Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.03.2018, Qupperneq 45

Curiouser And
Curiouser
An epicurean adventure at Iceland’s reigning
fine-dining champ
Words: John Rogers Photo: Art Bicnick
It’s been said that receiving a Mi-
chelin star can be a blessing and
a curse. It puts a restaurant on
the map, arousing curiosity and
boosting bookings through the
roof; it also puts a target on your
back, with raised expectations on
style, service, and ambition.
In 2017, Dill was the first Ice-
landic restaurant to be awarded
a star. The guide praised the
restaurant’s take
on New Nordic cui-
sine—for the un-
acquainted, that’s
dishes using just a
few seasonal ingre-
dients, and possibly
referencing elements
of local culinary his-
tory, in refined, cre-
ative combinations.
Dill also got a
new head chef recently, in the tall
shape of Hólmavík-born Kári Þor-
steinsson, who stepped up to the
main job when Ragnar Eiríksson
headed to Holt to start a new ven-
ture. So it was with great inter-
est that I took a seat in Dill’s in-
timate and unpretentious dining
room, with its open kitchen, neat
tables with carefully folded nap-
kins, and a playlist of ‘80s pop and
power ballads in the background.
Rye & rose
The service was slick and speedy,
and the seven-course tasting
menu and wine pairings flowed
seamlessly with an informative
preamble each time. First came
a glass of dry, zesty champagne,
and two rounds of appetisers. A
trilogy of subtle fish, malt and
rye combinations was followed
by four dehydrated root vegeta-
ble morsels, including mild and
mildly intriguing flavour combi-
nations like radish and rose.
The tasting menu proper shift-
ed up through the gears quickly.
Four diminutive
mussels came tucked
shyly under translu-
cent discs of celeriac,
their metallic, briny
tang freshened by the
chopped cucumber
base. A dish compris-
ing of sunchokes done
in three ways took
a moment to figure
out: the creamy skyr
purée contained sharp, fermented
slices, topped with savoury crisps.
Paired with a hibiscus-infused
Vermont beer, It was an ingenious
and satisfying winter dish, and
the first bullseye of the night.
Cod & curveballs
It wouldn’t be the last. The dung-
smoked trout came as a surprise,
with the pungent, profoundly
smoky fish reduced to powdery
crumbs, dusted over a bowl of
sweet, piping hot glazed carrots,
almost like a garnish.
The cod looked initially like
a piece of sashimi lain over a
bed of rice-noodle-thin cabbage
strands, but it turned out to be
warm and flaky. Kári came over
to satisfy my curiosity about its
preparation, revealing that the
perfectly salted fillet had been
lightly poached in an onion broth.
Set off by a bright, sappy chive oil,
it was the kind of fully engaging
dish that sends you into a silent
trance until the last speck is gone.
Dark days
& spring scent
The tender beef brisket with pars-
nips was pleasant, coming paired
with a robust, tannic Aglianico,
but the next knockout would be
the “milk and cookies,” or milk
ice cream, curds, and crushed bis-
cuits with a zingy zap of wheat-
grass oil as fresh as a lungful of
spring air. The final twist came
as a dish of unusual creamed
swede (rutabaga, in the U.S.) with
a sprinkling of crunchy toasted
yeast, and a fresh rosé champagne.
Dill’s menu offered surpris-
es and challenges, like the Ice-
landic winter itself. The menu
leaned on preserved and fer-
mented ingredients, creatively
used root vegetables, and ele-
ments of elevated comfort food,
with creative and impressive
wine pairings. You could almost
envision it as quoting this lean
season—sometimes glorious,
sometimes uneven, but always
with a hint of the spring to follow.
Diners under the impression
that every bite will hit a home
run are perhaps blinded by the
star, but those willing to embark
on this curious culinary journey
with an open mind and a sense of
adventure will have a memorable
meal to ponder and talk about un-
til the snow finally thaws.
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F R E N C H O N I O N S O U P
I c e l a n d i c Í s b ú i c h e e s e , c r o û t o n s
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M O U L E S M A R I N I È R E S
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gpv.is/food
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45The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04 — 2018
Preserved, fermented, seasonally-minded fine dining
“Dill’s menu
offered sur-
prises and
challenges,
like the Ice-
landic winter
itself.”