lack-
lustre raw-food date-blackcurrant truffle
which also could have benefited from
some dairy d) mango ice cream and a
vanilla-macadamia mousse on a bed of
lukewarm mixed fruit which made for an
enticing mix of flavours although I would
have preferred the fruit cold.
Shiny HaPPy People
A genuine Nordic 3 course feast
starting from 4.900,-
Pósthússtræti 11 101 Reykjavík Tel: 578 2008 www.silfur.is
there are a lot of positive
reviews about..
the best thai food
year 2009, 2010 and 2011
authentic thai crusine
served in elegant surroundings
with spicy, very delicious and
reasonable prices.

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tel : 55-22-444, 692-0564
www.banthai.name
Also TOP TEN for....
The Best Restaurant in Iceland
 
Laugavegur 130 ofan við Hlemm
RAGnAR EGILSSOn
HVALREKI
Pósthússtræti 13
101 Reykjavík
Tel: +354 551 1800
www.gamla.is
What We Think: Cool new ideas
and fresh ingredients, needs more
focus and polish. A great choice
even if you’re not into raw food.
Flavour: Raw food and veggie,
the best thing was the roasted
lamb. Go figure.
Ambiance: Lunch, night with the
girlfriends, dinner with the mis-
sus/mister
Service: Wait staff could afford
to lighten up a little, but very
knowledgeable and professional.
Happ
Austurstræti 22, 101 Reykjavík