DESPITE ITS VOLCANIC
landscape, there’s
a surprising abundance of high-grade
produce in Iceland. That’s why VOX,
one of Reykjavik’s few real fine dining
restaurants, can execute New Nordic
cooking with such aplomb.
In case you didn’t know, this culinary
style, pioneered by top restaurants in
Stockholm and Copenhagen, focuses
on simple cooking and seasonal, local
SushiSamba
London
—
Fusion—
From €50
THERE’S A DISTINCTLY
Big Apple flavour to SushiSamba. Sitting
on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower, the view is every bit as
giddying as anything found in New York. It’s a heart-in-mouth
feeling to be so high in a city not known for it’s elevated vantage
points and the sensation is amplified by a slightly stomach-
churning journey in the high-speed lift that gets you up there.
Then there’s the menu. Blending Japanese, Brazilian and
Peruvian influences, it’s pure NYC. In fact, the chain actually
started life there in 1999, so you get the vibe: slightly urban and
hugely sophisticated – a first-date kind of place for a certain type
of well turned out professional.
Question is: does the food work? Normally, such culinary
meddlings are damnable. And yet… SushiSamba is a triumph.
The menu divides into large and small dishes. From the small,
the glazed pork belly wraps stood out, bundles of sweet, sticky
joy, each sitting on a mouthful of lettuce perfect for sharing.
Yellowtail tiradito was another success. Like a spicy cross
between sashimi and ceviche (Peruvian raw fish), it was fresh
and citrusy, with requisite bite. Finally, moqueca mista, a Brazilian
speciality, was the pick of the big plates – a rich seafood stew,
similar to paella, but with a delicious chimichurri and coconut kick.
This is billed as fusion, but the cross-pollination is subtle: a
mix of spices here, a technique borrowed there. It’s a bit like the
restaurant itself: they’ve combined a culinary concept from the
USA with a dazzling London view and the result is a winner.
110
Bishopsgate, London, EC2; tel: +44 (0)203 640 7330,
sushisamba.com
VOX
Reykjavik
—
Nordic—
From €30
R E S T A U R A N T
R E V I E W S
ingredients. Here that means meat, such
as reindeer, which is given a modern twist
with wild mushrooms, beetroot, cabbage
and smoked marrow. Vegetarians are
rarely catered for in Scandi circles, but
the root vegetable course was a highlight.
VOX fans include Yoko Ono, but that
shouldn’t be a surprise: Sigurdur Kristinn
Laufdal Haraldsson, at the helm in the
kitchen, was 2011 Icelandic chef of the
year. Be sure to end with a shot of Birkir, a
birch schnapps to warm you through.
2
Sudurlandsbraut, Reykjavik;
tel: +354 444 5050, vox.is
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V I E W P O I N T S
