Bryggeloftet and Stuene
Where? Bryggeloftet and Stuene (Bergen, Norway) Map
When? Monday July 17, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Norwegian
After a long day full of adrenaline, it's time for a hearty dinner. Since I had so much seafood yesterday, I want something a bit meatier, and of course, while I'm here in Norway, what better way to satisfy my red meat needs than with reindeer. This restaurant is quite the institution and has been around since 1910, and holy moly it is bloody expensive, but I don't have the time or energy to search for something else.
Entree
Whale carpaccio with horseradish sauce
To help me transition from seafood to red meat, I've ordered something that is both - whale! How elegantly presented it is, helping disguise how small of a helping I've been given. It tastes beefy and smokey, but delicious with all the condiments on the plate; cream from the sauce, sourness from the pickled onion, nuttiness from the crackers - it's not like the carpaccio that you'd find in an Italian restaurant, but it's as enjoyable as any I've had.
Mains
Reindeer fillet with asparagus, red onion chutney and game sauce
The reindeer comes out and immediately I think about how pleased I am that there is so much sauce. It doesn't taste as gamey as I expected it to be, but it definitely has that blood taste, almost like liver. Which is great, because I love liver. It's perfectly cooked, beautifully pink on the inside and slightly charred and crispy on the outside. The potatoes are doing a great job of soaking up that sauce, and there's enough that it will hopefully fill me up.
All in all, a great meal with interesting ingredients that you won't find many places in the world. These two dishes came to a whopping 524 Norwegian krona, which is almost $90NZD!! I will be picking up dessert from the supermarket.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:21pm on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Zupperia Torget
Where? Zupperia Torget (Bergen, Norway) Map Menu
When? Sunday July 16, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Asian Fusion
Right across from the seafood market is Zupperia. Their menu is a mix of European and Asian fusion flavours, with elements from Thailand, Hungary, Vietnam, Japan and Norway all listed. I'm pining for seafood again, and since we're so close to the market, I hope it's good quality and fresh. They're also known for their soups, so I went for the triple tester. Their reindeer soup sounds very interesting, but unfortunately has mushrooms.
Entree
Trio of soup
Three soups arrive: creamy fish soup, a tomato soup called Alentejo, and the reindeer soup, with mushrooms, that are definitely visible. I love the fish soup, it reminds me of the seafood chowder you get from Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco. Thick, creamy and sweet with seafood, it's the perfect winter warmer - it may be summer, but it's only 11C outside. The Alentejo is nice too, but definitely doesn't pack the flavour that the dish soup has. Finally, I try the reindeer soup. The mushroom isn't too strong, but it is noticeable behind the red meat taste. It's not too bad, but I just have to avoid the little floaters. I do wish there was more bread though!
Mains
Selection of local seafood in white wine, chili and garlic sauce
A massive plate of mostly mussels arrives. I was not expecting something like this, but it smells heavenly. Apart from the mussels, which are of course the smaller, inferior species to the New Zealand green lipped kind, there's squid, prawns and scallops, all cooked perfectly and swimming with plenty of coriander in a very appetising garlic, onion and white wine broth. A squirt of the lemon and I'm ready to go - delicious! I will say that it is quite the effort to remove all the mussels from their shells; perhaps there should be fewer or they should be deshelled.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:16pm on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Torget i Bergen - Bergen Seafood Market
Where? Bergen Seafood Market (Bergen, Norway) Map
When? Sunday July 16, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? Seafood
The waterfront has the most delicious smelling market, full of great looking, fresh seafood on display. I don't know much about Norwegian cuisine but I had guessed that seafood is very important here. I even see whale on the menu, but today I've gone for a scampi skewer and salmon steak. It's packed with people sheltering from the cold rain.
Mains
Scampi skewer and salmon steak
It tastes fantastic, but it is slightly overcooked - better to be safe in this environment, I guess. Everything is well seasoned and has that classic sweet seafood taste, but the scampi is a bit tough and the salmon is slightly dry. Not enough to make me have a bad time, but not perfection. The potato salad is quite nice though, but the greens are not dressed and are quite unpleasant by themselves.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:12pm on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::