Reykjavík Grapevine - jun 2023, Qupperneq 33

33 Food
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Retalers are Gullfosskaffi,
Rammagerðin and many others
chunks of greens, often romain, are
dotted with batter-fried langoustine,
shrimp, tomatoes and a mountain
of grated parmesan. What feels like
a loose riff of a Caesar salad at first
sight is deceptive of the textures
packed into a seemingly simple
dish. The greens are always dressed
just so, the lobster freshly fried and
crisp, the tiger shrimp plump and
firm, and the cherry tomatoes alone
make me sigh — some are confited
lightly and peeled, others left raw
but halved, making for an indulgent
yet light lunch affair that altogether
feels like a successful midday esca-
pade for one.
The fish of the day (3790 ISK) is the
usual formulaic offering of white
fish-sauce-whole lotta veggies-pu-
rees, but dished here in a refined,
restrained avatar that showcases
the strength of that code. It’s tes-
timony of how even their simplest
plates are worthy of recall when you
can remember the ling with a sherry
sauce, years later.
AROUND THE WORLD
Carpaccio. A dish that evokes dusty
memories of Italian-esque plates
(once declared dated by NYT a
whole decade ago) rules the roost in
Reykjavík. But Fiskfelagið does with
it what they do best (not the name, it
is mysteriously named Greenland).
They’ve taken something familiar
and had fun with it in the most max-
imalist way possible by combining
flavours and ingredients that aren’t
traditionally paired, but which some-
how still work in a tasteful, pleasing
fashion.
Delicate slices of reindeer (4990
ISK) parquet the platter, hidden
under a cornucopia of toppings
your mind insists don’t go togeth-
er, with the first bite quelling such
unrest. Flash frozen nubs of foie
gras are scattered across the wintry
landscape of savoury cep cream,
blueberry compote, with the crispy
oyster mushrooms and roasted
split hazelnuts offering a pleasant
contrast to all the smoothness. The
parmesan adds sharpness yes, and
on your third and fourth bite, you
realise the hidden but there whis-
pers of truffle oil. If there ever was
a dish that screamed Reykjavík’s
menu mantra of more is more, it
is this dish right here. But even a
curmudgeon like me is weak for this
tasty excess.
While you may be tempted to skip
classics like graflax, I implore you to
try the Iceland-Lovage (3490/ 3890
ISK) here. Incidentally, also the one
dish that nails that country-ingredi-
ent epithet.
Where foam has been villainized
off menus, one even Fiskfelgið was
accused of in the past, today they
lean towards frozen flourishes in
a successful play of textures and
temperatures as proven by their
take on graflax. Instead of thin slices
of fish, the salmon is served as hefty
ribbony wedges almost, piled over a
celeriac slaw. A quenelle of Icelan-
dic cucumber and wasabi ice cream
is meant to be scooped up with the
mussel broth, the bright lovage oil
adding a touch of spring to the en-
semble. Eaten together with the rye
crumble, it is a fun, and original take
on a treasured classic.
Some version of slow cooked trout
has always been on the menu and
at a recent outing, the Ireland-Malt
(4790/ 6390 ISK), was the table
favourite. True to the kitchen’s spirit,
the sous-vide cooked local fish is
more than what the menu reads.
Though a stout foam is promised, it
is a beer-forward sauce, with the bit-
terness of the brew shining through
all that buttery richness. The apple
jam is more fruit puree than cloying
condiment, delicately smoked, and
deftly placed, so you only catch on
to its presence while wondering
where it is coming from. The trout
roe-dill vinaigrette lends colour and
pop. Even fried sunchokes, which
I’m otherwise tired of, are a welcome
dash of earthiness here.
While I hadn’t reviewed them formal-
ly – an oversight I am now rectifying
– I have enjoyed more than one fan-
tastic meal after another at Fiskfe-
lagið. Each year, the highlight of put-
ting together our Best of Dining and
end of year Christmas festive menu
roundup are the outings here.
Complaints I have about the ex-
cesses of predictable tropes rest
easy here. The food at Fish Com-
pany is modern Icelandic in an
appeals-to-everyone way while still
being playful, fun and creative. Much
has been written about their sea-
food, their genial service, their ability
to host 25-person plus jólaparties,
sometimes two across the room,
without breaking a sweat.
But I return here again and again not
just for their skyr mousse (2890 ISK)
with strawberry broth, their melt in
the mouth lamb (5990/ 7990 ISK), or
that salad, I am often here to bask in
that more is more Reykjavik vibe.
Food Feature The Adventure Under The Bridge
Fiskfelagið is still going strong, 14 years on
Food at Fish Company is
modern Icelandic in an ap-
peals-to-everyone way while
still being playful, fun and crea-
tive.
Fiskfelagið’s affinity for nam-
ing dishes after countries with
seemingly no connection to
the ingredients proposed has
been a baffling phenomenon.
But bat away those affronting
appellations and choose what
calls to you the most.