Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.07.2019, Page 45

Sumptuous
Sichuanese
At Fine
Hand made noodles, dumplings and other
veritable delights
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photo: Art Bicnick
Fine Restaurant
Visit the restaurant at
Rauðarárstígur 33, and follow them
on Facebook @icelandfine
I’ll be honest. Growing up, most, if
not all of my references to Chinese
food were centered around the fu-
sion Indo-Chinese restaurants in
India. Here in Ice-
land, that mantle
has largely been
occupied by generic
chains like Nings,
peddling the sweet-
and-sour takeaway
trope.
Hav i n g n ever
been to China, nor
had access to Chi-
nese home cooking,
I rely on outings to
restaurants whilst
overseas—accom-
panied by people far more knowl-
edgeable than me—to taste what
authors like Fuchsia Dunlop, and
bloggers like Elaine at China Sich-
uan Food and Maggi Zhu at Omni-
vores Cookbook describe.
Thanks to Fine Restaurant, the
musky intensity of doubanjiang,
or the tingly citrus buzz of papery
thin, ruby red Sichuan pepper-
corns, or the exquisite technique
of ‘velveting’ meat are no longer
a faraway experience. Of the eight
traditions of Chinese cuisine—
Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, An-
hui, Fujian, Shandong, Jiangsu,
and Zhejiang, Fine focusses on
Sichuan, with chefs hailing from
Chengdu.
Meaty little parcels
A promising hint when walking
into Fine, is the absence of the
ubiquitous lunch buffet. There are
no Buddhas or bottles of hot sauce
on the tables, which I take as a sign
of confidence. The small menu,
helpfully, has beautiful pictures of
the dishes for newcomers. Over the
course of several meals, I am ac-
companied by my friend Kunsang,
who grew up eating Chinese food.
And at each meal, we’re lavishly
rewarded.
Fine is one of the few Reykja-
vík restaurants that make their
own dumplings. The jiaozi (1,990
ISK) are meaty little parcels of
boiled dumpling cradling juicy
pork and chives. The Shanghai
shao mai (1,290 ISK), unlike dim-
sum shumai, are filled with sticky
rice, minced pork so fine it barely
stands out, and shiitake mush-
rooms. Hand pleated, they arrive
three to a basket, and are intense-
ly earthy; we eat mesmerised, in
complete silence.
Hand-pulled noodles
All the dishes, barring noodle-
based ones, are meant to be eaten
with rice. When I bring each bite
of meat and rice close to my dainty
rice bowl, chopsticks force me to
eat slowly, and with careful consid-
eration—I slowly understand that
there is a purpose for chopsticks
that goes beyond utility.
The hand pulled oil noodles
(1,990 ISK) are an absolute steal.
The Yu-Shiang chicken (2890 ISK)
is chock full of wood ear mush-
rooms. The chilli chicken (2,890
ISK) is dry-fried and fiery, with
nubby bits of meat under a glori-
ous mound of dried chillies. Even
then, the generous amount of Si-
chuan peppercorns, strewn like
tiny pearls, deliver the distinctive
‘ma la’ (numbing) punch. For din-
ers not used to meat on
the bone, this might
prove a challenge, but
I recommend it none-
theless.
Beyond deep
fried shrimp
For a cuisine depen-
dent on knife skills
and laborious tech-
niques, it’s ironic that
Chinese food is associ-
ated with cheap eats.
One bite of the sour chilli potatoes
(2,690 ISK) proves why this senti-
ment is wrong. Thinly sliced into
matchsticks, the potatoes are re-
markably crisp—a quick stir-fry,
with nary any heat, this is a dish
greater than the sum of its parts.
The Western perception of Chi-
nese food has long been associated
with unsavoury generalisations,
but Fine is a window to a cuisine
whose diversity is rivalled by few.
Fine does a fine job of introducing
non-Chinese diners to flavours be-
yond deep fried shrimp. Set aside
apprehensions and you’ll be amply
rewarded.
45The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 12— 2019
You're supposed to share. But Shruthi was hungry
Need. These. In. Mouth
“Hand pleated,
the dumplings
are intensely
earthy, arriv-
ing three to a
basket. We eat
mesmerised, in
silence.”
ÓÐINSTORG | 101 | REYKJAVÍK | ÍSLAND
SNAPSBISTRO.IS | +354 5116677
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Icelandic Ísbúi cheese, croûtons
2.490 kr.
MOULES MARINIÈRES
steamed mussels from Breiðafjörður
2.600 kr.
FISH OF THE DAY
chef´s special
3.990 kr.
Lunch offer from 11:30 - 14:00 1.990 kr.
EST. 2012REYKJAVIK