Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.01.2012, Blaðsíða 42

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For your mind, body and soul in 2011
the best thai foodyear 2009, 2010 and 2011

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tel : 55-22-444, 692-0564
www.banthai.name
1 of 10 The Best Restaurant in Iceland
1 af 10 Bestu veitingastöðum á Íslandi
DV. 17 júni 11
Ekta tailensk upplifun
Fréttablaðið 10.11.05
Best goddamn restaurant 2011
Laugavegur 130 ofan við Hlemm
RAGnAR EGILSSOn
A bigger selection of AsiAn
food
In one fell swoop NAM (Nútíma Asísk
Matargerð) have started offering bento
boxes, proper dumplings (so they say)
and banh mis. I thought Iceland was
speeding up its adoption of foreign
trends but these ones took ages. I
haven’t had a chance to eat there yet
and the only location so far is way out
in the burbs, but here’s hoping this
catches on. Ban-Thai is still good, Su-
shibarinn is still good, Noodle Station
is still bothering Skólavörðustígur with
the fragrance of that insanely addictive
anis-broth and Núðluskálin won me
over pretty fast.
smAll etHnic plAces witH rAw
produce
Tyrkneskur Bazaar recently opened in
Síðumúli 17. Offering halal lamb in
various cuts, fairly affordable goat and
sheep feta, yufka, sausages, seasonal
fruit (occasionally) and the usual (albeit
humbler) array of spices, nuts and dried
fruit. Thai/Vietnamese speciality store
Mai Thai is still around and holding up
despite the recession. A couple of more
Polish places popped up this year to
the continued joy of my pickle-ravaged
household and the Polish sausages at
Laugalækur put the spring in my step
and the gout in my joints.
A greAter focus on locAl
ingredients
With the New Nordic tsunami sweep-
ing over everything, it is small wonder
that local ingredients have remained
front and centre in 2011. A part of
me suspects this may be yet another
sinister Danish attempt at subtly dis-
guised xenophobia but probably that’s
my post-colonial paranoia talking. The
restaurant scene in Iceland has been a
little too uniform in their adoption of
the trend but there’s no denying that as
far as trends go this one has a lot going
for it.
A growing fArmers’ mArket
scene
It doesn’t really have a fixed presence
yet but it’s only a matter of time, as
last summer it seemed you couldn’t
open the door without running into
one. Yes it may be a little bobo and it’s
definitely too pricey for your average
stiff to switch over completely, but if it
means raw milk, non-watery beef and
five kinds of kale then you’ll see no
complaints here. And try not to forget
Frú Lauga and Kolaportið as this trend
blossoms in 2012
An exploding micro-brewery
scene
El Grillo, Bríó, Kaldi, Gæðingur,
Einstök, Móri, Pils, Úlfur, Skjálfti,
Lava, Bjartur, Jökull, whatever you’re
all called. There’s 320 thousand of us—
you’re all insane. Skál!
At the Grill Market the seasons are in control of the menu
with all the freshest ingredients available - from the sea,
heaths, lakes, rivers and farms. In our cooking methods we go
for the origin of the ingredient and use fire, smoke, wood and
charcoal to achieve deep, rich, earthy flavors that we balance
out with freshness. The result is an unexpected cuisine where
Icelandic tradition and modern times come together.
Mon – Wed: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-22:30
Thurs – Fri: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-23:30
Sat: 17:00 – 23:30 | Sun:17:00-22:30
LÆKJARGATA 2A | 571 7777 | GRILLMARKADURINN.IS
five food things that made me Happy in 2011
Hamborgarafabrikkan
Höfðatún 2
Saffran
Glæsibær/Dalvegur 4
Laundromat
Austurstræti 9
Tasty
Laugavegur 60
Dill
Norræna húsið
1919 Restaurant
Aðalstræti 16
Kína Flavour
Lækjargata 10
Ban Thai
Laugavegur 130
Iðunnareplið
Templarasund 3
Sjávargrillið
Skólavörðustígur 14
73
Laugavegur 73
Thai Reykjavík
Lækjargata 8
Eldhrímnir
Borgartún 14
núðluhúsið
Laugavegur 59
Kitchen Eldhús
LAugavegur 60a
Uno cuciana italiana
Hafnarstræti 1-3
núðluskálin
Skólavörðustígur 8