Eat Like Ushi

The Bergen fish market was probably one of the things I was most looking forward to visiting during my trip to Norway. The other was Preikestolen but for very different reasons.

The excessive amounts of fresh, mainly local Scandinavian seafoods on offer was tremendous. Whale steaks and skewers are happily advertised, all sorts of shellfish and fresh fish, live catches and even a caviar stand where I sampled a magnificent offering. There's also a few ready to eat sandwiches but they were less exciting. Best of all, nearly everything is available to order and be cooked fresh.

The king crab leg cost me roughly AUD30, but the meat was thick and the sweetest I've ever tasted. I will go so far to say this crab I would prefer over lobster. That didn't stop me from buying my own live lobster to be grilled to complete my morning trawling.

I can't wait to go back. Given the location, it may be a while though.

For some reason I'd been reading about a hotdog stand in Bergen. I'm not entirely sure why, but I distinctly remember reading about these little gems. Perhaps it's where the drunken go at night, similar to a Stalactites or China Bar in Melbourne. In any case I'm pretty sure there was even a post somewhere saying these were good to eat sober.

Even though the location is along one of the main walkways between my hostel and the waterside, I seemed to miss it the first few times coming past. Maybe it looked so shady that I expected something better.

Who could go past a Reinsdyr polse? Not me. It was a nice meaty thing topped with onions, the usual sauces and served in a standard white bun. Not as exciting as the MEATmarket dog, but at that point in life I hadn't discovered that yet...

Despite the incredible price tag on food in Norway, the actual quality of the seafood (almost) makes it worthwhile. Whilst in Bergen, I had to treat myself to one nice seafood meal and the online reading seemed to lead me toward Enhjorningen. This place translates into "Unicorn" - I'm not sure of the significance of that other than it's a pretty sounding name. The location along a line of colourful houses next to the waterside makes the area particularly nice to stroll down in the evening and nighttime.

The setting is warm, cosy and a little fine. The price point was probably reflected by the largely older (and probably richer) business-looking people willing to pay these prices. I'm sure they felt perfectly comfortable with me sitting in the corner taking photos of things.

- Hval Carpaccio (carpaccio of smoked whale from Lofoten) NOK130 - unlike in Japan, these guys eat local whale as part of their natural diet. They aren't endangered and everybody seems to get along. It's an unusually flavoured meat though in this dish dressed with many different textures and toppings;
- Enhjorningen Fiskesuppe (fish soup prepared from choice fish stocks, flavoured with saffron & served with fish & shellfish) NOK110 - rich beautiful coloured soup though marginally not as strong in flavour as I tend to like;
- Fiske Trio (salmon, halibut & catfish, steamed & served with two sauces) NOK320 - delicate fish cooked well to tenderness and sourcream and mushroom sauces to mop up with. It came with a big load of side potatoes just in case I had any intention of remaining hungry.

Overall a nice meal and the restaurant I remember most in Norway. If you're going to blow cash in one place in Bergen, this isn't a bad option. The other alternative on my list was Boha, which has a 6 course menu.

Next time I would order the house mussel soup to try and probably the fish trio again (3 varieties is better than 1 right?).

Set along the lovely open plaza of Youngstorget, situated funnily enough across from my other lunch venue in Oslo (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/fiskeriet-oslo-08-2012) is Fyret. I was on the hunt for more local seafood offerings to take advantage of the Scandinavian waters and it was a beautiful sunny (although not overly warm) day to people watch and enjoy life.

- Lofot Burger (catfish burger served on bun with salad and garlic, salad dressed with shrimps, freshly steamed mussels & mustard sauce on the side. Topped with lemon, fresh dill & leek) NOK135 - delicious fish burger and those little shrimps are so full of flavour;
- Panfried potatoes NOK25 - flavoursome, lovely and crisp. Probably made the meal for 1 a little too large and decadent.

Next time I would order the burger meal again or try the seafood salad. Give me more seafood and shrimps.

Living in London has meant that it isn't too difficult for me to find fish and chipperies giving off their sweet fried scent to fill the streets. When I read about some of the best fish and chips around in Oslo, it was worth a big map mark and a circle to ensure I didn't forget it.

Set in a nice plaza that fills with lovely sunshine on a lucky weather day, Fiskeriet doubles as a fishmonger and a lunch venue (officially closes at 6pm, although I did see it open well beyond on a warm evening).

What impressed me once I sat down and looked at the menu was how *normal* the prices seemed. 6 oysters for 110NOK (approx. AUD18) and takeaway fish and chips for 89NOK (approx. AUD15) are prices I'd be content with anywhere else in the world. I did feel the need to sit and enjoy the bar seating which meant I paid 149NOK for my fish and chips - seemed like a slightly excessive surcharge, but still reasonably cheap for any sitdown meal in Oslo.

The fish this day was halibut, crispy fried in a lovely seasoned batter and topped with salt flakes and coriander. Wonderful. The chips were standard, nothing particularly special to say about them. I also had 6 strong oysters from France (fin de clair, as I found out Norway has no local oysters at all) which made it a very satisfying meal altogether.

Next time I would order fish and chips to takeaway and sit in the plaza to absorb some atmosphere.

This small collection of bakeries is well reputed. On a short city break in Oslo, it makes good sense to stop through one of these. Sure, bread isn't a particularly Norwegian specialty but Scandanavia seems to do it particularly well as I've tasted in each of the restaurants that serves it as a complimentary. Additionally you can use this place as somewhere nice to stop and have a coffee, calorie hit and breather, as well as get some goodies to take away to eat in the park overlooking the Palace and city nearby. Lastly, it is more affordable than any cafe/restaurant for lunch you might otherwise be considering.

I had a croque monsieur which was standard but satisfying. It wasn't the best quality ham nor the cheese as strong as I'd like, but my stomach still appreciated it. I also had a croissant for late which was decent (not as buttery as the best I've had) and a muesli/seeded roll that was a great afternoon (and breakfast the next morning) snack.

Next time I would order the cinnamon buns. I didn't realise this was a particular special of these bakeries, so would have to try it if I was back again. Otherwise I'm sure it won't be too difficult to find something you like.