Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Page 45

Delicious
Wickedness
Memorable morsels at Mat Bar

Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
About a year ago, eschewing the
somewhat overfamiliar New Nor-
dic trend, a delightful little ‘Nor-
dic Italian’ restaurant opened up
on Hverfisgata. While the orig-
inal focus was f leeting, in its
short life, Mat Bar has already
made a firm place for itself on
the downtown restaurant circuit.
Produce first
It is no secret that Mat Bar’s moza-
rella (1,880 ISK) has something of
a following. Guðjón Hauksson, the
owner, sought out a little known
local Italian cheesemaker to pro-
duce fresh, handmade mozzarella
balls that quite possibly rival their
Italian brethren. A play on the tra-
ditional caprese, this fresh cheese
is paired with pickled tomatoes
and basil oil. It’s light, refreshing,
and an instant ticket to summer.
This (best) produce-first ap-
proach has held the restaurant
in good stead. The menu chang-
es seemingly in the blink of an
eye, with favourite dishes com-
ing back in new forms, taking
on both the mood of the kitchen
and the diktats of the weather.
Take, for instance, the crushed
potatoes (1,180 ISK). In winter,
the spuds are served with strac-
ciatella and pickled chillies, while
in the summer they came doused
with rosemary and sea salt. The
glazed carrots (1,380 ISK), once
tossed in a dusting of sprightly
herbs, are now warming and fes-
tive, served with wholegrain mus-
tard and roasted granola clusters.
Unorthodox wild ride
Mat Bar has become one of my fa-
vourite restaurants in town. I’ve
been on lunch dates with girl-
friends, date nights, and hosted
groups big and small—and each
time, Mat Bar has delivered. So
when I say I’ve given their their
wild-wild west approach to menu
rotation a lot of thought, trust
me. And it’s not just the menu
changes—the kitchen recently
snagged a new coal-fired grill,
with many staples subsequently
reimagined with sear and smoke.
When they replaced my favour-
ite baby calamari with pickled
lemons, I cried a little. But the new
grilled version with an olive tap-
enade, pickled chillies and fiery
panko (1,760 ISK) are flash grilled
and tender, with the olives making
for a lovely earth-meets-sea bite.
The ‘blind menu’ vibe has also
grown on me. How else would I
have stumbled upon possibly the
best bite I have had this year?
The grilled scallops (1,990 ISK)
are barely cooked, their unctu-
ous sweetness brightened by a
sauce reminiscent of a Romesco.
Nibble on a bone
The lamb chops (2,890 ISK) and
veal (3,150 ISK) are two other
stars of Mat Bar’s current menu.
The latter is served best as the
on-the-bone version—it’s juicy,
and captures the ‘ladies in dress-
es who nibble on a bone’ vibe that
Guðjón admits he was going for.
This gumption to push bounda-
ries and test ideas is what draws
me to Mat Bar. Who else would’ve
push grilled radicchio on unsus-
pecting Icelanders, not to men-
tion, more recently, lamb hearts?
It is a pity, though, that besides
the house standards, one has to
buy wine by the bottle. A single
glass would be great for social
drinkers like me. But, then again,
cocktails like the negroni (2,500
ISK) and the basil gobernador
(2,180 ISK) are simply excellent.
Mat Bar has come far from its
Nordic Italian roots. Today, it’s a
bohemian little place with a lot of
soul and great prices. I know that
whenever I dine there, a delicious
fate awaits me.
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45The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 01 — 2018
The shiny and comfortable dining room at Mat Bar