Iceland review - 2006, Blaðsíða 14

GIVE IT A CHANCE
Yoko Ono keeps spreading the gospel peace by piece. In February
she announced the future placement of a peace obelisk in Reykjavík
that will contain the wishes she has collected from an earlier
project, a wish tree. Though it’s still in the design stages, the lighted
glass obelisk will rise as high as 12 meters above the landscape,
allowing all the wishes for unity to radiate around the world. She
chose the site for her peace offering because of its strategic location
between America and Europe, its proximity to the top of the world
and to help strengthen the city’s ties in the global arena. “Here all
the powers gather together at a single point, which helps make it
so strong,” she told Morgunbladid, an Icelandic newspaper.
John Lennon’s widow first came to Iceland 14 years ago when she
held an exhibition at the Reykjavík Art Museum Kjarvalsstadir. Since
then, she’s been consumed by memories of the city’s hospitality,
and wanted to give back. “Reykjavík being chosen is a very
significant gesture about how she relates to the city,” said Stefán
Jón Hafstein, chairman of the Committee on Culture and Tourism.
“This work is a gesture to the world. A light of peace shining from
Reykjavík is something we should be proud of.” World, unite. SB
REykjAVík GETs spICy
One region sadly under-represented in the gourmet life of this town has
been the Asian subcontinent. Indian food has had a presence in Reykjavík
for about a decade, but the curry revolution has yet to really take off
here. Current offerings can be somewhat hit-and-miss, and the selection
of curries isn’t broad, but it is possible to indulge in some tandoori and
a good peshwari naan. The capital’s current Indian eateries are:
shalimar (Austurstraeti 4. 551 0292): Popular with those on a
budget, Shalimar offers both Indian and Pakistani cuisine, which
is refreshingly spicy. The lunch deals are good value, but it’s the
friendly owners who really make this establishment worth a visit.
Austur India Fjelagid (Hverfisgata 56. 552 1630): Walk into
the East India Company and feel like you’ve stepped out of Iceland
and into an evening of exquisitely prepared food cooked with spices
imported directly from India. This is the most upscale of Reykjavík’s
Indian restaurants. Harrison Ford recently claimed it was the best Indian
meal he had tasted and who are we to argue with Indiana Jones?
Austur India Hradlestin (Hverfisgata 64a. 552 6007): Hradlestin
is the lower-priced, take-out sister of Austur India Fjelagid. It’s perfect for a
change to the Friday night pizza take-out routine. Make sure you include
a starter of onion pakodas and buy your own lager to wash it all down.
Indian Mango (Frakkastígur & Grettisgata. 552 7722): The
relatively new kid on the block, Indian Mango specializes in
food from Goa and has a number of dishes that are clearly more
“Iceland” than “India,” including offerings of arctic char and a
horsemeat burger. The food is interesting, but the service needs
to improve before this place will become an institution. ER
IN REykjAVIk
12 IN REYKJAVIK