Everything I Ate in Reykjavik, Iceland

Kex and Skyr
Plain skyr with chocolate covered biscuit

I travel to visit museums, see new cultures and walk all day long. But, perhaps more than anything else, I travel to eat. To encounter new flavors, new ways of interpreting ingredients and understanding how other people use meals to punctuate daily life. During June 2016 I took a four day trip to Reykjavik, where I eagerly ate my way through the island's unique culinary culture. From dried cod jerky spread with butter to fermented shark — and, yes I admit, a small whale steak — I was enamored with the curious twist the country presented on familiar flavors. They were a little more sour, a little more sweet than the American interpretations of similar dishes.

Here's a picture-list of everything I ate during my trip. My favorites were: Mokka Cafe for coffee and cakes, Gló for a healthy lunch and The Laundromat Cafe for a hearty dinner.

Pastries
From top left: croissant, cinnamon danish, brioche with chocolate chips, morning bun.
Pastries from Sandholt Bakery
From left: Pistachio danish, croissant, cream danish. Sandholt Bakery.
Hotdog from Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Hot dog with everything (mustard, ketchup, remoulade and crunchy onions) from Baejarins Beztu Pylsur
Glo, Reykjavik
Lunch from Gló
Lamb from The Laudromat Cafe
Icelandic Lamb from The Laundromat Cafe
Tasting Menu 2, Cafe Loki
From top left: smoked trout on rye bread, smoked lamb on flat bread, fish puree on rye bread, fermented shark, dried cod with butter. From Cafe Loki
Lobster Soup
Lobster soup from Saegreifinn
Tusk Fish Skewer
Grilled Tusk from Saegreifinn
Vegetable skewers, whale steak
Grilled vegetables and whale steak from Saegreifinn
Marzipan layer cake from Mokka
Marzipan layer cake with whipped cream from Mokka Cafe
Skyr Crepe and Rugbrød ice cream from Cafe Loki
Top: caramel topped crepe filled with skyr and whipped cream. Bottom: rye bread ice cream with whipped cream. From Cafe Loki