Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.09.2017, Blaðsíða 49

Heeeeere’s Jamie
Handmade pasta that won’t break the bank

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick
When ‘The Naked Chef’ first aired
on the telly, the intention was that
it’d encourage ‘blokes’ to step up in
the kitchen. Whether that worked
or not, Jamie Oliver did become
an international sensation with a
wild following (possibly due to that
British accent). Riding the ensuing
wave of popularity, a new branch of
the Jamie’s Italian restaurant chain
opened its doors in Reykjavik a few
weeks ago.
The restaurant made waves on-
line before opening with a post
about a certain salmon farm in
Iceland, which didn’t go down well
with the locals. I decided to lunch
there and put these doubts to rest—
and to see if the sullied salmon
made it to the menu.
Location, location
Jón Haukur Baldvinsson is the busi-
ness partner who brought Jamie’s
Italian to Reykjavik. “I have been
very fond of Jamie Oliver and his
values on food standards, quality
ingredients, and the simplicity of
his cooking,” he explains. “I start-
ed playing in the kitchen from his
books and shows, because he’s so
enthusiastic and passionate. We
also knew that he was interested
in Icelandic food culture—we just
needed to find the perfect spot for
him in Reykjavík. And what could
be more fitting than the
iconic Hotel Borg?”
Hotel Borg i s
certainly an apt
location. True to
the Jamie Oliver
brand’s ‘family
first’ approach,
the interiors of
the new restau-
rant are group- and
child-friendly, spa-
cious and inviting. Dur-
ing the course of redesign, an
art piece from the 1920s was discov-
ered, adding a nice touch of history.
Planks and Pasta
Scarpi, our waiter for the day, rec-
ommended the planks and pasta.
While the ‘planks’ (1,790 ISK) are
a little gimmicky, the cold cuts are
not. The mozzarella is local, and the
salumi imported from the restau-
rant’s own supply chains in Italy.
The menu is faithful to the larg-
er chain, with a nod to local pro-
duce. The pasta is made in-house—
a matter of pride for the restaurant.
We sampled an assortment of dish-
es. Our favourite was the sausage
casarecce (1,990/3,190 ISK), a free-
form pasta with a pork and fennel
sausage ragu, served along with an-
other first in Iceland, cime di rapa,
a broccoli rabe varietal. Gennaro’s
Bolognese (1,790/2,990 ISK) is a
silky tagliatelle with a deeply fla-
voured sauce. This is no Icelandic
“spaghetti og kjötsósa,” and comes
recommended.
We spotted a lamb lasagna as
well. As Jón says: “We’re the only
Jamie’s Italian to have lamb in our
lasagna, and it’s incredible. The
international food team is
impressed with the out-
come.”
D e s p i t e t h e
friendly service
and tasty food,
what struck us
most was the
pricing. Jóhannes
Steinn, the head
chef, is on the record
saying that local Ice-
landic diners have been
neglected, and that the pricing
of Jamie’s Italian is designed in part
to attract a local clientele. Jón says it
was a conscious decision. “It was a
must when we were negotiating the
franchise deal,” he explains. “It’s a
family restaurant, and it was very
important to have fair pricing.”
I didn’t encounter any of the
online criticism the chain has
seemed to garner. It’s a cut above
similar restaurants in town, with
handmade pasta, above average im-
ports, affordable wine, and locally
sourced ingredients, such as the
cheese. And the infamous salmon?
Absent.
Jamie’s Italian seems well on its
way to securing a steady place as a
family favourite, without breaking
the bank. And that’s as good as it
gets in Reykjavik today.
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49The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2017
gpv.is/food
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Tossing nine to five
“It’s a family
restaurant—it
was important
to have fair
pricing.”