Atlantica - 01.05.2007, Page 85

84 A T L A N T I C A
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Austur India Fjelagid. For a rich sensory
experience, head to Harrison Ford’s favorite,
Austur India Fjelagid. Everything about the
place is stylish -- their logo, their menu, the
carefully chosen antiques and art on display
from around India. The restaurant has a new
menu this summer and we recommend starting
with a favorite of southern India, Eru Varuval,
lightly spiced Tiger Prawns, or Jeera Gosht
Tikka, grilled lamb. For your main course,
choose between pan-fried dishes like the Tiger
Prawn Masala or Jardaloo Gosht, or order one
of Austur India’s famous tandoori dishes. The
marinated lamb, chicken and seafood grilled
in the kitchen’s traditional clay tandoori ovens
imported from London, are all genius. Try an
order of vegetable paratha, bread with a spiced
vegetable stu ng and baked in the Tandoori
oven, and tomato palak rice on the side. Austur
India can truly boast of the unique combination
of Icelandic ingredients and Indian spices.
552 1630. austurindia.is
DOMO. Last fall’s much-anticipated opening
of DOMO, 101 Reykjavík’s new Asian/French
dining room, has not disappointed. The relaxed,
trendy new restaurant has quickly gained a
reputation for having some of the most gor-
geous sushi, sashimi and entrées in town. Head
chefs Ragnar Ómarsson, captain of the Icelan-
dic National Culinary Team, and the innovative
Thráinn Júlíusson, have created an interesting
fusion menu that o ers Icelandic cod and lamb
alongside exotic favorites like kangaroo and
yellow  n tuna. Come early for a sake cocktail
or a glass of whisky from DOMO’s extensive
collection. Move on to the Domo Surprise
menu, whose stunning sushi boat features fresh
delicacies like herb-marinated  ounder sashimi.
And, of course, there’s dessert, and if you’re
lucky, it will be the kitchen’s masterful coconut
crème brulée – fusion at its absolute best.
552 5588. domo.is
Fjörukráin. The restaurant, located in
Hafnarfjördur, is known for serving dishes
that honor Thorrablót, a feast dating back to
Viking times when farmers desperate to stay
alive through the endless winter ate every part
of the sheep. If you’ve had enough of lamb
testicles (can one ever get enough?), sit down
to the popular Viking dinner special that starts
ravenous tourists o with shark and dried had-
dock, served with chilled Brennivín schnapps,
followed by a main course of braised lamb
shank with potato purée and glazed vegetables.
565 1213. fjorukrain.is
Grillid. Discover delights like turbot with
citrus-passion fruit cream, langoustine medal-
lions with nut foam, and a decadent roulade
of reindeer carpaccio and chocolate foie gras
at Grillid, the restaurant atop Hotel Saga
in Reykjavík. Grillid’s  agship four-course
“Discovery” menu is a journey of the chef ’s
culinary whimsy. Everything on the menu
is matched with a handpicked glass of wine,
selected by the restaurant’s award-winning
sommelier. The sta explains the  ner points
of each item on the menu, down to the detail
of the ingredients in the wonderful Moroccan
dukka spice mixture for the bread. There is
even a special co ee menu, with beans from
various countries. Grillid’s view rivals the food
for highlight of the evening. Three sides of this
square restaurant are virtually  oor-to-ceiling
windows, a ording sights across the sea to
Ke avík and Snaefellsnes. 525 9960. grillid.is
Ha d Bláa. Located on a peninsula between
Thorlákshöfn and Eyrarbakki, on the southern
coast, only the spectacular view from your
table beats Ha d Bláa’s exquisite cuisine.
Watch the North Atlantic’s white-capped
waves crash ashore as you dine on some of the
world’s freshest seafood and  sh. Start with a
bowl of the seafood soup, which the chef will
tell you is taken from “Aegir, the god of the
sea.” Be sure to ask about the  sh special, but
the lobster, grilled to perfection and served
with rich garlic butter and a salad made from
Iceland’s freshest summer vegetables, is really
what dreams are made of. Aegir would agree.
483 1000. ha dblaa.is
Hótel Holt. For an aristocratic dining
experience that won’t leave you sore in the
wallet, lunch at the elegant Hótel Holt where
sommelier Ómar Nilsen will serve you a
two-course meal for only ISK 2,300. Add a
delicious, mouthwatering dessert for only ISK
600. The menu contains a selection of four
hors d’oeuvres and four main courses, three
of which are “ sh related,” says Nilsen. The
lunch experience at Hótel Holt runs seven
days a week from 12:00 to 2:30. Reservations
are preferred. 552 5700. hotelholt.is
Icelandic Fish & Chips. The humble cod
just got trendy. Icelandic Fish & Chips, a
self-styled “organic bistro” by Reykjavík’s
harbor, has garnered a loyal following in the
few months it has been open. It’s obvious
what this simple eatery, with both eat-in and
take-away service, features on its menu. But
it’s the details that make it so popular.
The  sh itself, not just cod but cat sh, had-
dock, plaice or whatever the  sherman just
hauled in, is battered in spelt and barley  our
and cooked in canola oil, rich in Omega
3 fatty acids. The chips are Maldon-salted
wedges of baked potatoes, cooked in olive
oil and herbs. And instead of fat-laden tartar
sauce, patrons can choose from a variety of
skyronnaises – creamy dips made from Ice-
landic skyr. Those interested in a larger meal
will enjoy both whatever rich soup of the
day is on o er (served with spelt bread and
hummus), and the whipped skyr and berry
dessert, served in a champagne  ute.
511 1118.  shandchips.is
Eat, Meat & Fish
ICELANDa
SPECIAL PROMOTION
Reykjavík’s chefs know how to feed their people.
Here is a guide to the vie gourmande in
the capital and beyond.