Reykjavík Grapevine - apr. 2022, Blaðsíða 28

Burgers: they’re everywhere. The
deceptively simple shtick of meat
and bread might have only recently
made the jump from plate to bun,
but it’s a change that Icelanders
have embraced wholesale. Whether
gracing the table of a sophisticated
establishment, or nourishing the
hungry traveller in a backwater gas
station, burgers are a ubiquitous
feature of Icelandic menus.
It is little wonder then that our
annual Best of Reykjavík burger
category gets everyone riled up and
on edge.
This year, we’re taking you along
with us for the infamous Grapevine
Burger Crawl. Buckle in, it’s going
to be a doozy.
Bio Borgari
If you want to feel like you’re saving
the world, sticking it to the man, and
having a delicious meal while you’re
at it, here is the answer — a burger
joint promoting food sustainability
and well-being for customers and
the planet.
This might be the cutest burger
joint in town. Two passionate broth-
ers run this tight ship, sourcing
ingredients ethically and sustain-
ably. This is a burger that walks the
talk, so much so that the owners
have now invested in their own
farm that supplies produce when in
season. Talk about commitment!
SB: I’ll admit I wasn’t their biggest
fan when they first opened — I felt
the burgers were a bit too panini-
like with their penchant for pesto.
But boy have I come around. The
photogenic presentation reveals
a beautifully constructed burger
with a wonderful ratio of fillings
to bun. And the colours! The spelt
sourdough buns are sturdy, the meat
smoky from its turn on the grill,
and the homemade condiments are
topnotch. Shout out to their tangy,
fresh tomato sauce! The vegan patty
is hearty, toothsome and chock full
of earthy goodness from the beans
and grains. The burgers are light,
fresh, and despite the absence of
mayo-like sauces, they are far from
dry. These virtuous burgers are hella
tasty and they make a mean lamb
burger as well.
VG: The basic burger is such a well-
constructed affair that it feels like an
architect drew it up and approached
it as if it was a cathedral. The burger
offers tasty organic beef, pickled
cucumber, green kale pesto, tomato
sauce and salad. The sourdough
spelt bun was surprisingly fluffy and
soft while still being firm. The pesto
lifted the taste and gave it a fresh
spirit, but it could be off-putting for
some.
The special burger this time around
had refried black beans and a mango
and pineapple chutney. The sauce
was surprisingly mild and tender
while the crunchy garlic gave it an
unexpected edge. This burger, like
the basic one, was incredibly well
constructed and as a whole, almost
flawless.
Le Kock
There have been two distinctive
shifts in the burger scene in Iceland.
The first was in 1981 when Tómas
Tómasson, opened his chain of
‘Tommi’s’ restaurants, offering
Icelanders a taste of American style
burgers for the first time. The
second came in 2017, when a trio of
chefs opened Le Kock, signalling the
arrival of the gourmet burger.
Until Le Kock, most burger buns
were a middling Myllan, or the much
too rich, pastry-like brioche bun
affair. Not at Le Kock though. Their
buns, made with Knútur Hrei!ars-
son’s family-farmed potatoes, are
the perfect example of the benefit
of utilising local produce.
SB: These burgers have ruled the
roost since they opened, and with
good reason. They arrive looking
like a textbook shot. Cutting in is a
joy, and the bun holds its own right
down to the last bite. The cheese-
burger here is an ode to the OG with
crisp toasted buns, perfectly melty
cheddar, a juicy patty cooked just
right, and pickles and slaw adding
fresh crunch. The Trump tower,
on the other hand, is an unapolo-
getic double-patty American smash
burger with yellow mustard, a
shockingly balanced truffle ketchup
and perfectly smashed patties.
The Reykjavík Bur!er
Crawl - Part 1
In the search for Reykjavík’s best bur!ers, we discover that there is
a bur!er for everyone
Words: Shruthi Basappa & Valur Grettisson Photos: Art Bicnick
Food
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