Reykjavík Grapevine - 23.05.2014, Page 54

Hverfisgata 12 · 101 Reykjavík
Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is
Lífið er saltfiskur
#109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its
focus on Iceland, the pure nature and
all the good things coming from it.

It does not matter if it’s the
ingredients or the old traditions, we
try to hold firmly on to both.
There are not many things that make
us happier than giving life to old
traditions and forgotten ingredients
with modern technique and our creative
mind as a weapon.
Disclaimer: It's hard to put into words
how happy I was when my editor gave
me the news that I was about to review
my favourite restaurant in Reykjavík. And
this is something that I will wholeheart-
edly admit, to anyone, any day. Living on
this island way up north in the Atlantic,
it is only natural that one might seek to
quench one’s thirst for adventure through
exotic dining and the ever, oh-so lovely,
colourful, smouldering members of the
capsicum family. Yes, I mean chillies. And
there are a lot of them at Ban Thai.
So my companion and I pretty much
knew what we were getting ourselves
into. The kitsch nineties decor, brown
hues, strange ornaments and cheesy
Thai pop music—Ban Thai has it all. This
might, of course, sound unappealing
to some, but to me, it's a dream. Tómas
Boonchang, the restaurant’s owner and
front man, is a master in his own right.
When I walk through the doors of Ban
Thai, I trust him 100% with my wellbe-
ing.
Ban Thai also offers a take-away menu
consisting of 12 different items. This is
hereby recommended to everyone.
But inside the restaurant, the menu is
gigantic. I mean—it's huge. It has over 150
items! This would certainly be considered
problematic in any other restaurant, but I
refer to my previous statement—I trust Mr.
Boonchang. The number of items pretty
much means that you will possibly (or
most likely) have to wait a bit longer than
in your average restaurant. This is, however,
stated on the first page of the menu: “This
is not a fast-food restaurant, it takes time
to cook everything from scratch, nothing it
pre-made.” But the wait is easy, and worth
it—especially with a couple of Singha Thai
beers (590 ISK) by your side.
My companion and I decided to try out
some of the starters for once and ordered
the Ban Thai Sampler (3,290 ISK), an
amalgamation of various dishes including
spring rolls, deep-fried shrimp, deep-fried
vegetables and marinated meatballs on
a stick, served up with a delightful sweet
and spicy dipping sauce made from rice
wine vinegar and fish sauce. Nothing to
complain about; a nice way to start off the
evening.
For the main course, my companion
chose the Ginger Curry (2,290 ISK) while I
chose the Pad Ped (2,190 ISK). These dishes
are not for the faint of heart, but please
note that there are plenty of items on the
menu that suit those with less of a toler-
ance for heat. All of the items on the menu
that are quite hot are marked with a chilli
symbol, a rating of one through five—five
obviously being the hottest—and that
is pretty damn hot. The hottest dishes
available in the country, I’d say (and if not,
I would very much want to know where I
can get something hotter, please.)
The Ginger Curry is marked with three
chillies. My companion chose chicken in his
dish, as customers can usually choose their
protein—chicken, beef, lamb, shrimp or
tofu. The ginger curry is hot, yet well-bal-
anced. The sauce has a coconut milk base
that brings a sweet, cooling effect to the
spiciness. It’s a curry-based dish with a nice
amount of coarsely grated ginger, bringing
another dimension to the heat of the dish.
Truly a feast for the senses: colourful and
vibrant, they really make the taste buds
work overtime.
The same can be said for the Pad
Ped. Marked with five chillies, it is still the
mildest of the five-chilli dishes (of maybe
seven in total). It is curry-based, with a little
coconut milk to bind the flavours together,
bringing a certain balance to the dish. (This
is, of course, coming from a seasoned—
pun intended—chilli enthusiast.) The
dish is balanced, but still brings about the
excitement, the sweat, the high you crave
from a dish at this mind-blowing Scoville
level. I have seen people have nothing
short of an out-of-body experience while
eating this dish...and loving every second
of it. That's basically it. There is a natural
high that comes from the chillies. It's a de-
light, and it's addictive. And the comedown
is nothing to laugh about, either.
After the meal, my companion and I
were both quite sweaty, and both flying
a bit on the wings of capsaicin. My com-
panion decided to make his landing even
smoother by ordering one of four dessert
items available: a deep fried ice cream. This
was a first-time try for the both of us (I got
a taste, of course) and it was a delightful
surprise. The crunchy, sweet batter made
for a very nice contrast to the soft, cool ice
cream inside. Very tasty.
What is left to be said? For fans of
Thai cuisine, this is as authentic as it gets
in Iceland. For chilli-fanatics, this is as hot
as it gets in Iceland, hands down. This has
been tried and tested. And the prices are
excellent! To me, the quality of the food
is really up there with the best of them.
Anywhere. But dividing price by expecta-
tions and outcome...Ban Thai stands
head and shoulders above the rest. Not
just Thai restaurants. Every restaurant!
Thank you, Mr. Boonchang, my trust in
you remains, unabated.
Thank You Mr. Boonchang!
F D
For your mind, body and soul
BJÖRN TEITSSON
NANNA DÍS
www.fabrikkan.is reservations: +354 575 7575
BE SQUARE AND BE THERE
PLEASED TO
MEAT YOU!
The Hamburger Factory is Iceland's
most beloved gourmet burger chain!
Our 15 square and creative burgers are made from
top-quality Icelandic beef and would love to "meat" you.
Reykjavík
The groundfloor of
Höfðatorg, the tallest
tower in Reykjavík, right
opposite Höfði
Akureyri
The groundfloor of
the historic Hotel Kea,
in the heart of the
city center
Our burgers are square - beef and bun!
Does it taste better? You tell us!
HERE WE ARE
ATTENTION
HAMB
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What We Think:
Best Thai food in Iceland. Without
the slightest doubt.
Flavour:
Spicy, salty, savoury, sweet, exotic.
Ambiance:
Kitschy and cheesy, but fitting.
Service:
Can be slow if crowded. Sufficient.
Price for 2 (with drinks):
6–8,000 ISK (a steal!).
Ban Thai
Laugavegur 126, 105 Reykjavík