Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.09.2016, Page 51

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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51The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 14 — 2016 Walking It... On
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The idea of “Icelandic Food” is
changing. A few years ago, and
still a bit even today, the phrase
“Icelandic Food” conjured up ideas
of fish, moss and hardship—pos-
sibly rotten shark and sheep face
too. You came to Iceland for the
landscape, quirky-almost-autistic
people and manic pixie multi-in-
strumentalists. You didn’t come
for the cuisine.
This has been changing. Chefs,
bartenders and local farmers have
been putting an effort into creat-
ing not only high quality dishes
and ingredients, but also staying
true to the culinary history of this
desolate rock.
Wake Up Reykjavík is offering
a food tour of Reykjavík. It costs
12,900 ISK, lasts four hours and
goes through thirteen samples of
Icelandic fare. I have to admit being
initially sceptical about the walk,
for two reasons: the price, and the
promise of thirteen samples. The
most common complaint we re-
ceive from tourists visiting Iceland
is the price of food. It seems you
can’t have a sit-down dinner for
two without spending the equiv-
alent of $50 USD. How could this
tour possibly deliver both quality
and quantity in the land of the $25
hamburger?
Our first stop delivered a tradi-
tional Icelandic kjötsúpa, or meat
soup. The host introduced us to
the soup, discussed the variations
among families, and highlighted
the quality of Icelandic lamb. It
was light, fun and informative. By
the end of the dish, my fellow tour-
mates were inquiring about a rec-
ipe. Things are off to a good start.
Any fear I had about the tour was
abandoned as we walked towards
our next stop. The guide stopped
us at the corner of Laugavegur
and Skólavörðustígur to point at
Dunkin’ Donuts. “Icelanders go
crazy for new things, and any-
thing American,” he said, with
a grin. “When this place opened
there were lines around the block.
If you want to understand Iceland,
you need to understand its capac-
ity for fads.” This little nugget of
information comes as no shock to
any bartender around town who
has just made their millionth mo-
jito, attempting to recreate some
Icelander’s recent vacation to the
Canary Islands. It’s a small tight-
knit community with a capacity for
groupthink unmatched in larger
centres.
The second stop was at Osta-
búðin for an array of meat and
cheese—six samples in total. The
smoked goose breast with rasp-
berry sauce was an unexpected
surprise. I know I’ll be going back.
The third stop was at Café Loki
for rye-bread ice cream. The scep-
ticism I had felt in myself I could
now see in my tourmates’ faces…
until the first bite. Some people re-
sponded so intensely to the flavour
they started asking about buying
it in bulk to take home. I assume
it was some sort of sugar-induced
psychosis, unburdening them of
the ability to understand the lo-
gistical difficulties of packing ice
cream in their checked baggage.
The walk continued and other
local delights were tried. We even
stopped for a hot dog at the world’s
greatest hot dog stand, which
sparked political discussions, with
all of us wondering aloud what Hill-
ary Clinton would order if she were
here. Her husband ordered ketchup
and mustard, but we agreed she
would order more toppings and
then tell whomever asked her
that she ordered what they did.
By the time we were eating in
the old harbour, some of my tour-
mates couldn’t finish their food. It
was almost too much, even after a
two-kilometre walk. But most of
them powered through and fin-
ished with a dessert downtown.
This tour works for one reason:
it sparks interest. You taste and see
just enough to begin a journey on
your own right after you finish the
tour. You might just have to take a
nap first.
“Some people responded so intensely
to the flavour they started asking about
buying it in bulk to take home.”
Food Walking
Words YORK UNDERWOOD Photo ART BICNICK