Eat Like Ushi

Kaffivagninn was on my list and on a lazy Sunday morning it seemed a good place given the more isolated location, close to the apartment, close to Valdis and serving good fishy food. I read the website and saw that all meals also included soup and coffee which made the deal even better, however discovered upon arrival that this was only on weekdays. Nonetheless the Malaysian manager and all staff were very pleasant. Given the more westward location and quiet season, it was easy to find a seat and ponder outwards into the harbour.

The menu consisted of a few breakfast items, the main lunch menu, Danish open sandwiches on rye, and a really nice looking selection of sweets including Icelandic donuts and a Skyr cheesecake, neither of which I was able to try.

- Odins Fish Soup 2490ISK - a hearty warm soup flavoured with curry powder and cream. The fish pieces were nice and the overall broth was nicely flavoured and not overly fishy;
- Fish & chips (with remoulade, mustard sauce, cocktail sauce) 2690ISK - not sure what fish it was (I think cod) and it was breaded to look like fried chicken. The taste was mild and the fish itself was a little tougher than I would like. The remoulade had a little curry flavour and the mustard sauce some chopped pickles in it. Fries weren't the crispiest but adequately tasty;
- The Kaffivagninn Fishpan (cod loin au gratin with shrimp, bernaise, potatoes) 2990ISK - sticking to a dish with the restaurant name in it is always quite safe and this dish was a winner. Served in a hot pan the beautifully tender cod was covered with a not-too-strongly-flavoured cheesy gratin and little shrimp. The potatoes and cod lay in a translucent butter and the lemon juice helped to balance the flavours of salty, buttery with tangy. Excellent.

Good food at reasonable prices in a nice location. I would have liked to stay for dessert, now that I know a repeat trip to Valdis probably isn't for me.

0 degrees may not seem like the most obvious temperature to enjoy icecream, but it is really the time and opportunity that is most important. On the way back from lunch toward the airport pickup was really the final opportunity and the beauty of freezing temperatures is that the icecream doesn't melt. You have a long time to eat and enjoy it slowly and each lick doesn't end up with runny bits sliding down the side.

Valdis is well reputed for icecream in Reykjavik and the off-centre location and season meant it was empty. Although I like to try local flavours, they were all some variation of licorice (salted, strong, Danish) and that really wasn't my feeling. I wouldn't have minded trying a sample if I had more time.

So the strawberry cheesecake oreo on a thin crispy waffle cone was the order of the day and it was a nice mix of swirly colours, mildly sweet berry and soft mushy oreo (which I didn't particularly like) inside. The texture was clean and smooth with no ice bits. Overall good quality makers although their flavour profiles probably aren't so much for me.

There was time (and budget) for one nice meal in Reykjavik and after much deliberation with myself, ended up here. It was on my list of places and had also been recommended by the driver of the airport pickup. I wanted somewhere to try puffin and minke whale and the options were actually quite limited for somewhere that had both of these in reasonable form and other dishes to complete the meal. Besides Grillmarkadurinn, Fishmarkadurinn (their sister restaurant) was an option but all of the mains seemed like quite standard fish dishes at a high price, and Tapas Barinn or Smakkbarinn but their other dishes weren't overly appealing. Matarkjallarinn was very closely at the top but had puffin (and goose) but no whale, and Matur og Drykkur was the other frontrunner with a very interesting local menu (sheep dung smoked trout and cod's head) with an even better value lunch menu but had no puffin or whale.

After a lost walk around the corner, we finally found the entrance into the courtyard and restaurant. There is definite mood lighting with the downstairs area being busy but nicer looking, upstairs more private, and the open bar in front of the flaming fires of the grill. We were upstairs in a dark quiet corner and there was a little bit of neglect at the start that was balanced out by several welfare checks during the meal.

I really wanted the minke whale steak and grilled puffin dishes to get the full force of their flavours, but my partner wanted to mini burgers to get reindeer also. Reindeer is deer/venison everywhere else. Hmmpf.

Warm simple rye bread was served with strong butter and slightly unusually tasting black salt. Delicious savoury start. My Thorsmork cocktail consisted of Black Death brennivin, bjork liqueur, blueberry juice and blueberries with large sprigs of thyme. The concoction was beautiful and slightly sweet and a wonderful showcase of the local alcohols.

