Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.06.2018, Side 64

SALKA VALKA
FISH & MORE
SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík
Steamed Fresh Fish, Traditional Icelandic Fish ‘Stew’, Fish & Vegan Soups,
Smoked Salmon & Vegan Toppings on Sourdough Bread, Beer, Wine, Coffee & more
handknitted.is
t +354 552 1890
Skólavörðustígur 19 • Borgartún 31
BUY
DIRECTLY
FROM
THE PEOPLE
WHO
MAKE
THEM
One Woman’s
Quest For The
Best Hummus in
Reykjavík
Words: Juliana Iluminata Wilczynski Photos: Art Bicnick
Hummus is the elixir of life, espe-
cially for us vegans and vegetar-
ians. This simple food made of
chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lem-
on juice, salt and garlic has con-
quered the world, and there’s a lot
of it around on this cold lava rock
in the North. And so it was, I went
off into Reykjavík to find the best
damn hummus money can buy.
My quest began at Salka Valka,
Fish & More. Although Salka Valka
takes a traditional approach fla-
vour-wise, they have perfected it. I
was also told that one of the chefs
sometimes makes a mutant hum-
mus with crunchy peanut butter
substituted for the usual tahini,
but I haven’t tried it yet.
Breaking up with Sómi
Next, I bravely ventured to Fiskis-
lóð during a classic Icelandic sum-
mer rainstorm, arriving home
in a pseudo-hypothermic state,
drenched from head to toe. It was
worth it because I got to experi-
ence the deliciousness of Dagný
og Co. The chilli and garlic flavour
features a hint of chilli with a gar-
lic aftertaste. The avocado jalape-
ño hummus is tangy, but smooth
and creamy because of the delicate
blend of each ingredient.
Dagný og Co is revolutionising
the supermarket aisles of Reyk-
javík one hummus tub at a time,
so that we don’t have to subject
ourselves to the pitiful Sómi hum-
mus. Sómi, we see you trying with
your new flavours and all—but
let’s work on it, okay?
Late-night hummus
Well, dear hummus fans, I’m here
to settle a time-honoured de-
bate, once and for all. Which one
has the best hummus—Ali Baba,
or Mandi? Of course, it’s Mandi.
This isn’t even a controversial
opinion. After consult-
ing with my dedicated
Instagram fol lowers
on where their favou-
rite hummus in Reyk-
javík is, almost 90%
of them said Mandi.
While it isn’t my num-
ber one, I agree that
it’s strides ahead of Ali
Baba. While Ali Baba’s
is spiced well, and for
the most part tastes okay, it isn’t
creamy enough, and it’s about 100
ISK more expensive than Mandi.
Mandi is currently closed for reno-
vations, but we can’t wait to buy
more of their oily, spicy hummus.
No takeaway allowed
Sümac Grill on Laugavegur spe-
cia l ises in gourmet midd le-
eastern flavours with an Icelan-
dic twist. However, unlike the
middle-eastern eateries we have
come to know and love—usually
when drunk, or nursing a nasty
hangover—there is no takeaway
option. I felt practically insulted
by this, and by the fact that I was
forced to sit down to be allowed
to even try their hummus. I also
had to pay extra—almost three
times the price of the hummus—
to have something to dip into the
hummus. This resulted in a steep
1,380 ISK for their hummus and
flatbread. I guess the extra is for
sitting down in a nice restaurant
with pretty lighting, faux-leather
menus, and lovely fabric napkins.
However, their hummus is ex-
cellent. The presentation is lovely,
and it comes with a pool of qual-
ity olive oil, which is, surprisingly,
made in-house. There was fresh
parsley sprinkled on top, with a
few pan-fried spicy chickpeas.
A solid option
Gló’s hu m mu s i s
slightly more sour
than the traditional
recipe, as they add
more lemon juice
than most. You can
take away a portion
that ’s enough for
two or three slices of
bread for only 100 ISK. You can buy
a more generous portion at Brauð
& Co.
Overall, the best late night
hummus is from Reykjavík’s post-
club pride and joy: Mandi. The best
fancy non-take-away hummus is
at bougie Sümac. The best super-
market hummus is Dagný og Co,
hands down.
I’ve now had more than enough
hummus to fulfil all of my hum-
mus needs for the next six months.
As a vegan, that is significant. It’s
safe to say, I’m hummused out.
We're worried she might be overdosing on chickpeas
“Hummus is
the elixir of life,
especially for
us vegans and
vegetarians.”

56The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09 — 2018