Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.09.2018, Blaðsíða 45

A Hyperlocal Feast
SOE Kitchen adds colour to the scene
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Timothée Lambrecq
Something interesting is happen-
ing on Grandi this summer. Victo-
ria Elíasdóttir, who formerly ran
the successful Dóttir in Berlin, is
the chef at the helm of the SOE
Kitchen food laboratory and cafe-
teria venture. She and her brother,
Ólafur Elíasson, have moved their
new culinary venture into The
Marshall House Bar + Restaurant
for three months and will be open
for lunch and dinner service until
the end of October.
Family-style dining
Unlike a traditional pop-up, SOE
Kitchen has created an entirely
new setting within the Marshall
shell, with long communal tables
taking centre stage—a refreshing
change from staid traditional lay-
outs. There are sculptural mobiles
and geodesic globes, suspended
from the ceiling, gathered from
around Iceland by Ólafur. The
windows are tinted with colour,
bringing a touch of “Your Rainbow
Panorama” to Reykjavík as it lights
the diners.
The lunch menu is remarkably
simple—a vegetarian feast, with
a catch of the day option. On the
day that I ate lunch, this was a
textbook grilled flounder, gener-
ously seasoned and with a hint of
chilli. A vegetal German Pinot Gris
was a lovely match. The vegetarian
accompaniments—a toothsome
freekeh risotto with carrots and a
slinky grilled cabbage—stole the
show. The dishes were so delecta-
ble, we couldn’t help but go for the
complimentary refills.
Seasonal tastes
With memories of that brilliant
lunch still on my mind, I decided
to check out dinner as well. Din-
ers can choose from two tast-
ing menus—‘From the Harbour’
(8800 ISK) or ‘From the Land’ (7800
ISK)—or go a la carte, like I did.
SOE Kitchen works closely with
Icelandic purveyors, farmers and
seamen. Having tasked themselves
with the challenging job of being
hyper local, all the menus rotate to
reflect produce at its best.
Dinner got off to a banging
start with ice-cold slices of tender
rutabaga, house labneh, flatkaka
and lemon thyme butter. Ruta-
baga tends to be the haggard veg-
etable hiding in the background
and never the star. Harvested at
the right time, however, they’re a
sweet and crunchy treat. Slather
on some of that citrusy butter
for a definite highlight of your
dinner.
Autumnal composition
Our starter of miso glazed cod
(1900 ISK), had us sighing with
delight—the autumnal composi-
tion of carrots and a bright to-
mato broth was a treat for the
eyes. For the main course, we
decided to go Dutch on a couple
of dishes. I found the risotto
(1800 ISK / 3600 ISK) with beets,
mussels and scallops a tad one-
dimensional, although my dining
companion politely disagreed,
devouring the whole bowl. The
seafood soup (1800 ISK/ 3300 ISK)
was a tribute to plump mussels.
I’ve never had a meatier mussel,
and Icelandic shellfish is an un-
derrated ingredient.
The true strength of the kitchen
however, lies in its Dinner of the
Day (3200 ISK, or 3800 ISK with
seafood). The miso-grilled cab-
bage hearts sing; the fresh green
beans from Hveragerði, find a
match for their bright snap in the
tartness of the preserved lemon
and crisp green salad. Each radic-
chio and beet leaf is brimming
with flavour, the rose vinaigrette
is an unexpected but delightful
paring. A glass of Monte Del Cuca
2016 pairs splendidly. We finished
on a high note with a scoop of
grape and ricotta sorbet (600 ISK)
and a nightcap of Lambrusco from
Camillo Donati.
SOE Kitchen is a veritable feast.
With a nightly schedule of family
events, musical performances and
delicious food in a striking maxi-
malist setting, it’d be a shame to
miss it.
Victoria Elíasdóttir turns plating into an art form at SOE Kitchen
“I’ve never
had a meatier
mussel.”

ÓÐINSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.390 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Breiðafjörður
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.890 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
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