Dinner at Vid Tjornina
I had noticed Vid Tjornina, a block from the hotel, during my ramble that first afternoon in Reykjavik, while I was waiting for J. to arrive. Both of our guidebooks agreed that it was the place for good, interesting fish, so we wandered over there this evening.
The atmosphere is that of a home last decorated in the 1950's, complete with Icelandic lounge music (we heard "My Beautiful Balloon," among other hits of the era). The only modern note is the collection of abstract oil paintings that decorates the stairs, with a pricelist at the top.
We were seated in the lounge and offered drinks and menus. Having decided to go with the five-course tasting menu, we were then escorted to our table--glass-topped over a hand-embroidered tablecloth, surrounded by photographs of anonymous babies and loomed over by a stone sculpture of a fish--and brought our first course, a delicious fish soup. Filled with bits of plaice and salmon, it had a creamy texture, but lighter than a bisque or Portuguese fish soup and without the smoky flavor of either. It was garnished with a dash of cilantro, used lightly enough to be a nice surprise, rather than an overwhelming flavor.
The second course was a plate of smoked breast of guillemot (a black & white waterbird), over a mix of seeds and apple, with a very mild horseradish cream which set off the strong, gamey flavor of the meat.
The third course was a puff pastry filled with salted cod mousse, served with a sauteed langoustine tail, with dollops of a citrus-flavored sauce and a few small leaves of greens. The langoustine had a wonderful taste, and the smooth saltiness of the mousse was a nice contrast to the flaky pastry.
Our main dish was the house signature: pan-fried plaice with banana in a blue cheese sauce. Surprisingly, J. liked it better than I did, although he's not usually a fan of the blues. I think he enjoyed the balance between the banana and the sauce, while I found the banana too sweet for the fish. The plaice itself was delightful--crisp on the outside with a perfectly creamy interior.
For dessert they gave us a small square of chocolate cake, dense enough that I could think of it as a brownie (which I like, as opposed to chocolate cake, which I do not) and enjoy it along with the thick whipped cream and drizzle of raspberry and orange coulis. A scattering of small, green grapes provided a fresh, slightly sour taste that balanced out the heaviness of the cake beautifully.
Being the only ones left in the dining room, we got into some conversation with our waitress, starting when I told her that her shoes (black with white polkadots--matching her skirt) were fabulous. She was very pleasant, but seemed almost startlingly modern with her brush-cut hair, in that setting. I wonder now if she painted the pieces in the stairwell, but didn't think to ask at the time.
We passed up coffee and headed out into a lovely evening. We strolled back to our hotel in a warm rain too light to trouble with putting up our umbrella.
The atmosphere is that of a home last decorated in the 1950's, complete with Icelandic lounge music (we heard "My Beautiful Balloon," among other hits of the era). The only modern note is the collection of abstract oil paintings that decorates the stairs, with a pricelist at the top.
We were seated in the lounge and offered drinks and menus. Having decided to go with the five-course tasting menu, we were then escorted to our table--glass-topped over a hand-embroidered tablecloth, surrounded by photographs of anonymous babies and loomed over by a stone sculpture of a fish--and brought our first course, a delicious fish soup. Filled with bits of plaice and salmon, it had a creamy texture, but lighter than a bisque or Portuguese fish soup and without the smoky flavor of either. It was garnished with a dash of cilantro, used lightly enough to be a nice surprise, rather than an overwhelming flavor.
The second course was a plate of smoked breast of guillemot (a black & white waterbird), over a mix of seeds and apple, with a very mild horseradish cream which set off the strong, gamey flavor of the meat.
The third course was a puff pastry filled with salted cod mousse, served with a sauteed langoustine tail, with dollops of a citrus-flavored sauce and a few small leaves of greens. The langoustine had a wonderful taste, and the smooth saltiness of the mousse was a nice contrast to the flaky pastry.
Our main dish was the house signature: pan-fried plaice with banana in a blue cheese sauce. Surprisingly, J. liked it better than I did, although he's not usually a fan of the blues. I think he enjoyed the balance between the banana and the sauce, while I found the banana too sweet for the fish. The plaice itself was delightful--crisp on the outside with a perfectly creamy interior.
For dessert they gave us a small square of chocolate cake, dense enough that I could think of it as a brownie (which I like, as opposed to chocolate cake, which I do not) and enjoy it along with the thick whipped cream and drizzle of raspberry and orange coulis. A scattering of small, green grapes provided a fresh, slightly sour taste that balanced out the heaviness of the cake beautifully.
Being the only ones left in the dining room, we got into some conversation with our waitress, starting when I told her that her shoes (black with white polkadots--matching her skirt) were fabulous. She was very pleasant, but seemed almost startlingly modern with her brush-cut hair, in that setting. I wonder now if she painted the pieces in the stairwell, but didn't think to ask at the time.
We passed up coffee and headed out into a lovely evening. We strolled back to our hotel in a warm rain too light to trouble with putting up our umbrella.