Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.08.2014, Qupperneq 32

32 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 12 — 2014CUISINE
It hasn't helped that the Icelandic food
scene has mostly embraced the parts of
New Nordic cuisine that suited our aims
(reaffirming patriotism and separating
tourists from their money) but left out
the tricky bits, like carefully sourcing
and foraging your ingredients. Dill is
the notable exception here, having em-
braced the manifesto more readily than
any other restaurant in Iceland.
Recently, Dill played host to Esben
Holmboe Bang, head chef of Maaemo
in Oslo, the first place in Scandinavia
to be awarded two Michelin stars (at
least to the best of my knowledge—my
Fox Mulder fan site on Geocities was
better-designed than the Michelin res-
taurant site).
Getting last-minute seating at one
of the most innovative restaurants in
Iceland, and being treated to grub by a
guest chef with enough Michelin under
its wheelhouse to take the show on the
road is, for a person like me, like waking
up to David Bowie asking where he can
plug in his amplifier.
No limit
Esben doesn’t seem that flustered by
his growing fame, but he still puts a
lot of stock by the Michelin star sys-
tem. “I think the Michelin system is still
enormously important and has been
something very important to me per-
sonally from a young age. It‘s a valuable
rating for restaurants and something
I value personally." He hesitates and
wants to elaborate: any chef worth his
salt knows better than to bite the feed-
ing hand of Michelin. "But in general, I
think ranking restaurants is nearly im-
possible, since everyone's experience
and taste is completely different.”
Out of nowhere, a hamster-opti-
mized carrot and cheese sandwich ap-
pears in front of me next to a glass of
Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé. This is fol-
lowed by another sandwich. This time
it’s a crispy wafer of chicken skin with
a mousse of smoked eel and an herbal
cream. Like bacon if pigs were thin and
lacked pelvic fins. A delicate and deli-
cious transformation of traditional palate
ravagers.
During prep, Esben had settled on a
‘90s playlist. He comes gliding into the
kitchen, tattooed forearms, confident
but not overbearing, tall but with an
impish smile. He’s flanked by Gunni, the
owner of Dill, and his cuddly Maaemo
sous chef Jay Boyle. Esben reminds me
of Lars von Trier, except far less sadistic
and far more intimidating.
The crispy wafers keep coming. This
time it’s rye bread and an angelica mus-
tard. Creative uses for rye bread were
once a pleasant innovation but rye bread
ice-cream, croutons and crumble grace
every other restaurant these days. But
the angelica mustard carries the dish
into the clouds. Meanwhile, the beef
tartar with charred celeriac is over-sea-
soned and underwhelming.
Mr. Vain
Maaemo has always maintained a fo-
cus on 100% organic ingredients and
a close "collaboration" with nature.
Even the name Maaemo translates as
"Mother Earth" in Old Norse. Esben
has professed an affinity with growers
working according to the biodynamic
ideology of Rudolf Steiner—also known
as anthroposophism. It's an approach
to agriculture that—at the extreme end
of the spectrum—believes in planting
bullhorns stuffed with quartz crystals to
ensure a good harvest. Indeed, Steiner
is controversial in some circles, but Es-
ben isn't biting. “We do focus on organ-
ic produce and seasonal local ingredi-
ents but I'm not sure that I would say
I am working along the Rudolf Steiner
system. What we found is that the farm-
ers we like to work with, many of which
are working under the biodynamic sys-
tem, have the kind of approach and re-
lationship with agriculture that delivers
consistently good produce. I don't know
how much of that is thanks to Steiner,
but the results speak for themselves.”
Before I can grill him further, two
sourdough buns the size of large prof-
iteroles come arranged as eggs in a nest
of straws. This is followed by one of Es-
ben's classic creations: small, autumn-
red Oxalis leaves draped over beets in
a sloe berry syrup. Elegant, easy on the
eye and surprisingly complex. The nature
is strong in this one.
I ask Esben about which Icelandic
ingredients most appeal to him and he
immediately singles out the Icelandic
seaweed. "It's got a very interesting,
unique taste, I would want to explore
it further.” Typical of chefs lumped with
the New Nordic movement, he seems to
favour a stripped-down approach and
to focus his energy on the discovery
and foraging of raw ingredients.
Similarly, the interiors of Dill have
been stripped to expose the old walls
and weathered wooden doors, as hip
restaurant designers are wont. The
beams above the serving table are sup-
ported by thick anchor ropes. Below the
ropes, the chefs are breezing through
the ten-course menu. Dill head chef
Gunni (Gunnar Karl Gíslason), a precise
and likeable man, seems a little inhibit-
My lifelong hatred of dill makes me a terrible champion of New Nordic cuisine. At age seven
I swore to my mom I would try my best to eradicate the herb—and now I find myself in a res-
taurant named after that noxious weed. My skin may be the colour of cauliflower soup, but
my taste buds are bulgur brown.
Words
Ragnar Egilsson
Photos
Tuukka Koski
"New
Nordic Cuisine
Is Dead"
With Chef Esben Holmboe
Bang of Maaemo at Dill
That meal sure sounds fancy and delicious. That writer fellow sure is lucky he
got to go. Guess what, though; if you start sending us food articles for publica-
tion, you might get to attend a future feast. Send us a pitch: editor@grapevine.is
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