S1:E1 | Reykjavík

A New Snow

By Nathan Tsai

March 18^th, 2017

Four Landscapes

The flight from San Francisco to Reykjavík was uneventful. The flight passed slowly. I would doze off, wake suddenly, peer through the window, and be greeted by an entirely new snapshot of the world beneath me.

Seven hours into the flight, the captain announced, "Folks, if you would look out the right side windows, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights." We obediently flocked around the few windows that had a view of the Aurora Borealis and one-by-one, we saw the fleeting green glow pass us by.

Touchdown

The plane that hauled us to this ice-covered rock of an island was an Airbus A330. The whole experience—from beginning boarding to clearing customs—was efficient and smooth. From landing to the baggage claim, it took us no more than 15 minutes: walking included.

The airport was clean and quiet. The edgy design of the signage, ceiling, and displays were juxtaposed against the calming, wooden benches that curved sinuously across the floor.

The Ride

The Toyota RAV4 would be our mechanical companion on this leg of the trip. Its 4WD, snow tires, and heater would allow us to venture along the coast of Iceland.

First Glimpse

Temperatures were below freezing, snowflakes were flurrying, and the wind was howling.

Our car crested a hill and suddenly a gorgeous mountain—Esjan—popped into view. Five minutes later, we were driving into downtown Reykjavík. The city greeted us with a blast of snow and then the sun peeked through the clouds to reveal colorful buildings turned pastel by the snow. The streets were filled with tourists in poofy parkas and residents dashing through the snow.

BERGSSON MATHÚS

Templarasund 3, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

We tackled breakfast at Bergson Mathús, a warm and cozy café-straunt just on the side of downtown.

Freshly baked sourdough bread was the star of this plate, but it had a crew of well-rounded supporting members.

On the left side, the "power" foods abounded. A few pieces of slightly crisp bacon, a slice of prosciutto, a handful of perfectly fried potatoes, and two slices of cheese gave the plate some weighty energy.

On the right side, the "healthy" foods made their stand. Freshly cut tomatoes, cucumbers, salad, and fruit gave the plate a lighter, sweeter balance.

In the middle, a perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg sat in its holder just waiting to be eaten. Just below, a tin of "Skyr"an Icelandic yogurt was mixed with some berry jam and muesli. Skyr was a new experience for me—it has a liquid consistency that is has a much lighter flavor than Greek yogurt. The muesli gave the Skyr crunch while the berries lent a sweetness to the mixture that was just pleasant.

Accomodations

Hotels were terribly expensive in Reykjavík.

We opted to go for an Airbnb which ended up costing less than a third of the cost to book equivalent rooms in a cheap hotel. Our host was kind, attentive, and she suggested plenty of places to explore in Reykjavík.

We unpacked, showered off the stink of the airplane, dressed in warm clothes, and prepared to go exploring.

Gló

Laugavegur 20b, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Gló is one of many new restaurants to spring up after the fall of the Icelandic economy in 2008. It was created to capture the health-food movement that was rapidly sweeping the country.

I ordered a vegetarian burger; I was able to choose three sides (from 7 options) to go along with my main course.

My three sides were a lentil and broccoli salad (top), pumpkin and sweet potato medley (right), and couscous (left). The potatoes and pumpkin were surprisingly delightful with the right amount of texture and bursting with sweet flavor. The broccoli and lentil salad added some fresh crunch to the mixture, but the couscous fell short. It was under-seasoned and tasteless.

The burger was quite good. It was topped with pickles, dill mayonnaise, corn, and bell peppers. This added a bit of creaminess and crunch to the soft burger.

Harpa concert hall

This concert hall really stood out on the coastline of the city. By day, it is supposed to look like the scales of a fish, by night, the scales glow to resemble the Northern Lights.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to listen to a concert. Maybe next time.

architecture

There were some wonderful buildings we passed by as we walked around town. Here are two of my favorite.

Icelandic History Museum

To cap off the day's activities, we decided to take a wander through Iceland's museum of history. While there were quite a few artifacts and baubles, the museum was poorly organized and we mostly bumbled through the exhibits in a slight daze.

At this point, we were getting a bit exhausted and stopped by the museum café for a cup of coffee and tea.

Þrír frakkar

14, Baldursgata, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland

Þrír frakkar is a restaurant where rotten shark, whale sashimi, and a multitude of other flying, swimming, or trotting things are on the menu.

I started the dinner with a smoked puffin and ate a horse filet for my main entrée.

The smoked puffin breast was plated with a sweet mustard (like a slightly spicier Dijon), carrots, onions, and cucumbers. The puffin meat had a very light, savory, smokey flavor that had the texture of a firm piece of tuna sashimi. When blended with its accouterments, the dish was strongly flavored by the mustard and onions.

The horse filet was wonderful. It had the flavor of a gamier beef filet with a more intense "meaty" flavor than the beef. The texture was a cross between a filet mignon and the middle part of a prime rib. It was slightly chewy, but it melted in my mouth after a few bites. It was served with a ramekin of Béarnaise sauce, fried potatoes, boiled potatoes and carrots, and a green salad.