Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.09.2014, Qupperneq 58

FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
When thinking of Mediterranean cuisine
in Iceland, not much comes to mind save
for the Italian restaurants that have for
so long been a constant in the Reykjavík
landscape. There have been few, if any,
Greek restaurants for example, and hard-
ly any specializing in North African food.
The Turkish restaurant Meze, which
opened its doors last January, is therefore
a very welcome addition to the flora of
restaurants in Reykjavík.
Meze is of course a synonym for
“small courses” or “a taste.” I have long
been fascinated by the ceremonial con-
sumption of small courses of this kind—
not least because of the fact that they are
usually consumed along with an “aperi-
tif” high in alcohol content. Meze is most
common in Turkey and its neighbouring
countries. The Balkans are fond of it and
Israel and Lebanon are experts—as far as
I know.
The menu at Meze is comprised of a
selection of twelve small courses and six
main courses, along with another four
mains which really don’t seem to be-
long—they are more in the vein of Span-
ish or even Northern European cuisine.
My companion and I decided to order
a selection of four small courses to share
(2,890 ISK). Our selection included some
very traditional meze courses: Baba gha-
noush, hummus, börek and a tabbouleh
salad. This was of course served with a
delightful grilled flatbread and cacik yo-
gurt sauce, essentially the Turkish ver-
sion of tzatziki. The Baba ghanoush, a dip
made from grilled eggplants, was tasty
and of a very nice consistency. It could
have done with a touch more seasoning.
The hummus, however, was nicely sea-
soned, and it was flavourful without an
overwhelming taste of garlic or tahini. It
was just right. The tabbouleh, a bulgur
salad with tomatoes, onions and parsley,
was lacking what I would consider its
most essential ingredient, which is mint.
The böreks were very nice. Spinach and
kasar (Turkish feta) wrapped in filo pas-
try and baked to a crispy perfection. Salty
and delicious. The flatbread, essential to
enjoy the dips, was full of flavour with a
crispy crust. Bread is of course not taken
lightly in Turkey—just like everywhere
else in the Mediterranean, if there is no
bread, it’s not a meal.
For our main courses my companion
chose a veggie moussaka (2,600 ISK) and
I decided to have a traditional lamb shish
kebab (3,300 ISK). The moussaka was ac-
tually a bit bland. It could have done with
some salt and was really missing those
earthy spices you would usually associate
with the dish, namely cinnamon and/or
nutmeg. The shish kebab was, however,
very nice. The meat was grilled to a ten-
der perfection and the marinade really
came through in every bite. It was quite
light for a meat dish and with an assort-
ment of grilled vegetables, salad and on-
ions, it was a flavourful meal.
My companion and I were quite
pleased with our visit. We did, however,
agree that the main courses were a bit
pricey. If I were to go again I would stick
to the small courses, as the name of the
place suggests is their forte. It should be
pointed out, at this time, that Meze offers
happy hour prices between 16:00 and
19:00 every night. This is recommended,
as the small courses are perfect to start
the night with a nice glass of wine. People
seem to appreciate the place in any case,
as it was really packed, and on a Monday
night no less. We did find out, though,
that the guests were all Turkish televi-
sion personnel who had arrived to cover
a soccer match between Iceland and Tur-
key. Well, if the Turkish people give Meze
their thumbs up… so will I.
A Turkish Taste At Last
BJÖRN TEITSSON
NANNA DÍS
What We Think:
Mediterranean small courses,
we have needed them.
Flavour:
Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean.
Ambiance:
Laidback, authentic.
Service:
Could have explained the dishes
better, but very hospitable.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
9-10,000 ISK
Meze
Laugavegur 42, 101 Reykjavík
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.