Monthly Archives: November 2017

LAVA Restaurant – Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Adventures Around the World

Before I expound on the bounty of the food this restaurant offers, let me just say that this place is absolutely gorgeous. It is set in the heart of the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa, that despite its very tourist-y vibe, remains one of the most breathtaking man-made places I’ve been to. The restaurant  is called Lava, because it is surrounded by, well…lava. It  has huge picture windows and in the second floor, you can sit (and freeze) by the balcony and enjoy this view.
No words. This was taken at sunrise.

On the main floor, the picture windows allow you to get a closer look of how amazing the milky, white water is against the dark lava rocks.

The water gets its bluish-white hue as reflection from the sky

As mentioned, we got here before the crack of dawn. The experience we had is well chronicled in my Facebook page. The Premium package we got offered a reservation to this wonderful restaurant so I booked one for lunch. I have read in many blogs that going to the lagoon after a long flight rejuvenates you. Nobody said anything about how it deals with hunger. After flying from H-town, watching movies and drinking the entire flight, then soaking up in the lagoon, we were famished!

We got started with several types of bread, including ICELANDIC DARK RYE BREAD (DÖKKT RÚGBRAUÐ), which is baked in geothermal rocks. Butter was softened and sprinkled with lava salt.
As appetizer – Birch and juniper cured arctic char, with Horseradish foam, cucumber, pickled mustard seeds, arctic char roe, rye bread

Arctic char is a cold-water fish in the Salmon family, more tender and flaky, found only in arctic and sub-arctic waters.

Langoustine soup

Langoustine is a Norwegian lobster – a lot smaller than the Maine lobsterbut flavor is very delicate. It is now dubbed as the new foie gras (per Bon Appetit—I have no idea why. All i know is that it is delicious).

Lamb fillet and shoulder of lamb
Artichokes, carrots, dates, thyme

Iceland boasts having the best lamb in the world. I would have to agree. This lamb was cooked medium-medium well and was absolutely tender without being chewy.

Cod with Cauliflower, barley, fennel, mussel sauce. This was D’s entree. The cod was super flaky and moist, the kind you get when the fish never visited the freezer.
Grilled beef tenderloin with Icelandic mushrooms, crispy potatoes, onion jam, dijon mustard

Beef is where Iceland, and in general, European beef, would lose out against American beef. It’s a matter of taste of course, but there is always that “stringy-ness” in this beef that one would never get from any USDA meat. Although if I’m really to rank beef, the real-deal Kobe beef would outrank (and out-price) any of these meats by a mile. But..that’s another post for another time…

Dessert – “Ástarpungar” & caramel — aka
Caramel chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel
…and because we still have to travel to Reykjavik after being here, we needed these Nordic coffee to wake us up.
Here’s “us”

This is the best meal I had in this country. I had the pleasure of dining on other restaurants (which I shall be writing about soon), but this is special because it is soooo pretty. Haha. But it really is. If you happen to book a tour in Blue Lagoon, spring for this too.

LAVA Restaurant, Nordurljosavegur 9, 240 Grindavik, Iceland

 

 

 

Theodore Rex

H-town (Houston)

This restaurant was where Oxheart used to be. The chef is the same (James Beard awardee, Justin Yu), but the name has changed and the menu as well. The location reminds me of Fillmore St in San Francisco, vibrant but a bitch to find parking. It was not easy to get reservations and as soon as we entered, I understood why. It is tiny. I soon found out that it only seats 28 people.

As much as my first impressions of this restaurant may seem negative, the food experience is the exact opposite. The food is absolutely amazing. This is easily one of the best meals I have in Houston. Should there be someone who is willing to campaign for a Michelin rating, this restaurant should definitely get a star (or 2).

D had his usual Bordeaux and I tried an unfiltered Prosecco, which surprisingly was good.
Tomato Toast – thick slice of browned pain de mie that’s brushed with tomato water and topped with tomato fondant and a salad of fresh tomatoes

This is one of the more famous dishes on the list. And for good reason. The picture does not do it justice. This is one beautiful and delectable dish.

‘Yellow Edge’ Grouper steamed in collard green parcels, with Japanese turnips, and green tomato sauce vierge
Roasted Texas Wagyu dressed with fermented radish and beefy bits, charcoal grilled-greens

This was D’s entree. The chef suggests that this is cooked medium rare. We usually get our steaks cooked medium but this was a good exception.

Paris-Brest filled with sweet Swiss cheese cream, honey caramel

This is an amazing dessert which paired well with their coffee whose brand I forgot to get. The Swiss cheese had an almost nutty quality to it that prevents it from being too sweet.

As mentioned, if you’re a foodie, this restaurant won’t disappoint. The food is a bomb. If you’re looking out to wine and dine and expect a rowdy company, you might want to rethink this because I cannot overemphasize how small this place is. Come here to appreciate how much food can be taken to a whole new level by creative genius. Just don’t forget to make a reservation a few weeks before….

Theodore Rex, 1302 Nance St.
Houston, Texas 77002