Ethiopian food

On April 16th we went for a family meal to Minilik in Kópavogur.
It was quite different to what I expected. I knew that the food was served on flatbread, with no knife or fork for eating. What surprised me was that the bread was more like a very thing crumpet, a sort of yeast pancake really. One pancake with the dish of your choice on it, and a second pancake rolled up on the side. I had

Kik Aletcha -- Gular hálfbaunir eldaðar með fersku engifer, hvítlauk og lauk. Borið fram með turmerik sósu. Yellow split peas cooked with fresh ginger, garlic, and onion and finished with turmeric sauce..……Kr 1850

and it really didn't have a lot of flavour. The red lentil dish was much nicer I think:

Miser W'et -- Klofnar linsubaunir eldaðar með lauk, sérstakri hvítlauks- og engifersósu hússins og sterkum pipar. Split lentils cooked with onion, garlic and ginger in house special sauces and hot pepper..…….Kr 1850

The lady who does the coffee ceremony is very nice, I enjoyed talking to her while we drank the lovely coffee. I think it was a pity that we went on a Monday night, only one other table was taken and those people left soon so it was just our family. It would be more fun with lots of people and also I think it would be better to order a table of food for everyone to share instead of just separate dishes. And I think it would be best top ask for spicier food because they seem to have dumbed it down a bit too much.

The bread sat uneasily in the stomach too. I really want to like this place but I am finding it very hard. Would I go back? Yes, if invited or if other people suggested it. Probably not otherwise.

http://www.minilik.is/

Monk fish for lunch.

It has been a long time since the last Saturday lunch! Today we went to Sjávargrillið which is on Skólavörðustígur. My husband and I both had the same things - fish of the day followed by warm chocolate cake.
It was delicious! The fish was monk fish which is far from a favourite with me but this was fantastic - charred on a grill and served with root veg, lobster broth and some sort of barley risotto. Really good and at 1690 kr not price at all. Then we had warm chocolate cake with poached pears and various bits and pieces. At first I found it a little sweet but that was before I started on the raspberry sorbet :-) 1090 kr for dessert.
The website is here http://sjavargrillid.is/is/Velkomin
The evening menu is quite a bit more expensive than the lunchtime one but no more so than anywhere else. I would certainly be happy to go back and try more things. Nice friendly service too.
I really hope that this place sticks around. The location has not been very successful previously and has hosted a French bakery/cafe, a pizza place, and more recently a Brazillian grill. I think it may have found a winning concept now though.

Icelandic Fish and Chips

Not my first time here but the first time for a while. I tried to go last month, one vening after eight, but it was packed to the rafters and my daughter and I gave up and went to Kruathai instead http://www.kruathai.is/

Anyhow, I'm home alone today so I cycled into town and got there about 6:30. It was still busy but there was no queue.

I ordered haddock, garlic and basil oven fries and mustard and honey sauce. The I cycled home, snacking on potatoes on the way.

The food was delicious. I forget the price exactly but just over 2000kr. The website prices are a bit out of date http://www.fishandchips.is/

Frú Berglaug

I went into town with my husband last Saturday and we wandered down Laugavegur looking for a late lunch. I ruled out anything that was grill-based but he wanted more than a coffee shop. We settled on this place and it was great!

The service was very slow, but it was Gay Pride parade day and very sunny and warm so unusually busy probably. The food was delicious!

I had Kaupstaðar salat which was a whole heap of grilled small lobster tails, mixed salad including mango and melon, garlic bread, and a mustardy salad dressing. 1990 kr.

My husband had Humar samloka með salati which was actually very similar, minus the mango and plus balsamic glaze. 1890 kr.

We followed it with espresso coffee which was very good (love Lavazza).

I think we are sure to go back some time.

http://www.fruberglaug.is/menu.html

Scandinavian

On Saturday my husband and I dropped into Scandinavian for lunch. It was not very busy and the service was very good. They have a set menu plus five blackboards, each with an offer on it. I chose blackboard no. five which was 1/2 egg and herring and 1/2 plaice - open sandwiches that is, both on heavy, grainy rye bread. It cost 1910 kr and was very good, although I think the plaice at Jómfrúin might be better. My husband had 1/1 plaice which was about 1210 kr (forget the exact price) and scarcely larger than mine.

I would be quite happy to go back here and try it again. Some of Ómar's cousins were there too, eating fish soup and a chicken salad. It all looked delicious and they said they often went there.

The website is here http://scandinavian.is/ and you will find the place on the main shopping street Laugavegur 24.

Noodle Station hits the spot!

I've been meaning to try this place for ages. It is on Skólavörðustígur 21a, the shopping street which runs down from Hallgrímskirkja.

It is a very small place and there is a choice of chicken noodle soup or beef noodle soup. Both come in mild, medium or hot, and cost 850kr.

I had chicken noodle soup of medium strength and it was delicious. Flat noodles in a dark brown broth full of the taste of lemon grass, basil and spices. Plenty of bean sprouts in there too and chunks of chicken.

It was a large bowl of soup - I fished out the noodles and chicken first and then drank the broth. Not filling by any means but tasted really really good!

Tapas

Happy birthday to me!
After a few less then brilliant choices of where to eat on my birthday, this year I opted for Tapas Barinn on Vesturgata.
Three of us chose "óvissuferð" which consisted of:
1. Fizzy white wine
2. Four small dishes: (scallops and dates wrapped in bacon, with sweet chilli sauce); deep fried chicken strips; serrano ham with Manchego cheese; prawns with paprika
3. Trout (bleikja) with cooked paprika
4. Chicken with pesto
5. Lamb with plum sauce
6. Chocolate cake with berry compote and cream

All delicious (except the lamb with plum sauce), especially the trout I thought. Two of us chose dishes off the tapas menu and they all seemed to go down very well.
The óvissuferð is priced at 5290kr which seems pretty good for what you get. Bread with hummous/tappenade was in plentiful supply and I think we all had enough to eat without feeling totally stuffed :-)
http://tapas.is/