Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.07.2017, Page 51

Transcending Pylsu
Sushi in Seyðisfjörður
A unique restaurant in the North-East

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Norð Austur
For a self-confessed sushi aficio-
nado, sushi in Reykjavik leaves me
underwhelmed and, on occasion,
angry. The only thing worse than
cheap, bad sushi is expensive bad
sushi. “Pylsu sushi” is how me and
a friend now refer to the type of cold,
gummy, too-big-for-my-mouth fu-
tomaki loaded with mayo and sri-
racha commonly seen in Iceland.
When I heard promises of a res-
taurant tucked away in the village
of Seyðisfjörður in the east of the
country forgoing the usual pylsu
sushi, I immediately packed a pair
of chopsticks and caught the first
flight over there. To my dismay, I
found that they had closed for the
season a day early (the restaurant is
only open for the summer season).
So, I have waited to dine at Norð
Austur for a whole year now and I
had come to a point where I could no
longer resist the pull of the simple
delight of an orthodox nigiri.
Set in a beautiful red timber
house from 1919, Norð Austur is
done up in shades of pale jade, com-
plimented by dark furniture and
artworks by local artists. Even the
restrooms provide a delightful view
of the fjords.
Three of the four sakes listed are
entry level junmai-shu variants and
at 3800 ISK not too attractive, so we
settled for an Asahi while we pored
over the menu.
Belly so fine
Fat is flavour. An adage rooted in
truth but one that goes underap-
preciated and underexplored in Ice-
landic restaurants. Norð Austur’s
Vík Hot Rock (2190 ISK) forgoes
that with a salmon belly, marinated
lightly with yuzu soy, cooked over
hot stones. It arrives in all its siz-
zling glory, glistening invitingly—
so rich, smooth and tantalising to
the eye. Just make sure you don’t
make the mistake of drowning any-
thing at Norð Austur in soy, even if
it’s on the table. Chef Kevin Isamu
Preston knows his trade and there’s
no need to mask flavours in a soy-
wasabi slurry.
We also sampled the Karaage
style chicken (1090 ISK), and the
odd misfit ceviche (1490 ISK). The
former lacked the distinctive crunch
but was enjoyable still while the lat-
ter, left us longing for the punch of
“leche de tigre”. A regrettable choice
since I later spotted somen (cold
wheat noodles) on the menu.
Rice and Fish
The sashimi (4290 ISK) is hands
down the best in the land. The sliv-
ers of fatty salmon were joined by
freshwater trout caught that morn-
ing, and plump mackerel from the
Westfjords, a fish one rarely encoun-
ters in Iceland and one with a notori-
ously short shelf life. Here, the chef
served it “shime sabi” style, lightly
cured in Japanese vinegar and salt—
the rich meat served with a grating
of fresh ginger.
The same restraint is shown with
the nigiri (2450 ISK). Like all good
sushi, the focus is squarely on the
rice and fish. At Norð Austur, all
the sushi and sashimi is served a la
minute, the rice is the right side of
warm, and vinegared to the edge of
being briny.
The rice is held delicately, al-
most as if only by flavour, that
the pressure from the chopsticks
quickly force you to abandon such
an idea—pick one up lightly, and eat
it fish side down and revel in the
clean flavours. A dab of wasabi un-
der the fresh shrimp; translucent,
and quiveringly fresh. The salmon
painted with soy and an oyster leaf,
and the delightful saba (mackerel)
made another appearance.
Is Norð Austur worth the trip to
Seyðisfjorður? Is it the best sushi in
Iceland? A resounding yes to both.
What greatly appealed to me at the
end of the meal, was how honest
their approach to Japanese cuisine
proved. The knife work is peerless;
the miso soup a touch above warm;
the wasabi, though rehydrated, is of
a better quality than the horseradish
mixed versions that abound in Reyk-
javik; and the selection of seafood
impeccable with honest pricing.
I still think about this meal and
for now, there is no better Japanese
restaurant. Whetting one’s appetite
for simplicity couldn’t be done in a
better setting. Itadakimasu Norð
Austur.
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51The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12 — 2017
gpv.is/food
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