Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2013, Síða 66

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
We don´t sell whale meat
Restaurants that have this logo promise not to sell
whale meat. We kindly ask you to choose
a whale friendly restaurant and to recommend
others to do the same.
Whaling is cruel and unnecessary
Information about whale friendly restaurants can be found at
www.icewhale.is
Suomi prkl!
design
Laugavegur 2
7
101 Reykjavík
(+354) 519 66
88
www.suomi.is
Rent a bicyc
le!
From 1.500 ISK / 2 hours
( incl. a helmet & city map)
Get on the saddle and
discover Reykjavík!
Ban Thai
1 of 10 the best restaurant in Iceland
best goddamn restaurant 2011
the best thai food
year 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
BanThai is one of the most popular restaurants in the Reykjavik
authentic Thai cuisine served in a elegant surroundings
enjoy the best Thai Beer (Singha beer) and Thai wine
MonSoon has been the winner Award from Austria,
this two-story house provides magnificent three private rooms on the 2nd floor.
the finest Thai restaurant in Iceland
w w w . b a n t h a i . i s
w w w . y u m m y . i s
Laugavegur 130, ofan við Hlemm
Tel: 692-0564
A l s o R e c o m m e n d . . . . . y u m m i y u m m i Tel: 588-2121 H v e r f i s g a t a 123, 105 Rvk.
Germany, Singapore and Thailand
Walk-ins, sad to say, belong to a
bygone era of Reykjavík. Nowa-
days if you call to inquire about
dinner you’re given the standard
have-an-afternoon-snack-at-six or
starve-until-ten ultimatum. Of two
evils, we chose the latter this time.
KOPAR restaurant was jam-packed
by the time we showed up—half an
hour early and ravenous. In Iceland,
novelty catches fire quicker than
kindling, and this newest addition
to the Old Harbour neighbourhood
was flaming. I felt as if I had been
invited to a housewarming party at
someone’s awesome new apartment.
The place was raw and simple, bar-
ing its brick walls, iron railings and
wooden rafters to create a sort of
urban-industrial atmosphere, and
the party was steadily getting louder
in a warm, welcoming way.
Our table wasn’t nearly ready, but
a friendly waitress walked us up the
winding stairs and seated us by the
bar. She then forgot us for a while
before taking our orders for drinks
and then promptly forgot us a while
longer before finally bringing them
(in her defence, it was a very busy
night). I ordered the lime pie mojito,
which arrived in a beautiful copper
cup with a candy cane-striped straw.
The creamy lime liquid would have
been divine except for the “pie”—
which I assume referred to the soggy
biscuit that had been dispersed in
my drink. Next time, I’ll ask for my
pie on the side.
Our table was ready at precisely
ten. Everything on the menu sound-
ed amazing, from the deep-fried
cod cheeks to the spicy crab cakes,
from seafood risotto to the smoky
BBQ ribs. My head was reeling from
too many scrumptious options, so I
was very grateful when our waitress
recommended the KOPAR Adven-
ture nine-course chef’s menu (7,400
ISK). The wine list consisted of a
few bottles each from a number of
different countries, both Old World
and New, most of which were rea-
sonably priced at 5,900–8,500 ISK.
Their selection of house wines was
not quite as stellar, but our wait-
ress recommended Peter Lehmann
Wildcard Shiraz to go with our main
course, which turned out to be an
acceptable match.
Our first course, the deep-fried
cod cheeks, was a golden promise of
what was yet to come. Dipped in a
savoury lemon-oil sauce, they were
a wonderfully crisp and juicy start to
our meal; worth a visit in them-
selves.
I had been looking forward to try-
ing out the Iceland rock crab salad,
as KOPAR is the first restaurant to
serve this locally sourced crustacean.
But as much as I love avocado, it
simply overwhelmed the starring
ingredient and reduced it to barely a
trace.
Next came the catfish atlanticus,
crusted with pistachios and soaked
in lobster-infused champagne sauce.
The dish was so lovingly crafted that
I could taste the painstaking care
that had been put into it, though
I couldn’t say the same about our
frightfully overcooked salmon.
Our next dish was a crispy leg
of turkey, large enough to sus-
tain a caveman until the arrival of
civilization. Each course was served
promptly without feeling rushed,
but the staff often forgot to take care
of auxiliary details: our table had a
spill on it when we arrived and our
waitress didn’t always remember to
clear our plates before the next dish
was served, which was a little unap-
petising.
The star of the evening, however,
was the glorious beef cheek bourgui-
gnon, so tender that it fell apart as I
was cutting it and worth five stars on
its own. My only quip was that the
previous portions had been so large
that we hardly had any room left
in our stomachs—something that
almost never happens to me.
While “emphasis on local and
sustainable ingredients” isn’t exactly
the most original idea for a res-
taurant, it certainly is a classic one
that’s here to stay.
Let’s hope KOPAR is, too.
Gold, Silver… KOPAR!
PATRICIA ÞORMAR
NANNA DÍS
What We Think
A terrific setting with truly
tempting menu, though some
dishes need a little honing
Flavour:
Icelandic land-and-sea fusion
Ambiance:
A buzzing party in studio loft
Service:
Forgetful but friendly
Price for 2 (with drinks):
8,000–12,000 ISK
KOPAR
Háskólatorg,
Geirsgata 3, 101 Reykjavík
Opening hours 11:30–1:30
F D
For your mind, body and soul