Reykjavík Grapevine - 25.08.2017, Side 48

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Between The Buns
Bringing life to a dilapidated part of town

Words & Photo: Jenna Mohammed
The Fógetagarðurinn square
in the centre of Reykjavík is no-
torious for its sketchy past. Lo-
cated on the corner of Aðalstræti
and Kirkjustræti, the square was
once a cemetery and is one of the
oldest parks in the capital. In re-
cent years, the area had quite the
reputation as a hangout for the
homeless and drug users. Since
then, however, Fógetagarðurinn
has undergone many changes and
has now become a hotspot for
incredible street food, with new
and creative businesses making it
a more welcoming and sanitised
environment. The new food truck,
Bao Bun, is one such business that
has given Fógetagarðurinn an im-
proved vibe, and now you have a
good reason to add this downtown
site to your list of places for enjoy-
ing the sun.
Sun’s out, buns out
Bao Bun, which ser ves Chi-
nese-style steamed buns with a
variety of fillings, such as pork,
beef, and veggies, is an offshoot
of Skúli Craft Bar—named after
the legendary sheriff Skúli, whose
statue stands in the middle of the
square—located next door. For
lovers of craft beer, Skúli Craft Bar
is a must. The selection of beers
is diverse and unique and pairs
excellently with the food from Bao
Bun. “We always needed
some food—people
are always wan-
dering around,
trying to find
s o m e t h i n g
to eat,” says
bar manag-
er Hákon D.
Guðjónsson.
“So we decid-
ed this sum-
m e r t o o p e n
the Bao Bun food
truck. It’s our kitch-
en! It brings the square
to life.”
Skúli Craft Bar and Bao Bun
have a thriving affiliation; they
work together to bring more peo-
ple into the square. Hákon adds:
“People no longer have to go
somewhere to get beer with their
food, or food with their beer. This
changes the atmosphere of the
entire area. It’s more alive, with
more families and people hang-
ing out. It has the city atmosphere
you’re looking for.” Establishing
a food truck service to go hand in
hand with a bar is a sensible idea;
it’s fast, convenient, and it brings
zest back into Fógetagarðurinn.
“We’re one of the first [business-
es] to bring real life to this part
of town,” says Hákon. Bao Bun
doesn’t plan on stopping there—
Hákon claims that the truck is
staying put for now, but in the fu-
ture, will hopefully be available at
festivals.
F o r F ó g -
e t a g a r ð u r i n n
and business-
es around the
square, it’s a
win-win sit-
uation. Bao
B u n of f er s
a d i f fer ent
e x p e r i e n c e
for customers,
gets more people
out, and creates
further development
in the area. For such a
niche market, a food truck is a
brilliant solution. “We serve Chi-
nese steamed bread with fillings,
but there’s no way someone could
open up a restaurant with just
Chinese steamed bread [in Ice-
land]. The food truck is a brilliant
way to serve this fun, good food,”
says Hákon. “It’s a clever solution.”
R E S T A U R A N T
w w w . b a n t h a i . i s
L a u g a v e g u r 1 3 0
T E L : 6 9 2 - 0 5 6 4
----------------------------
BanThai
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 7
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, 2 0 1 4, 2 0 1 5 A N D 2 0 1 6
----------------------------
N E W A W A R D
Ban Thai is not a “fast food” restaurant
every meal take some time to cook, we cook after receiving the order
prepare your time before you come to enjoy your meal
----------------------------
Th
e
fo
od
an
d
se
rv
ice
w
ill
b
e
slo
w
er
w
he
n
th
er
e‘s
a
fu
ll h
ou
se

FISH panS
icelandic "plokkfiskur"
Onion, garlic, potatoes, celery, lime,
white wine, cream and butter
1,850 isk

plaice
Tomatoes, capers, parsley,
lemon and butter
2,100 isk
arcTic cHar
Honey, almonds, cherry tomatoes,
lemon and butter
2,100 isk
salmon
(lacTose–free)
Parsnip, broccoli, cashews,
coconut oil, chili and lemon
2,100 isk
our fisH pans are always
served wiTH buTTer–fried
icelandic poTaToes & fresH salad
deSSertS
carroT cake
Cognac cream cheese frosting
and roasted coconut flakes
1,550 isk
créme caramel
Classic egg custard with baked
white chocolate and strawberries
1,550 isk
any pans
for
luncH?
lækjargaTa 6b, 101 rvk · 546 0095 · messinn@messinn.com
“People no
longer have to go
somewhere to get
beer with their food,
or food with their beer.
This changes the at-
mosphere of the
entire area.”
Food
Something a-bao buns.