Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.01.2017, Qupperneq 53

53The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 01 — 2017 It's actually Langoustine
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It's technically langoustine, not
lobster, but Langoustine & Stuff
doesn't sound right. It misses the
fricative assonance of "ster" and
"stuff." That's the type of linguis-
tic gymnastics marketing word-
smiths simply die for—and, if
their product is a living creature,
it's what they kill for too. Lan-
goustine is the Kim Kardashian
of expensive sea arthropods, de-
sirable mostly for its posterior
and being freakishly small. Un-
like Kim Kardashian, however,
langoustine is small because of
its habitat, the cold waters of the
North Atlantic. Also, langoustine
has a small or relatively normal-
sized head. All this aside, when
lobster is mentioned, know in
your heart of hearts we are talk-
ing about langoustine.
For starters, the Grapevine
dinner crew tried the Taste Of
Lobster spread with lobster tem-
pura, spring rolls, mini burgers
and lobster soup (3590 ISK). We
also tried the beef carpaccio with
lobster, which is topped with
crispy leeks, melon and truffle
mayo (3190 ISK). Lobster is typi-
cally paired with champagne, or
more reasonably, prosecco. What
gives Lobster & Stuff a more re-
laxed feel is the Italian lager, Pero-
ni, they have on tap. It's light, bub-
bly and lasts long enough to enjoy
your starter and main course.
Before the main courses ar-
rive, we take time to look around.
This restaurant is in a great lo-
cation on the harbour and our
server took us upstairs to the
80s-themed bar to give us a feel
for the whole establishment. It's
all glamour and bench seating. It's
the type of place you go for a drink
after work or take a friend to mull
over your amazing new start-up
idea. Downstairs, where we were
seated, it's a nice combination of
cozy, elegant and the good kind
of rustic, without the feeling of
dusty bookshelves and ancient so-
fas closing in on you. The space is
warm and welcoming, with flick-
ering candlelight, large windows,
thick crafted wooden tables, and,
hey, even lobster trap chandeliers.
Purists will love the 200 gram
grilled lobster with coleslaw,
crispy small potatoes and gar-
lic mayo (6990 ISK). It's the only
test Lobster & Stuff has to pass.
Can they make lobster (again,
langoustine)? The answer is yes.
The tail meat pulls easily out of
its shell and is not overcooked and
shredding. It's exactly what you
were thinking when you ordered
it, simple and delicious.
The lobster sandwich in bri-
oche bread (4690 ISK) is their
take on the lobster roll. It's lobster
tucked in a roll shaped like a hot
dog bun, with garlic, guacamole,
cabbage and oyster mushrooms—
accompanied by dipped potatoes
and garlic mayo. It's filling, simple
and safe, but too many toppings.
You lose the taste of the lobster.
Avocado traditionally pairs well
with crab, but the lobster here
doesn't have the aromatic power
to contend with guacamole. If it
were up to us, it would be simpli-
fied down to mostly lobster, but-
ter and regular mayonnaise on a
toasted bun.
The Surf and Turf (4980 ISK)
strays from the usual steak and
lobster, and instead pairs lobster
and pork belly with a side of potato
mousse, roasted fennel, tempura
corn and mushrooms demi-glace.
Every part of this meal works sep-
arately, allowing the diner to eat
slowly piece by piece. Be sure to
specify if you want your crackling
to be crispy or not, and remember
this is a heavy meal. You'll prob-
ably need another Peroni... or a
few cocktails?
Most of us were more than full
after our main course, and in re-
ality, we didn't need the starters.
The portions are generous with-
out overdoing it. Yet as full as we
were, it didn't take much convinc-
ing for us all to be huddled around
an order of créme brulée (1790
ISK), tapping its torched surface
with the back of our spoons. Not
only was it dangerously delicious,
but it contained Pop Rocks, trans-
porting all of us to simpler times,
our childhood, when we had our
whole lives ahead of us.
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Words YORK UNDERWOOD, SIGNE SMALA,
JÓHANNA PÉTURSDÓTTIR Photo ART BICNICK
Let Them Eat Lobster & Stuff
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