- Minke whale, puffin & reindeer mini burgers (with pesto & horseradish mayo) 3790ISK - the deer tasted like mild meat, the puffin like mild beef, and the whale like extremely fishy tuna/beef. I didn't mind any of them but would've preferred the chance the try the puffin and whale in their full forms. The bread was dry and not the most exciting;
- Angelica lamb skewer from Halla at Ytri Fagridalur (with red onion & marinated in szechuan) 2190ISK - these heavily barbecued lamb chunks were quite chewy and not the best representation of the island's tender lamb quality. The flavour was of strong char although the onion did lighten it a bit;
- Grilled pork ribs from Geir Gunnar at Valla (with Grillmarket dressing, served with chili rice cakes, drizzled with honey) 3290ISK - this should be a main rather than a starter for the size. The pork ribs were beautifully soft and fell off the bone and flavoured with sweetness and lying on a bed of chilli salsa. The orange powdered rice cakes added a fine crunchy texture. Exceptional and reminiscent of those wonderous ribs at The Slanted Door (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/the-slanted-door-san-francisco-10-2011);
- Shellfish soup (Icelandic shrimps, mini scallops, lobster) 2790ISK - far from the mushy langoustines at Hali Country Hotel, these meat morsels were firm and full of flavour. The shrimps and scallops added more texture and flavour and the stock was a rich orange creation full of shellfish flavour;
- Horse tenderloin (with Grillmarket fries, panfried vegetables, mushroom glaze) 6790ISK - I wasn't overly wanting to eat horse again as I felt I was satisfied with the effort in Slovenia (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/gostilna-s-prenocisci-malovec-divaca-10-2012). But the other choices were beef and that's even less local. So I opted for the furry creatures and am glad I did. Far from the gamey strong version in Slovenia, this horse had a more delicate flavour like a strong-flavoured beef (not salty, not overly strong in itself) and more tender than the beef eye fillet. I suppose these horses stand around the farms a lot and don't do the same amount of work as in other countries with more favourable climate? Even more impressive were the ridiculous french fries with these fluffy heavily buttery crisp coatings and the Icelandic wasabi with its mildly hot but pure clean taste. The mushroom glaze and vegetables were additions but the stars were the other 3.

It was an excellent meal other than the lamb skewers. I'd happily go back and get the whale and puffin entrees to truly experience their flavours and the horse tenderloin. The pork ribs and shellfish soup were both outstanding too although less specific to Iceland so I suppose I'd have to forego those if necessary.

I had listed The Laundromat as a place to eat breakfast in Reykjavik. The dirty breakfast does have all the elements that would make a memorable morning meal but the price at 2990ISK was a little prohibitive. Nonetheless it's a very cute place with the walls plastered with photos of laundromats with their signs saying Laundromat from around the world. It's definitely a nice touch.

There are plenty of people have food, drinks or playing on Macbooks in the cafe and the shelves are adorned with old books.

Coffee (I'm told) was good and they even re-steamed my dad's one to make it extra hot.

I was interested in the chai latte but the waitress told me it was sweet and made from powder, so I can only assume that it is as far from the chai I like as could be. It did allow me to order a Beetroot smoothie 1090ISK with its thick red colour and smooth texture revealing clear notes of beetroot, sweet berry, banana and coconut. It was remarkably good.

During the 4 day, 3 night tour of the south coast, I had planned for one "luxury" (ie. very expensive) night in a hotel. I chose Hali because it was the pickup point for the planned Ice Cave tour the next morning (even though it was cancelled that night). Nonetheless the location was good for exploring but I'd probably choose one of the cheaper venues in the area next time knowing what I know now.

The 2 bedroom apartment actually had a nice kitchen and dining area so it was a shame not to take advantage of that with the location along the beach (albeit dark and cold). But along with the luxury stay, I planned a luxury dinner at luxury prices just for the one evening. I was a little surprised to find that Hali is more of a farm rather than any kind of fine hotel. The dinner menu was small but seemed to take advantage of some local (ie. a hundred metres away) produce. In fact, the lamb all congregated in the pen next to the apartment.

- Selection of langoustine tails (with toast, salad, garlic sauce) 6200ISK - a very disappointing version of these tails with a decent flavour but very mushy texture. Considering it is the premier seafood item and the most costly on the menu, this was very unfortunate;
- Arctic Char Combo from the farm Hali (with bread, salad, garlic sauce) 4300ISK - smoked char was very mild in smoke and flavour and similar to salmon in texture. The steamed char was also similar to a much thinner and slightly less meaty salmon and was cooked well and very soft. It was excellent;
- Grilled Lamb from the farm Hali (with potatoes, gravy, vegetables, homemade rhubarb jam) 4800ISK - reasonably tender but very salty. Not the best showcase of the national meat;
- Hot chocolate cake 1500ISK - really excellent with firm outside and soft molten chocolate inside, quite sweet and very chocolate-y. The icecream was quite standard and balanced the heavy chocolate well.

