Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.10.2015, Page 50

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N E W A W A R D
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 5
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A L S O B E S T 2 0 0 9, 2 0 1 0, 2 0 1 1, 2 0 1 2, 2 0 1 3 a n d 2 0 1 4
m a n y f a m o u s p e o p l e a r e r e g u l a r s h e r e“ “
BanThai
FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
West Side Story
SHRUTHI BASAPPA
ART BICNICK
What We Think:
Don’t be afraid of seasoning! A
little salt and acidity would go a
long way in singing our way to
flavour-town.
Flavour:
Kind of mis-matched, but with
something for everyone.
Ambiance:
Trendy, clever and comfortable. It
can get pretty loud, though.
Service:
Laid-back and friendly.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
5-6,000 ISK for 2 main courses
and coffee
Kaffihús Vesturbæjar
Melhagi 20-22, 107 Reykjavík
One of the dangers of living in Reykja-
vík is that you quickly adapt to the local
concept of time and space. As a city rat,
I now think that anything outside of the
101 postcode is “far.” Even the 107 hood
has fallen off my radar. But an enter-
prising bunch of West Reykjavík folks
(or “Vesturbæingar” as they are called)
have taken up the challenge of planting
their neighbourhood on the downtown
radar with their on-point bistro, Kaffi-
hús Vesturbæjar.
Bang opposite the beloved Vestur-
bæjarlaug pool, Kaffi Vest jostles for
space with the Gamla Apótek in the
same building. After a dip in the pool,
so popular with the trendy west side
families, this would seem an obvious
choice to get some grub.
It is a stylish bistro replete with the
now trendy wall-to-wall open shelving
and old school displays of their freshly
baked wares. Do not miss the little de-
tails (very much a Kex-like flair going
on here, with the same team respon-
sible for the décor): the vintage light
fixtures, the wire basket full of wooden
rolling pins, the old apothecary jars
lining the rustic shelves, and the wide
windows opening up to the main street
makes for a chic package. It is all very
inviting, and I can see why it is such a
popular hangout with the locals.
My husband and I decided to make
the best of a sunny autumn day and call
it a lunch date. The café is clearly an
afternoon favourite, with every table
occupied during our meal. We skipped
the popular cauliflower soup (1,690
ISK) and decided on the tartine of
smoked salmon (1,690 ISK). My adven-
turous meat-loving husband decided
to go in all guns blazing and chose the
vegan burger (2,550 ISK). I did want to
try the avocado salad (2,100 ISK), but
was saved by the thoughtful hostess
who suggested we might want to wait
with that since the portions were very
generous.
The service is laid-back and easy,
which if you are in a hurry or want a
working lunch might not be the best
pace, but we have dined here for dinner
and had no complaints then. Our food
arrived, affirming that the kitchen sure
isn’t skimping on the portions!
My tartine was a humongous hunk
of sourdough-like bread, lusciously
draped with silky slices of smoked
salmon. With briny capers, pickled red
peppers and a generous smattering of
fresh parsley, this was a beautiful take
on classic flavours.
My partner´s burger, on the other
hand, was underwhelming. The bun
to patty ratio was off balance, the
chickpea-beetroot-oatmeal patty with
ginger and chillies was too pasty and
under-seasoned. Conceptually great,
Kaffi Vest’s veggie burger really failed
on the taste front. The avocado mayon-
naise is a very clever idea, however, and
the texture had me fooled for a while; it
was quite the mayonnaise dopplegang-
er. With a touch more acidity, it could
stand up very well to the herby fries
that accompanied the burger. I was a
big fan, and stole more than one (even
though they too needed a touch more
seasoning. Wait, am I a salt fiend?),
though my husband, less of a fan, over-
looked the potato larceny. At Kaffi
Vesturbær, they seem to favour whole-
wheat buns but I’d love to see them of-
fer diners some variety on that front.
Kaffi Vest’s food has great potential.
Their focus on thoughtfully sourced
fresh ingredients, cooked seasonally, is
a winning formula, but they can take it
up a few notches with some minor revi-
sions to the recipes. If that slow-cooked
Moroccan lamb I had on a previous oc-
casion is any proof, their autumn-winter
menu seems worth looking forward to.
Until then, one can celebrity-gaze,
nibble on some dainty macaroons and
drink never-ending cups of the ex-
cellent house coffee. Kaffi Vest has
cracked the code on how to attract the
coffee lounge crowd. With laid back
service and a chic style quotient, it is
not hard to see why it is such a popular
haunt, and not just for the locals.
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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2015