Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.03.2014, Síða 39

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F R E N C H O N I O N S O U P
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M O U L E S M A R I N I È R E S
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F I S H O F T H E D A Y
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E s t . 2 0 1 2R e y k j a v i k
We’ve Been Waiting For You, Kimchi!
Several attempts have already been
made to open up a Korean restaurant in
Iceland—at least once in the mid-nineties
and again at the turn of the century. For
inexplicable reasons all previous attempts
have failed, which is why there is so much
riding on this newest attempt at Korean
cuisine in Reykjavík.
To be honest, I had been to K-Bar a
few times of my own accord before this
particular visit. The place opened up to
high acclaim in the wake of the Iceland
Airwaves festival in early November last
year. It serves a wide variety of craft beers
from around the globe and also has one
of the most enticing cocktail menus in the
city. K-Bar also offers happy-hour prices
between 17:00 and 18:00 where KFC
(meaning Korean Fried Chicken) wings
and the beer of the week are available for
a measly 990 ISK. So needless to say I’ve
been there once or twice.
This particular visit however took
place late on a Saturday night. It had
obviously been a busy evening as the
place was a bit chaotic when we arrived
and our table wasn't yet ready. This might
have presented a problem but we were
eager to sit by the bar for a few minutes
given that the cocktails served at K-Bar
are of immense quality and ambition. My
companion chose the Kim-Jong Collins
(1,990 ISK) a sweet and tangy emulsion
of gin, ginger beer and orange zest, a true
delight. I chose the French 74, a lovely
concoction of gin, lemongrass, sparkling
wine and lime (1,990 ISK).
The cocktails made for a good start
to the evening, making my companion
and myself even hungrier. For a starter
my companion chose the Kimchi-Mandu
dumplings (1,790 ISK) with tofu served
with a soy-based dipping sauce with
spring onions and sesame seeds. The
dumplings were grilled on one side mak-
ing for a crispy contrast to the smooth and
savoury kimchi on the inside. The dipping
sauce gave the dish a lighter, fresher over-
tone. I chose the Soft-Shell Crab Tempura
(2,290 ISK) which, as the name suggests,
was a soft-shell crab, deep fried in tempura
batter. It was really crispy and appetizing,
the kind of dish you eat with your hands,
served with chilli-mayo that was obviously
made from scratch and had, surprisingly,
some heat. Very nice indeed.
For the main course my companion
chose one of K-Bar’s signature dishes,
The Bi Bim Bap hot pot (2,590 ISK). A
Bi Bim Bap is basically steamed rice and
vegetables, pickled vegetables, dried sea-
weed and a source of protein (pork/beef/
chicken/tofu) along with an egg that is
cooked in the pot by the heat of the other
elements. A splash of Sriracha chilli sauce
is added to bind the flavours together, and
it is quite popular to add an extra splash of
that elixir once the dish has been served.
The Bi Bim Bap is a very hearty dish that
is sufficient as a meal on its own. The dish
is beautifully crafted, colourful and bright,
although this time around the rice was a
bit dry, which was something of a disap-
pointment.
I on the other hand chose a Ssäm
dish as my main course. The Bo Ssäm
with pork shoulder (2,690 ISK) is served
with ssäm-sauce, kimchi, rice and lettuce
leaves, the idea being to use the lettuce
leaves to wrap up the pork, rice and kim-
chi. The roll is then supposed to be dipped
in the aforementioned sauce. The idea
is a fine one, but my dish suffered from
the same affliction as my companion’s Bi
Bim Bap, meaning that the rice was way
too dry, from which there was no escape.
The pork itself could also have been a bit
more tender.
For dessert we decided to try the
now infamous, though certainly not very
Korean, Cronut (790 ISK). This was a new
experience for both of us and it was very
interesting. The cronut is the bastard child
of the French croissant and the American
donut served with a sweet frosting. It was
quite tasty, I must admit, but a bit heavy.
Probably heavier than either a croissant or
a donut, both of which are usually light as
a feather.
All in all, my companion and I had a
good time, but I know that K-Bar can do
better. Everything started off the way you
would expect, but our main courses really
left for something to be desired.
BJÖRN TEITSSON
NANNA DÍS
K-Bar
What We Think:
A much needed answer to a huge
demand
Flavour:
Savoury, spicy, sweet, pickled
Ambiance:
Upscale dive bar
Service:
Friendly and professional
Price for 2 (with drinks):
8,000 ISK (a steal)
Lækjargata 8, 101 Reykjavík