Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2015, Page 67

FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
Just when I was convinced that the tradi-
tional food culture in Iceland was at risk of
dying out, an establishment like Dill lands
a hauntingly beautiful punch and knocks
the cynic right out of me. Dill is located in
a barn-like space and is both warm and
inviting with its open kitchenette. My
partner and I managed to get a table at
very short notice (thank you guests who
cancelled!). We immediately got settled in
with some champagne.
There were a series of “snacks” to get
us started while we decided on the num-
ber of courses we wanted in a fixed menu.
The second of the amuse-bouches, the
kale and sour cream, stopped me in my
tracks. It demanded all of my attention—
the kale was shred and stirred into the
cheese, along with crisp, young kale stems
with just a light smattering of fried onions
and grated cheese. This was a very simple,
yet complex, dish. This was followed by
paper-thin discs of fried mussel “chips”
with a roasted paprika sauce and chives. A
deceptive dish, as the light chip delivered
a smack of mussel flavour, which was in-
tense and lingered long after the wafer dis-
solved on the tongue. We were intrigued.
The pickled beet pouch filled with chick-
en liver parfait and roasted yeast was a big
hit too. The creaminess of the parfait offset
the toasted chocolate flavour of the yeast
perfectly.
My partner didn’t think it was pos-
sible to elevate his beloved harðfiskur but
the next course proved him wrong: finely
shred dried catfish with burnt butter and
dill oil, served in a wooden bowl remi-
niscent of the traditional “askur” bowls
that were once a fixture in every Icelan-
dic home. This was a resolutely Icelandic
dish, with strong references to its history,
hardships and ingenuity—reimagined to
prod even a reluctant convert to the cui-
sine.
This little preamble had whet our ap-
petite and we decided to go all-in with the
seven-course menu. Bacalao in all its salt-
ed glory was first, with the salinity cut by
the sweetness of an apple and parsnip pu-
ree. Yet, an extra dab of the purees would
have helped with the portion of the salted
cod served.
Next up were plump blue mussels in
a creamy and rich sauce, full of the briny
sweetness of the ocean. The crunch came
from the honeyed root vegetables, car-
rots and salsify. The salsify’s oystery taste
played perfect foil to the mussels them-
selves. This was a beautiful dish that play-
fully juxtaposed land and sea. This was
definitely a favourite of the night.
Between the leisurely paced courses,
we nibbled on home-baked sourdough,
with a savoury whipped lamb fat and in-
house salt from Hvalfjörður. Soon a mound
of paper-thin radishes arrived with dabs of
intensely flavoured mushroom sauce and
cream. Slice through to discover the birch
butter-cooked arctic char and it all comes
together in one sublime bite. You wonder
if the fish swam in an ocean of butter and
died in a vat of the same. The diners at the
next table over exclaimed that this was
their favourite course. The main course
was a hearty, unctuous braised beef cheek,
with skyr-potato mash and pickled roast-
ed onions. We wiped our plates clean with
this one and wouldn’t mind a big bowlful
of that mash every now and then.
Dessert was no timid affair either and
the chef clearly wants to leave you on a
high note. A subtle bay leaf ice cream sat
on an unexpected throne of prune puree
and tangy whey caramel. Such a clever use
of the classic Icelandic spread mysingur
and once again, a nod to traditions, not just
the ingredients. The last course should be
a familiar sight for the locals as many of
them will recount summers of sneaking
into backyards to steal rhubarb and dip-
ping it in granulated sugar. In this case,
it is interpreted as a rhubarb sorbet with
tarragon meringue, skyr cream and some
lovely hundasúrur (sorrel). The result was
creamy, crunchy, and delightfully sour.
To say this was one of our most memo-
rable meals would be putting it lightly.
What chef Gunnar and his team are do-
ing at Dill is incredible. The dishes are
thoughtful and the effort shines through
in every detail, be it the resourceful sourc-
ing of ingredients or the ever-so-slightly
warmed ceramic ware. It all seems to be
part of an elaborate narrative, a story of
the island that the chef is telling you with
every course. This is simple local fare el-
evated, not just with excellent produce,
but with insight. Many restaurants today
pledge allegiance to the standards set by
the New Nordic Cuisine, a decade-old
movement at this point. Dill is taking it to
the next level, playing on memory, on that
hard-to-capture fleeting moment, which a
bite can conjure up. That night, everything
came together like a beautiful symphony.
An Icelandic Epicurean Epiphany
SHRUTHI BASAPPA
NANNA DÍS
What We Think:
Intelligent food with a deep
understanding of local traditions
and flavours. This is a class act—
their involvement and attention
to detail shines through course
after course.
Flavour:
New Icelandic, with a focus on
traditional.
Ambiance:
Industrial barn.
Service:
Knowledgeable and efficient.
Price for 2 (wine courses
priced the same as the food):
16,000 - 25,000 ISK
Dill
Hverfisgata 12, 101 Reykjavik
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.
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F R E N C H O N I O N S O U P
I c e l a n d i c Í s b ú i c h e e s e , c r o û t o n s
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M O U L E S M A R I N I E R E S
s t e a m e d m u s s e l s f r o m B r e i ð a f j ö r ð u r
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F I S H O F T H E D A Y
c h e f ´ s s p e c i a l
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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2015