Tales on the table

Meatballs for the people - Stockholm (Sweden)

Probably the first thing that comes to mind of most people (or at least for people like me) when thinking about traditional food in Sweden is Swedish meatballs.

I have to start by saying that, even though the meatballs are pretty good, there is so much more to explore. Given the country’s geographic position, with a coastline of clear cold waters and half of the country covered by forests, local cuisine relies heavily on all kinds of seafood and wild animals. On top of that, the extreme winters led to the development of fermented and pickled foods.

Regardless of that, I knew that I couldn’t miss out on what is probably the national dish during my days in stockholm. And after trying it in a few different places, one of my favorite meatballs were from @meatballsforthepeople.

Served with mashed potatoes, veal gravy, preserved lingonberries and pickled cucumber, the meatballs were extremely juicy, tender, flavorful and comforting. I ordered the classic ones, made with a mix of beef and pork, but they have all kinds of options, including lamb, deer, moose and boar.

For starters, I could not resist ordering a portion of smoked reindeer hearts once I spotted it on the menu.

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Brasserie Astoria

@brasserieastoria is the more “casual” restaurant from the Frantzen group in Stockholm. And I quote because it is not actually casual, only when comparing it to its three starred older brother.

Located in a former cinema, the restaurant serves a menu with a lot of French and Italian influences, but with a clear nordic twist.

To kick things off, the oysters were very good, as were the jackfruit waffles topped with crème fraiche, caviar, lime and browned butter.

Another must order is the Astoria Toast, which comes with a mix of lobster, shrimps, trout roe, lemon confit, wasabi oil and pickled onion on top of a golden brown butter-fried toast.

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Operabaren - Stockholm (Sweden)

@operabaren is a Stockholm institution. Open for over 100 years, the place serves well-executed classic Swedish dishes within the Royal Opera House.

The iconic building itself is also vintage, with wooden panels and a beautiful stained glass ceiling. The decoration is very well preserved, giving a timeless feel to the place that fits very well with the type of food that they serve.

I ordered Raraka as a starter, a type of hash brown with vendace roe on top. It was crispy, with a salinity touch that really made a difference.

As a main course, I ordered beef rydberg, another typical local dish, that is basically pan fried diced tenderloin, with potatoes, sauteed onions and egg yolk.

This is a great place to go if you are looking for traditional food and having a very local experience when it comes to dining in Stockholm.

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Krumel - Stockholm (Sweden)

As someone who has a sweet tooth, it was pretty easy to decide where to go in town to satisfy my sugar cravings.

@krumelstockholm is a cookie lover’s paradise. All options here are very good, but I would not miss out on the Classic Crumb (a chocolate chip cookie with a bit of sea salt on top) and the Crumb Brulée.

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Brutalisten - Stockholm (Sweden)

@Brutalisten is a conceptual restaurant that stands out from the rest given its unique proposition. Their philosophy, outlined in the “Brutalist Kitchen Manifesto” aims to bring out the best of each ingredient, which are served as standalone elements (with water or salt being the only additional elements allowed to be eventually added).

While many of the ingredients are served raw or with very little interference, elaborate techniques are also permitted. Also, ingredients can even be divided and cooked with different techniques before being added back together.

Each item on the menu is classified as Orthodox, Semi-Brutalist or Brutalist, giving clients the option of how unaltered they want their food to be.

Although different ingredients are not allowed on the same plate, they can be served at the same time and each customer may combine them as they wish.

A meal here is definitely different… and fun. The food cooked at Brutalisten is honest and carries an essence from the past that was lost somewhere along the way. I also found very interesting the depth and complexity of flavors that each element can bring when prepared in such a pure way.

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Ett Hem - Stockholm (Sweden)

Ett hem means a home in Swedish. And that is precisely the value proposition of this beautiful boutique hotel, to be much more than another luxury hotel. Every little corner here is well taught, the decoration is impeccable and the project as a whole jaw dropping, while keeping a cozy feeling at the same time.

Staying here for a few nights was a privilege and made me feel like I was in heaven. It is the ultimate definition of home away from home. And as far as hotel restaurants go, I have never been in a better one than @etthemfood .

Chef @leofrodell leads a beautiful yet unpretentious open kitchen. Here, there is no set menu. The staff will decide what to cook based on which ingredients are good on that given day. And this is what they are all about: bold simplicity, seasonality and high quality local ingredients.

