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Despite its name, the Fish Company translates a whole range of Icelandic produce into an internationally flavored menu.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Fish Company) |
Gorge yourself on Korean-Portuguese fusion at K-Bar, an upscale dive bar on Laugavegur’s east end, away from the main action. The usual Korean suspects are on offer here�bulgogi sliders (from $15), bibimbap hot-pot fried rice with Sriracha (from $26)�plus a few Japanese-leaning dishes, like tonkotsu ramen in a 16-hour broth (from $20). The space has a vintage vibe, with reclaimed-wood and copper-sided tables, a wall of color-coded books, and industrial hanging lamps. Cocktails like the Kim-Jong Collins�gin, ginger beer, and orange zest�are tasty, though they cost about $20 with Iceland’s steep import fees. Drop by happy hour, instead, from 4 to 6 p.m., and order a local draft, like Boli lager, for $6 with a bowl of Korean Fire Chicken (KFC)�that’s spicy garlic and soy-sauce-marinated wings�for just four more bucks.
Savor umami flavors at Reykjavík’s first Tibetan restaurant, Ramen Momo, a harborside hole-in-the-wall run by two Tibetan chefs who flavor their food with Himalayan spices like Szechuan pepper. Slide onto one of the four stools at the counter and choose from five broths�beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or tofu�which are prepared fresh each day. All dishes are made to order by the two owner-chefs. Order the vegan ramen (from $15) topped with homemade ginger and chile sauce, fresh carrots and sliced radish, bean sprouts, and kombu seaweed, then served with the traditional wooden spoon, shaped like a ladle. On sunny days, take your bowls to the makeshift terrace and split thick, chewy Momo dumplings (from $12 for six), stuffed with chicken or veggies, and Tigmo (from $15), Tibetan sandwiches made with soft and sticky steamed bread.
Splurge on a locavore dinner at The Fish Company, which harvests the island’s meat, fish, and produce to create internationally themed dishes. A France-inspired starter takes locally sourced beef tartare and adds fried foie gras and smoked bone marrow with a rye-bread biscuit (from $35); the Fiji starter is boiled fish soup with langoustine, grilled monkfish, coconut jelly, and Icelandic seaweed (from $23). The atmosphere leans rustic and eclectic, with exposed wood pillars and beams, green velvet chaises, and a plastic moose head on one brick wall. Try the �Ireland� main course for lobster-filled arctic char and fried scallops with smoked apples and potato-turnip mousse (from $47), while lounging in one of the goldenrod banquettes. The restaurant’s imaginative, rotating �Around the World� prix fixe menu (from $94 per person) is worth its price tag: The current Italy menu features creamy, Icelandic barley risotto, salt cod with a wild-mushroom foam, limoncello ice cream, and a deconstructed raspberry tiramisu, followed by a macchiato on the back patio.