A double shot bottle of brennivin (Black Death) 1500ISK was sampled with its mild sweet and aniseed flavour. I can't imagine pairing it with fermented shark. Maybe it's just an Icelandic thing.

Overall the food was ok but seemed quite poor for value. Due to the cost of restaurants around the country, I didn't eat out at too many Icelandic restaurants and so it is difficult to gauge the direct comparison however I definitely had better lamb at a buffet and langoustine bits at Grillmarkadurinn. There isn't much other choice in the area so if I had the apartment again I'd cook and enjoy the lovely living/dining area there instead.

The next morning the included breakfast buffet had a large selection of muesli/cereal, cold meats and cheeses, and hot food. The hot food was clearly my favourite with average scrambled eggs, some tasty bacon, baked beans and frankfurts. The bread was warm and freshly baked to soak up the food. I wished there was options of fresh fruit but unfortunately they only had what appeared to be diced fruit in sweet syrup, ie. from a can.

Looking for a reasonably priced meal in Iceland is difficult. Considering the numerical figure of prices in ISK have gone up and that the exchange has increased in their favour by about 40% in the past 5 years, there's no wonder it has probably overtaken the other Scandinavian countries in terms of expense.

$30 for an entree and $50 for a main? Sure. That's standard.

Anyway there's street food to find (whether from booths or actual sit-downs) and this place is one of them. They serve soup in a bread bowl with unlimited refills. And the staff aren't disgruntled about overzealous drinkers - they refill happily and if your bread bowl is near death or destruction then the refill comes in a bowl. Simple.

- Traditional lamb soup in a bread bowl ISK1890 - a deeply heartening soup with strong salty flavours and tender soft chunks of lamb. Truly lovely;
- Shellfish soup in a bread bowl ISK1890 - a creamy bisque with tiny prawns and lucky pieces of soft scallops. A complete different flavour to the lamb (obviously) but equivalently excellent;
- Fisherman's fav ISK2000 - I'm not sure if they offer free refills of this but you can get more bread. The rye slices were unusually sweet - perhaps that's how they have it here. The actual dish is a mash of cod and potato. It's alright but the soups are better (and cheaper).

It's easy to see why people flock here in the humidity to fill themselves with soup. There is also some little chocolate pastries, chocolate lollies and some licorice to finish for free.

I never had the pleasure of visiting Kricket in Brixton and now that it is closed, I'm glad the Soho edition allows bookings and has excellent food at relatively reasonable prices. I've only tried once to get into it without a booking and the wait during a Saturday night in May was 2.5 hours. Hmm so I ended up waiting 8 months instead.

The downstairs communal tables are in a nice relaxed space. For a winter Thursday evening up until 7.15pm we didn't have anyone sitting next to us, which I thought was unusual. The drink Dark Matter (spiced rum, mango, agave, red peppercorn, chilli) £9 was an excellent drink complete with fruity feels and a pepper taste and a chilli heat aftertaste.

- Samphire pakoras, date & tamarind chutney, chilli garlic mayonnaise £6 - little seaweed type things albeit fried so the sea flavour wasn't evident with a nice tamarind finish and some optional mayo;
- Bhel puri, raw mango, tamarind, sev, yoghurt £5.5 - a delicious concoction of puffed rice and other dry bits bound together with sauces. Reminiscent of the ones I had in India, just more refined;
- Jerusalem artichoke & pea samosa £6 for 2 - piping hot insides with a slightly chunky texture and an excellent tamarind chutney to swathe it through. Expensive at £3 each but really enjoyed it;
- Masala kulcha bread £3.5 - a puffy soft and gelatinous bread with a little ghee and spice. Lovely;
- Cockle thoran, coconut & curry leaf £7 - strong creamy seafood taste with some coconut and curry coming through;
- Karnathan mussels £10 - small shells but they were full of mussel in a quite spicy tomato-based curry sauce;
- Keralan fried chicken, curry leaf mayonnaise, pickle mouli £8.5 - very salty and tender pieces of chicken;
- Green chilli, garlic, Berkswell kulcha bread £4 - although more interesting sounding than the masala kulcha, I didn't like it as much. The chilli wasn't discernible and the cheese on top I didn't feel added much;
- Goose vindaloo, brussel sprout thoran £13 - they substituted duck for the goose without telling us. The goose itself was the main factor for ordering it as it isn't a common thing I find being offered. The duck itself was perfectly pink and delicious, a little (too) chewy, and a small bit of fat. The vindaloo had a mild flavour and much less spiciness than is typical. But the flavour still had clear noted to vindaloo and so I suppose it's an interpretation...