I had a full tasting menu one night, which was spectacular. But what impressed me even more was dinner on the following night. After a long lunch at Frantzen, I wanted something light for dinner and they made me a chicken soup with seasonal foraged herbs that really touched my soul.

I can’t recommend this place enough, they really have something magical going on in there.

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Eksted - Stockholm (Sweden)

With a Michelin star to its name (and well deserving of a second one in my book), @ekstedrestaurant uses fire as the only element of heat to cook an impressive tasting menu.

Chef @niklasekstedt decided to learn about pre-electricity scandinavian cooking methods and bring them into the present, where such techniques are now the heart and soul of a renowned modern restaurant.

Their signature “flambadou’’ wild oyster cooked with reindeer fat is nothing short of flawless, but the rest of the menu does not disappoint either. Think wood oven baked sourdough bread, seaweed fired langoustine, hay flamed pike perch, smoked lobster with green strawberries, amber baked scallops and much more.

You can feel the unmistakable presence of fire at the centerstage of each and every dish, bringing rich smells, singular textures and complex flavors that never cease to surprise guests.

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Meatballs for the people - Stockholm (Sweden)

Probably the first thing that comes to mind of most people (or at least for people like me) when thinking about traditional food in Sweden is Swedish meatballs.

I have to start by saying that, even though the meatballs are pretty good, there is so much more to explore. Given the country’s geographic position, with a coastline of clear cold waters and half of the country covered by forests, local cuisine relies heavily on all kinds of seafood and wild animals. On top of that, the extreme winters led to the development of fermented and pickled foods.

Regardless of that, I knew that I couldn’t miss out on what is probably the national dish during my days in stockholm. And after trying it in a few different places, one of my favorite meatballs were from @meatballsforthepeople.

Served with mashed potatoes, veal gravy, preserved lingonberries and pickled cucumber, the meatballs were extremely juicy, tender, flavorful and comforting. I ordered the classic ones, made with a mix of beef and pork, but they have all kinds of options, including lamb, deer, moose and boar.

For starters, I could not resist ordering a portion of smoked reindeer hearts once I spotted it on the menu.

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Frantzén - Stockholm

The Stockholm food scene is booming. Capital of Sweden, a country that was previously not particularly known for its food, the city is a true gastronomic hotspot ready to be explored. And at the helm of everything is @restaurantfrantzen, a 3 Michellin starred restaurant that both deserves each and every star and at the same time is much more than any accolade could possibly show. Also where I had one of the best meals of my life.

Once you ring the entrance bell and take the elevator upstairs, your experience will start with snacks in their beautiful lounge, where ingredients of the day will be explained. After that and a tour of the restaurant, the rest of the experience takes place in the dining room, with a nice view to the open kitchen.

While service is impeccable and the place is both gorgeous and cozy, what truly stands out here is the food. It is hard to put everything into words here, so I will just name a few of my favorite courses and let the pictures speak for themselves. The french toast with grilled eel, green mustard and double marinated beef was definitely one of the highlights, as were the scallop crudo and the macaron with foie and grapefruit.

But strangely, the most impressive dish of all was a delicate and simple (yet so complex) onion soup with almonds. It was mind blowing. Onion soup will never be the same for me after this one.

Thank you so much @the.hungry.tourist and @sinan.the.hungry tourist for providing such an incredible day.

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It is common knowledge that Peruvian food goes well beyond ceviche. What most people don’t know, however, is that Pollo a la Brasa is one of the most traditional of all foods in Peru.

Simply put, Pollo a la Brasa is Peruvian style rotisserie roasted chicken. In Lima, “pollerías” can be found everywhere, each one of them with their own twist on the marinade that goes into the “pollo”. And the best one that I had was at @dontitoperu, following an indication from the great @migrationology.

There, chickens are placed whole on a spit, and it rotates in a circular motion as well as on their own axes.The result is extremely appetizing , with smoky notes from the charcoal and with a crunchy and nicely charred skin, but very juicy on the inside. It is served with mayonnaise and ají on the side, as well as a plate of salad and top notch french fries.

I went there on a Sunday night and the place was completely full, mostly by people who seemed to be regulars, with their families and kids. It is definitely a nice family restaurant that immediately made me imagine myself making it a tradition to finish off my weeks there as well in case I ever lived in this flavorful city.

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