Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2021, Blaðsíða 28

Food
NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF ICELAND
Opening Hours
Daily 10–17
Closed on
Mondays 16/9–30/4
The National Museum of Iceland
Su!urgata 41, 101 Reykjavík
www.nationalmuseum.is
+354 530 2200
@icelandnationalmuseum
@thjodminjasafn
WELCOME
TO THE
NATIONAL
MUSEUM
OF ICELAND
It was a Friday night a couple of
weeks ago when I found myself in
the boisterously festive Selva Latin
Bar. My friend, suffering from the
traumatic after-effects of terrible
service specific to the countryside,
was overjoyed by the hurried yet
attentive service that had plonked
into our hands delicious Pina Co-
ladas and citrusy ceviche moments
after we were seated. As we sat sip-
ping our heady cocktail chock full
of pulpy pineapple bits, we took in
the bright foliage wallpaper, the
on-trend dusty rose walls and the
smoked mirrors reflecting the good
times everyone around was clearly
having. There was no trace of Le Bis-
tro, the French restaurant that oc-
cupied this very spot not so long ago.
A pandemic crisis that chal-
lenged its continuity, Le Bistro
closed doors and reopened as an
entirely new concept—Selva Latin
Restaurant & Bar, a restaurant that
celebrates the region’s diversity and
its flair for adding the festive into
everything it touches.
Arnór Bohic has taken on the ex-
citing task of “bringing a piece of
Latin America to the heart of Reyk-
javík,” supported by his wife Paola
Cardenas. They bring with them the
combined experience of being in the
hospitality industry for over two de-
cades, seasoned chefs from across
South America and the ambition to
“share Latin culture with the soul of
Reykjavík, not only with Icelanders
but also the Latin community living
in Iceland,” Paola shares enthusias-
tically.
Latin America, isn’t that
Mexico via Spain?
“The idea was to not get stuck in one
country, but to really play around
with a couple of the most popular
dishes that people already know,”
explains Arnór. “Like empanadas
or arepas,” I cannot help but smile
at his confidence,“Okay,” he paus-
es, “some of the people know,” he
smiles.
This undercurrent of not in-
fantilising the customer echoes
through the menu at Selva. Names
of dishes aren’t anglicised, nor are
the dishes overly simplified.
“It isn’t just me and my wife,”
Arnór clarifies.“It is the chefs who
are really bringing this together,”
he continues,“ they are the ones
who are working the flavours to-
gether, brainstorming and creating
these dishes that work.” Sixto and
Gabriel from Venezuela and Chile,
respectively, are at the helm of op-
erations at Selva, and stress that
South American food “isn’t tacos
and tortillas.”
A much-misunderstood term
and cuisine, Latin America isn’t a
geographically defined region, but
a linguistic distinction. With over
20 countries, diversity is the norm
and the team is determined to let
the food speak for itself. “There is
so much diversity here, Bolivian,
Peruvian, Chilean food that influ-
ences our cuisine. Not Mexico, as
is wrongly presumed,” Sixto elabo-
rates.
Tequenos and Tostones
Paola is a true global citizen. Raised
in Venezuela and Colombia, with
a Chilean mother and Columbian
father, her childhood was “spent
eating tequenos by the pool,” she
shares, her eyes twinkling at the
memory. Paola has lived in Iceland
for 20 years now. “I moved here
when I was 17-18, but those summers
spent by the pool, eating tequenos is
something else, I knew I had to have
them on the menu here,” she says.
I can immediately see why. Es-
sentially deep-fried cheese sticks,
tequenos are surprisingly light. At
Selva, they arrive looking decep-
tively light and dry, but one bite of
the stretchy warm cheese—a cross
between haloumi and mozzarella—
encased in flaky dough begs the
question as to why we aren’t enjoy-
ing these tasty morsels by the pool
ourselves! The accompanying gua-
sacaca sauce, made with avocados,
green chilli and cilantro, and the
salsa peruana rocoto, made with
rocoto chillies, haloumi, lime and
Visit the restaurant at Lau!ave!ur 12
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick
Selva Latin
Restaurant & Bar
Laugavegi 28
537 99 00
sumac@sumac. is
sumac. is