Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2014, Blaðsíða 71

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“ the best thai food2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 “
top ten the best restaurant in Iceland
the finest thai restaurant in Iceland
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
BanThai
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Our food is made fresh from scratch, it‘s not pre-made.
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Sceptics of Jungian psychology take note:
the collective unconscious is most cer-
tainly a thing here in Iceland. How’s that,
you wonder? There are lots of good exam-
ples, such as the quickly passé, but briefly
passionate fad for Tex-Mex-themed con-
firmation parties. But more to the point,
consider the emergence of Reykjavík’s
food truck culture. Less than six months
ago, it didn’t really exist in Iceland. And
then, practically overnight, a handful of
carts suddenly blossomed around town,
with two of them selling kjötsúpa, or Ice-
landic meat soup, as their premier item.
Having opened in May (slightly be-
fore its kjötsúpa-serving cousin Súpu-
vagninn), Farmer’s Soup has staked out
a lovely vantage on Skólavörðuholt, just
in front of Hallgrímskirkja. The truck is
owned and managed by social worker
Jónína Gunnarsdóttir and, on busy days,
staffed by her sister Anna, and (some-
times) her sons Ómar and Óskar, any
of whom you might find serving while
wearing aprons printed to look like up-
phlutur, the national costume worn by
Icelandic women in the nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries.
My companion and I arrived for a
late lunch on a crisp but sunny after-
noon, the kind of unlikely day that is
perfect both for eating soup and eating
outside. (Unfortunately for food truck
proprietors and customers alike, there
haven’t been many of these during a
damp summer such as this one.) Taking
advantage of the lovely weather, Farm-
er’s Soup had set out a few colourful pic-
nic tables for guests who wanted to dip
into their soups right away, rather than
mosey over to the grassy area in front of
the church or any of the benches lining
nearby Skólavörðustígur.
Farmer’s Soup serves two varieties,
both listed on a chalk board that hangs
on the back wall of the truck: Traditional
Icelandic Meat Soup and an excitingly-
dubbed ‘Vegan Power Soup.’ Both soups
cost the same—690 ISK for a small por-
tion served in a large to-go coffee cup,
and 990 ISK for a large portion. (Nicely,
customers who bring their own contain-
ers will be given a 10% discount.) We or-
dered one of each.
According to the chalkboard, Jóní-
na’s kjötsúpa is based on her “Great
Grandmother’s Recipe from the West-
man Islands.” Here’s the backstory: Also
named Jónína, her grandmother used to
make huge pots of kjötsúpa to serve to
her son, a troubled alcoholic, and other
“guys who didn’t have any good fortune.”
So with her Farmer’s Soup recipe, Jóní-
na wanted to pay homage to her grand-
mother’s memory and her classic recipe,
while also “pumping it up a bit.”
The result is, quite simply, delicious.
The ample portion of lamb is tender and
a bit fatty (in a good way), and is mixed
with little pieces of red pepper, sweet
potato, rice and fresh garlic. There’s no
potato or swede, which threw me off for
a moment—that is, until the spice of the
broth kicked in and I no longer cared.
Jónína uses ginger to add some heat to
the soup, which is instantly warming,
slightly nasal clearing, and just lovely.
While it’s nice that the Vegan Power
Soup is available, given that vegetarian
options are so often neglected in Reyk-
javík, it’s not nearly as interesting a soup
as the meat option. A broth-based soup
with sweet potato and red pepper as its
main ingredients, the Power Soup lacks
the depth of flavour that the kjötsúpa
has. We were told that Farmer’s Soup
doesn’t use any salt in their recipes, and
being a sodium addict, I appreciate the
gesture toward healthfulness. How-
ever, the Power Soup would probably
be much improved by a dash of salt, and
maybe a bit more of the ginger and garlic
that make the kjötsúpa so good.
Acknowledging that most people
“don’t want to stand in the rain and eat
soup,” Jónína says that Farmer’s Soup
will likely be open through the early
fall—September and October—but may
then close for the winter. That is, unless
the faculty and students at the Tech-
nical College next door can convince
her to open for lunch during the week,
in which case, Farmer’s Soup may be
warming Reykjavík throughout the win-
ter.
Great Grandma’s Recipe, With A Kick
LARISSA KYZER
MATTHEW EISMAN
What We Think:
Come for the kjötsúpa.
Flavour:
Kjötsúpa with a kick.
Ambiance:
A perfect spot on a sunny day,
otherwise, take it to go.
Service:
Warm and friendly.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
1,380 ISK–1,980 ISK.
Farmer’s Soup Food
Skólavörðuholt, just across from
Hallgrímskirkja