Overall the bill for 4 was £92 which included £12 of service and £15 for drinks. That's pretty damn good for anywhere in London. I'll happily be back here. I'd hope there would be goose available and would also want to try the garlic crab and venison keema.

I went to Bobby Chinn's restaurant in Hanoi back in 2011 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/restaurant-bobby-chinn-hanoi-01-2011). It was the one splurge meal in Vietnam and the glowing red lights, the quirky magnifying glasses and my partner being told "you are beautiful" throughout the night made it memorable in addition to the food which was a definite different Western take on Vietnamese food.

I read Bobby closed that restaurant to open in London and for whatever reason has now left House of Ho but left behind a similar Vietnamese legacy to continue.

For the quiet Christmas/January winter months, Timeout had a special £12 cocktail + 2 tapas offer to lure in customers. Considering a cocktail is about £10 alone, the deal isn't bad. I  the serving size of each tapas is probably about half what the full sized dish is. Therefore the retail price of the deal is probably around £18. The tapas alone wasn't enough of a meal and so generous bowls of pho were ordered additionally.

The shining light is that all cocktails in the menu are available to choose from and there's a few nice options - Pandan Ho-Lada had a mild alcohol taste with a good amount of pineapple and an aftertaste of coconut. The pandan wasn't overly discernible. Saigon Lantern was a stronger drink with sour notes.

- Crispy squid with chilli & sea salt - tasty but very salty. The coriander and sweet chilli sauce helped to balance it out (as did the cocktails);
- Duck bun bao - a little disappointing to have one small bao. The flavour was similar to the standard char siu and it wasn't obvious by flavour or texture that it was upgraded from pork to duck;
- Sea bass & prawn dumplings - definite strong fish and prawn flavours within the dumpling;
- Hanoi duck spring roll - lots of shredded duck fried in a soft pastry with a light hoisin sauce;
- Beef pho £11 and Chicken pho £9.5 - identical mildly spiced soups topped with beef brisket (no sirloin) or chicken breast. The meats were ok without being outstandingly tender and it was nice to have beanshoots and mint (but no Thai basil). It was served with fish sauce and soy sauce (oddly) and also the standard chilli sauce.

It was a decent flavoured meal and I'd be happy to eat there again. It is on the more expensive side particularly for what looks like the signature dishes in shaking beef £23.5 or Chilean sea bass £32. I may wait until a deal is on again...

Cay Tre probably has a stronger flavour pho in my opinion but that may be due to some MSG.

I first discovered Yum Bun online and then in person at Broadway Market (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/broadway-market-london-2012-2013). In fact, I made my maiden trek to this market just to try them. As I had visited David Chang's Momofuku a year earlier, I was surprised (and amazed) to find I enjoyed the Yum Bun versions more. Maybe it was the cold weather and rain, but they were so very great.

As the months went on, I visited Broadway several times for the buns, but they seemed to appear there less and less (including on my birthday in 2012 which I was bitterly disappointed). Eventually they opened the store front and it became apparent.

The buns were as good as ever, better than the USA, Melbourne and other parts of London and Europe that were doing them. They are still my favourite and will remain so. Despite a few different flavours, the original pork belly will always be the best. One particular time the pork had a crisp textural shell. I thought it was skin, but the owner told me they never use skin and so it must have been crispened by the grilling. I'll have to remember to ask for that every time.

It's a shame the store has now closed.

01-2018

It's been a long time since Yum Bun graced my lips and in that time it appears Bao has become the premier bun place (even though I haven't tried it). The revamp of the foodie section of Spitalfields gave me a good opportunity to try again my lost lust.

£7.5 for 2 buns or £9 to include the meal (salad) and an extra £1 for a flavoursome soup (not miso but equivalently nice).

Unfortunately the bun quality has deteriorated over the years. Firstly the pork bun no longer comes with hoisin but instead used another sauce (plum sauce I think) which changes the flavour completely and not for the better. The pork is smaller but still reasonable sized but look at those tatty broken peeled buns. Compare with the beauty of the originals from Broadway Schoolyard market or the store near Old St and there is a significant difference.

Tofu was heavily fried and had very slight flavour.

Despite that, it had the longest queues in Spitalfields so maybe not everyone shares my view (or my nostalgia).