Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.03.2014, Side 38

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Top Ten Best Restaurants In Iceland
the best thai food
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
Laugavegur 130, ofan við Hlemm
Tel : 692-0564
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A l s o R e c o m m e n d . . . . .
y u m m i y u m m i Tel: 588-2121 H v e r f i s g a t a 123, 105 Rvk.
the finest Thai restaurant in IcelandBan hai
m a n y f a m o u s p e o p l e a r e r e g u l a r s h e r e
m a n y f a m o u s p e o p l e a r e r e g u l a r s h e r e
Jómfrúin ("The Virgin") is a rather
offbeat restaurant in the heart of
Reykjavík with one of the most
loyal clienteles the city has ever seen.
Though the restaurant has been a
fixture of the downtown facade since
opening in the late 1980s, their bag—
Dansk Smørrebrød, Danish open-face
sandwiches—has never really made a
splash with the younger generations.
But that's the whole thing. Jóm-
frúin has never really been the talk of
the town because their upper-middle-
class clients want to keep it that way—
Jómfrúin is a cultural establishment,
serving up the heritage of our former
overlords from the land of Tuborg and
Tivoli. This may sound a bit snobbish,
and in a way it is, but once inside you
are nonetheless made to feel welcome
by staff and loyal customers alike. The
friendly smiles from surrounding
tables suggest the fraternity of belong-
ing to an exclusive club of some sort.
Upon entering Jómfrúin, the most
surprising thing is probably the size of
the restaurant: it's very roomy, remi-
niscent in a way of a canteen, and the
tables are numerous. Make no mistake,
however, on weekends in the summer
you will be needing a reservation. My
companion and I had nonetheless
chosen the perfect day to visit: an
extremely sunny and warm Sunday in
late February.
Though my companion had actu-
ally visited the establishment a num-
ber of times (along with his mother,
of course) this was my maiden voyage.
And, what can I say? When in Rome...
you absolutely must order a Danish
beer on tap (950 ISK). And you abso-
lutely must order a Danish schnapps
(recommendations include Gammel
Dansk (990 ISK) or Akvavit, (950 ISK))
before even opening the menu. Please
note: Jómfrúin is only open until
18:00. So this means you will have to
endure feeling a bit tipsy before sup-
per—this seems to me to be a big part
of the fun (and no doubt popularity) of
the restaurant.
When it came to the eats, however,
I chose a half-portion of the Ham Spe-
cial on rye with a spicy beetroot salad,
egg quarters and leek (1,460 ISK) and
the rather cheeky choice of the "Hang-
over" Roast Beef on rye with tomato
slices, Dijon-mustard, horseradish,
black pepper and a fried egg. My com-
panion chose the half-portion of plaice
on rye with freshly made tartar sauce,
smoked salmon, caviar, shrimp, aspara-
gus and lemon (1,640 ISK) followed
by a half portion of Brisket of Beef on
rye with butter, pickles, horseradish,
tomato and parsley (1,200 ISK).
All of our open sandwiches were
really delicious. We both made the
remark that seldom have not-so-fresh
ingredients been made to taste so
fresh. By that, we simply mean that the
taste that is prevalent is the pickled
one, the savoury one. Even the spicy
one, but then in the mustard-vein of
spicy. The sandwiches were beautifully
and ambitiously crafted, looking pitch-
perfect on our plates. The plaice was
especially delicious, the fish cooked
perfectly, crisp yet flaky, as it should
be. The accompaniments made for a
really balanced dish. I for one was very
happy with the “Hangover” Roast Beef.
The mustard and horseradish were a
wonderful compliment to both the
meat and egg. Highly recommended.
The whole experience made for
one the finer Sundays I've ever experi-
enced. For the unknowing, untrained
eye, it is perfectly understandable that
one might overlook Jómfrúin—de-
spite its prominent location. Former
and current pop stars, politicians and
in general slightly-drunk-people-a-
lot-older-than-you are only the very
outward-most display when in fact, at
Jómfrúin, you are made to feel truly
welcome. And the wonderful sand-
wiches and alcohol aren't bad either!
Secret Smørrebrød Society
BJÖRN TEITSSON
NANNA DÍS
F D
For your mind, body and soul
Jómfrúin
Lækjargata 4, 101 Reykjavík
What We Think:
A cultural "oplevelse"
Flavour:
Pickled, dried, cured, delicious
Ambiance:
Aristocratic, yet inviting
Service:
Attentive, professional
Price for 2 (without drinks):
5-6,000 ISK