TASTE OF ICELAND 2016

Over the past year, Iceland has climbed to claim the top spot on my list of dream vacation destinations. Many of my friends have been and every single person has raved about the beauty of the country and the delicious food. One of my good friends is there right now and her photos have been breathtaking. Northern Lights? Check. The ocean? Check. Towns that look like they came straight out of a fairytale? Check!

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

While I plan for my trip to Iceland in 2017, the next best thing was attending the Taste of Iceland festival held in Toronto this past November. The weekend festival was filled with music, literature, film and food all celebrating Icelandic culture. Of course, the aspect that I looked forward to the most was food. This year O&B restaurant Jump hosted Chef Sigurdur Helgason, one of Iceland’s premier chefs, to serve up a 4 course meal with ingredients flown in directly from Iceland the night before. Last year, two of my closest friend said “I Do” at Jump and the restaurant was a beautiful venue. For the media preview of Taste of Iceland, the private dining room was set up with long tables and an area for a live performance from Icelandic artists Axel Flovent and Ceasetone. I had the chance to experience a taste of the entire Taste of Iceland weekend in a single night and it was one filled with music, and exceptional food.

Dinner began with a lovely appetizer of Arctic Char and Char Roe, followed by Cod, then Lamb and ending on a sweet note with a White Chocolate Brownie. Both of the fish were cooked to just opaque and were incredibly flavourful and tender. Each plate played with textures and colour. The Arctic Char was a stunning bright orange and I loved the rich, creamy oyster emulsion sauce. Adding a refreshing crunch were thin slices of cucumber. The cod was served with cauliflower prepared 3 ways and a brown butter vinaigrette. I liked the thin sliced of raw cauliflower that added a crunch to each bite.

My favourite course was the char grilled fillet of lamb, served with celeriac, kale and crowberry sauce. The lamb was a rosy pink, tender and just a the right amount of gaminess for me. Dessert was a white chocolate brownie served with an Icelandic Provision Skyr ganache, a scopp of tangy bilberry’s sorbet and airy light meringue.