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2019-01-28
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The first venture of chef Bjorn Frantzen's outside of Sweden combines casual bustling vibe with exquisitely crafted food. It's a great pleasure to enjoy, but for this price, I would love the seats to be a bit more comfy and spacious... It's my wife's birthday and i booked a table online quite easily about 1 week ahead. It was around 12 pm and the restaurant was quiet and not too crowded. But all tables are filled by 1:15pm when it feels a little cramped and quite noisy. But of course, it never c
It's my wife's birthday and i booked a table online quite easily about 1 week ahead. It was around 12 pm and the restaurant was quiet and not too crowded. But all tables are filled by 1:15pm when it feels a little cramped and quite noisy. But of course, it never claims to be an exclusive "fine dining" restaurant, so that the noise and the crowd should be expected.
crispy flatbread (pistoccu?) with caramelized butter
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The meal starts with a complement amuse-bouche which is available for Saturday lunches only -- soft-poached egg yolk with tangy cream cheese topped with caviar and edible glitters. The egg yolk is cooked perfectly -- not runny and not stiff. It's like onsen tamago. The cream cheese works with the yolk in terms of texture, while the caviar bursts with briny fish flavour. This course really raises the expectation for the rest of the meal.
amuse-bouche -- egg yolk, cream cheese, caviar
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Oyster 63.4°C is poached to perfect doneness, dressed in a smoked cream sauce and sea buckthorn oil, garnished with fingerlime and edible flowers. It looks amazing and tastes divine. The cream sauce isn't too thick, so that it's creamy without feeling greasy. And to be honest, I never tasted fingerlime and sea buckthorn elsewhere. The former is citrusy and tart to cut through the richness of the cream sauce. The latter is an orange oil tasting like sour berries. All in all, a well-executed course with layers of flavours and contrasting textures.
Oyster 63.4 °C
$85
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The signature Swedish sushi is lichens, raw roe deer meat, cep mayo, shavings of frozen bird liver and hay ash stacked on top of each other. The texture is amusing -- it's hard to compare it with any other food actually. The lichens are like dragon beard candy somehow -- dry, crisp, without strong flavour. Then the very thin slice of roe deer meat is like any venison. It's not gamey at all, but with a meaty taste. The cep mayo can do with stronger mushroom flavour in my opinion. It moistens the lichens when eaten together. Finally, I can't taste the liver shaving at all. The one-bite course has interesting texture, but I won't mind if the liver or the cep tastes stronger.
Swedish sushi
$80
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For "to begin" courses (meaning slightly bigger appetizers), we ordered Hokkaido scallops, Cold-poached blue lobster and veal tartare.
The scallops are perfectly seared with an undercooked centre (just the way I prefer). The hazelnut butter and the burnt bread pudding surprisingly taste like some kind of meat or mushroom stock, which is interesting. The caramelized cauliflower foam and puree also add to the texture and flavours of the dish. Another highlight of the meal.
pan-fried scallop with hazelnut butter, burnt bread pudding and cauliflower four ways
$220
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The blue lobster isn't bad, but it's a bit expected in taste and texture, so that it's not as surprising as other courses. The lobster is poached to perfect doneness, dressed in an aromatic oil with herbs and mint, and tossed with marinated tomato and peach. It's fruity and tangy with a refreshing palate that complements the delicate lobster.
blue lobsters with tomato and peach ceviche, mint and herbs
$225
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The veal tartare looks like it's chopped-up beef with greens and caviar. But there's one surprise element -- the deep-fried crispy shreds of beef brisket. They add a lovely crunch and intense meaty flavour to the dish. The miso and hazelnut mayo is actually less intense than it sounds as the miso flavour is quite subdue.
veal tartare with shards of deep fried beef brisket, caviar, greens, miso and hazelnut mayo
$225
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For "continued" course (meaning a small-sized main), we ordered the cod and the hay-poached chicken.
The cod is perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. It is drenched in a creamy butter sauce with bits of morel mushrooms, spinach and pea sprouts. Again, it's not bad, but definitely not very memorable when compared with other courses. To put it plainly, it's just an ordinary fish dish in a cream sauce. The morels don't add any taste. The young pea sprouts are a bit grassy in taste. And the presentation could be better IMO... This is the let-down of the whole meal.
Cod, morels, beurre blanc sauce, hazelnut oil, spinach & peas.
$225
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On the other hand, the hay-poached chicken is a nice surprise. The chicken is silky and juicy. The scrambled egg is nothing like scrambled egg at all -- rich, creamy and tasty like a well-made mashed potato. The seasoning with white soy and wild mushroom is spot on, punchy, but not overpowering. And the crispy wafer of toasted chicken skin is the icing on the cake. All in all, a well-thought out dish with complex flavours and textures that complement each other.
hay poached chicken
$225
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When I booked online, I mentioned it was my wife's birthday and the restaurant is kind enough to give us each a slice of complementary cake. It's chocolate mousse with mandarin panna cotta. Honestly, the desserts on the menu should taste better. But as it's on the house, I can't complain too much...
complementary slice of birthday cake
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Next time around, I'd try the set lunch instead as it offers great value (about $200 off the same items ordered a la carte). All in all, a great experience. The food is awesome, the sommelier was knowledgeable, only the seats are not very comfortable...
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