Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.02.2016, Blaðsíða 42

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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
MOSTLY TASTY
Sunday - Wednesday: 11.30 - 18.00 / Thursday- Saturday: 11.30 - 23.30
Grandagarður 2 - 101 Reykjavík - tel: +354 571 8877 - www.maturogdrykkur.is
We take the go
od old traditi
onal
recipes and th
e best iceland
ic
ingredients to
create fun and
tasty food.
Let tradition
surprise you!
Moooh..!
Baaah..!
...!
22
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 02 — 2016
Hrefna:
I feel like
Kitchen &
Wine is the
kind of place
where I’ll be
lunching on
the regular
once I’ve made
it in the biz.
The journalism
biz. Walking in,
I was glad I’d
dressed up be-
cause the place
is really fash-
ionable. Every-
thing is stark
white, in more
ways than one,
and their play-
list consists
exclusively of
fashion runway
music.
I was early.
The friendly
waitress was
very welcom-
ing, and escorted me to my seat where
I perched, looking a bit out-of-place
while hiding my bag full of beer for a
party I was going to later. Everyone in
the restaurant looked cool and fashion-
able. York waltzed in a few moments
later wearing a black suit, fitting right
in with the elites.
For the night, Kitchen & Wine was host-
ing a special pop-up bartender, and of-
fering a special cocktail menu. So a pair
of cocktails seemed like the obvious
thing to do. Me, the cocktail neophyte,
felt this would be a grand warm-up to
the Saku six pack I had tucked under
my seat. The oh-so-currently-named
“The Man Who Sold The World”
(2,200 ISK) turned out to be incredibly
tasty, an unusual mix of Einstök white
ale, orange and Reyka vodka. I’m get-
ting thirsty just thinking about it.
The menu is refreshingly traditional
and frill-free. For starters we ordered
baked brie (1,950 ISK). Oozing, creamy
brie fresh out of the oven is a classic for
a reason, and this was simply delicious.
I then ordered a half-portion of garlic
butter langoustine (3,600 ISK) washed
down with a bottle of what I believed to
be champagne (7,700 ISK) to drink. All
of it was delicious, simply a joy for the
taste buds.
After the meal we tried another
cocktail. I ordered the Blackwood
Brunch Smash, the best whiskey cock-
tail I’ve ever tried. The grand finale to
the luxurious meal was the delicious
dessert cocktail, a White Russian (2,450
ISK), sipped through a layer of cream.
Kitchen & Wine supplied a wonder-
ful night out—the service, the atmo-
sphere, the food and the drinks. I can
imagine it being the perfect place for
a celebration with friends. Just make
sure the friends you bring are swanky
enough.
York:
Kitchen & Wine is the perfect place to
have an affair like an adult. It’s sexy, con-
nected to a hotel, and the whole place is
tiled with black marble (maybe granite or
dolomite… is dolomite even a thing?).
I’d previously enjoyed lunch there,
and can attest that they really do a great
job of changing the atmosphere from
lunch to dinner. Our appetizer was
cooked perfectly, not that baked brie is
particularly difficult to accomplish. It’s
this attention to detail that sets Kitchen
& Wine apart. The pop-up bartender
mixed me a Don Lockwood (2,200 ISK),
a smoky blend of bourbon, Islay scotch,
bitters, and maple syrup named after the
protagonist of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’.
I told Hrefna that we would have
champagne with dinner, but I ordered a
reasonably priced prosecco (7,700 ISK).
The ice bucket is stowed tableside and
it’s served professionally—treating us like
a pair of stock brokers, even if we looked
like lost siblings with a stolen credit card.
For an entrée, I had the miso cod
(4,100 ISK), which wasn’t overcooked
or over-seasoned. Iceland is a competi-
tive market for fish, and Kitchen & Wine
served up one of the best fish dishes I’ve
enjoyed in the country.
With a Gin Gin Mule (2,200 ISK), a
twist on a Moscow Mule, and a White
Russian (2,450 ISK) for dessert, this
might be the best dinner out I’ve had this
year. (I know it’s January. I go out a lot.)
By Hrefna Björg Gylfadóttir
& York Underwood
Kitchen & Wine
- 101 Hotel
Hverfisgata 10, Reyk-
javík
kitchenandwine.is
5800103
Sun - Thur: to 00:00 &
Fri - Sat: to 01:00.
What we think
When splurging for a
night on the town
Flavour
Icelandic
Ambiance
Oh-so-trendy
Service
Personal, yet profes-
sional
Price for 2 (no
drinks)
13,680 ISK