Reykjavík Grapevine - 28.08.2015, Side 61

Sushi Samba
Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík
Tel 568 6600 • sushisamba.is
Our kitchen is open
17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.
17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.
Amazing
7 course menu
A unique Icelandic Feast
Starts with a shot of the Icelandic
national spirit “Brennivín“
Puffin
Smoked puffin with blueberries,
croutons, goat cheese, beetroot
Minke whale
Date purée, wakame and teriaky
Arctic charr
“Torched“ arctic charr with parsnip
purée, fennel, dill mayo
Lobster
Lobster cigar with chorizo, dates, chili jam
Reindeer
Reindeer slider with blue cheese, portobello,
steamed bun
Free range icelandic lamb
Lamb with coriander, pickled red cabbage,
fennel, butternut squash purée, chimichurri
And to end on a high note ...
Icelandic Skyr
Skyr panna cotta with raspberry sorbet, white
chocolate crumble, passion foam, dulche de leche
7.590 kr.

FOOD
FOR THE SOUL
Organic bistro
EST 2006
Tryggvagata 11,Volcano house
Tel:511-1118
Mon-Sun 12:00-21:00
www.fishandchips.is
available on tap, so I will include this
for your benefit. It will most likely sat-
isfy your need for something warm and
caramelly.
Good for: Nature lovers
and long walks.
Leifur Nordic Saison
Brewed in the spirit of the Belgian
Saison beers, but very much infused
with the elements of Iceland, in particu-
lar wild arctic thyme and heather. This
beer positively tastes of Iceland. It is
fruity and carbonated, pours a reddish-
yellow, unfiltered, and gives you the
distinct funky sour-y aftertones that you
would associate with saisons. I am not
a great fan of saisons myself, but this is
absolutely a beer to taste if you are visit-
ing Iceland.
Good for: Feeding your
inner volcano.
Lava
This is another very good imperial stout.
Thick and black, with a nice brown
head. Tastes of roasted malt and choco-
late, with a strong smoky flavour, that
stems from the smoked malt. This is a
really nice beer. Sadly, I don’t recall see-
ing it on tap (if you do, go for it), but I
regularly buy this at the place that sells
beers.
Good for: Post-coital
rehydration.
Úlfur
Úlfur is, hands down, the best Icelan-
dic IPA on offer—except when its big
brother, Úlfur Úlfur (a seasonal double
IPA), is available, which is, sadly, not too
often. I still have hopes for Úlfur’s new
little sister Úlfrún (a session IPA), how-
ever, which—depending on when you
read this—may or may not be available.
Úlfur is an American style IPA, very aro-
matic, and rich in citrus-y flavours with
a hint of floral character. Nice hoppy af-
tertaste.
Good for: Introspection.
Móri
This sweet amber ale pours a beauti-
ful red with a normal white head. It is
very nicely balanced, malty tones with a
little fruit and hops on the side. An eas-
ily enjoyable beer. Not widely available
out but pick up a bottle at the place that
sells beers.
--
Some good advice for
people
who like beer
Icelandic brewers love seasonal
beers, and any sort of occasion they
can come up with for a speciality
brew. Make sure you watch out for
the flavour of whatever month you
find yourself here in. These spe-
ciality brews are often both excit-
ing and unique, and very worthy of
you drinking them.
As you may have noticed I’ve be-
come so tired of the phrase “state-
run alcohol store” that I’ve just re-
placed it with the phrase “the place
that sells beer.” However, the place
that sells beer is called “Vínbúðin,”
and you would do well in looking
up the closest location at www.
atvr.is. Vínbúðin is both cheaper,
and usually offers more selection,
than most bars.
Two beers mentioned here are
named from Icelandic ghost sto-
ries, and one is named after a troll.
This bears no significance for ei-
ther this article or your enjoyment
of Icelandic beer, but I thought you
might like to know.