Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Síða 44

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Greatest Hits And
Near Misses
Growing pains at popular fine
dining eatery Matur og Drykkur

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
Matur & Drykkur
Grandagarður 2
Open 11:30AM–3PM, 6–11PM
Matur og Drykkur is one of the
small handful of Icelandic res-
taurants to be awarded a Michelin
Bib, and deservedly so. But recent
meals over the past year have left
me wondering if they will hold
onto the honour.
The restaurant has had some
staffing issues in the kitchen—a
struggle that has, at times, trans-
lated to the plate. On one occasion,
we were served pork cheeks with a
mound of prune jam almost twice
the size of the meat. On another,
we were astonished by the veggie
chips with carrot marmalade—
three shards of dehydrated vege-
table juice ‘chips.’ It was a sham of
an appetiser that reminded us of
stiff, coloured tissue paper at the
florist. The fact that it tasted of
nothing didn’t help.
The herb coated lamb fries with
whey mustard (2,190 ISK) were a
pair of shabbily plated ten-krona-
coin-sized medallions of ferment-
ed sheep’s testicle, dusted with
pungent mustard. Having been
thrilled to learn about this dish
online, tasting it was like experi-
encing a blind date gone wrong. I
later learned the chefs were doing
a pop-up in Barcelona at the time
of this meal—clearly, the kitchen
needs to tighten its reins.
Torched head theatre
I’ve wondered if my nostalgic
longing for the restaurant of yore
is the source of my dissatisfaction,
so I decided to go back once more
before writing them off. Matur og
Drykkur is still popular, and I en-
joyed the pleasant hubbub of a full
restaurant while waiting for my
dining companion. Not wanting
to rock the boat, we decided to play
it safe, skip the appetizers, and or-
der the classics—cod head (4,200
ISK) and roast lamb (4,990 ISK).
The theatrical presentation of
the torched cod head with sweet
seaweed glaze is still a spectacle
that continues to drive diners to
snap a video. The meat gives in
with no resistance, at once moist
and firm. It’s a no-holds-barred
dining experience. We must have
been enjoying it blissfully una-
ware, as a diner next to us won-
dered aloud how good the dish
must be. I offered her a taste—she
agreed it was wonderful. The best
part is the cod tongue, deep-fried in
a light batter. If all you’ve ever had
are boiled gellur, I suggest you try
them here to exorcise those ghosts.
Humble origins
The lamb, whi lst acceptable,
stopped short of being divine. The
potatoes were great—craggy, nutty,
with a pleasant roasted crunch—
but the lamb was a touch dry, and I
was disappointed that the accom-
panying grated lamb’s heart was
just a tiny flurry of garnish.
It’s the little flourishes that set
a good restaurant apart from a
great one. It’s consistently send-
ing out identical plates of the same
dish, and the fine balance between
a grain of salt being too much or
too little. It’s in knowing when
to stop piling on the sauces, and
when to let an ingredient shine.
It’s in confidence, and a steady
hand—and often in restraint.
Matur og Drykkur was built
on the premise of elevating tra-
ditional Icelandic cuisine—cod
tongues and all—from its humble
origins. The restaurant’s selling
point has been to unapologeti-
cally offer the assumed worst of
traditional fare in the best way
imaginable. The kitchen needs
to think about what that means
for them. Sure, the name is still
a draw, but to be a memorable ex-
perience, they need to find their
stride again—and let that con-
fidence play out on the plate.
R E S T A U R A N T
w w w . b a n t h a i . i s
Laugavegur 130, Hlemmur, 105 Reykjavík Tel : 6 9 2 - 0 5 6 4, 55 - 22 - 444
----------------------------
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
M A N Y A W A R D
Always been the best from the reviews
in our local people and local newspaper.
There's a reason why we get an award
every once a year
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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
“The theatrical presentation of the torched cod head is a
spectacle that continues to drive diners to snap a video.”
Food