In the sixth edition of the Nordic Countries Guide, launched on February 18th 2019, Gastrologik was promoted from One Michelin Star (which it had held since 2013) to Two Michelin Stars. We take a closer look at what makes it such a special place…
Gastrologik is hidden away in a quiet area of the city and its discreet entrance means you can easily walk by without realising. Inside, it has a simple Scandinavian style, with wooden furnishings and plain white walls punctuated by copper highlights – which keeps the focus firmly on the open kitchen.
It’s owned by Anton Bjuhr and Jacob Holmström, who met many years ago when they started their apprenticeships. Anton is from the north, where preserving is popular, and Jacob is from the south, where the focus is on seafood, so they each bring something different to the table.
For them everything starts with the ingredients – the majority of which are from Sweden, and the remainder from the neighbouring countries. Over the years they have built strong relationships with their producers, growers and local farms and they visit them regularly.
The day’s produce determines the surprise menu, which continually evolves as the season’s ingredients change character with age – and the impressive wine list follows suit, with burgundy leading the way in summer and bordeaux in winter.
The menu is made up of 20 or so beautifully presented, sophisticated dishes which are precisely prepared, well-balanced and creative in their use of flavours and textures – and while working to keep flavours natural, they also aim to enhance each main ingredient. Their respect for all produce leads them to regard an onion as being just as important as a truffle.
Dishes are brought from the open kitchen at a steady pace – and in most cases finished at the table by the chefs themselves, and the young serving team are friendly and focused.
The Michelin Inspectors made several visits throughout the year. Here are some of their favourite dishes:
Crispy pancake with seasonal vegetables
A very delicate, crunchy case filled with grilled beets, pickled beans, young peas and fermented salsify – flavours were natural and there was a good texture contrast. The butter sauce added a well-balanced richness.
Brown crab with pumpkin and flowering quince
A very attractively presented dish with orange hues and harmonious, well-balanced flavours.
Honey and pollen with frozen goat's milk yoghurt
A wonderfully light texture and a fresh, intense goat’s cheese aroma. The contrast of the honey and the pollen with the delicately thin chip was wonderful.
For this year’s launch highlights click here.
Keep an eye out for the other Starred restaurants featuring in our ‘Zooming In’ series over the coming weeks!
@gastrologik
www.gastrologik.com
