Two Foodies in Stavanger

Two Foodies went to Stavanger to check the restaurant scene in this capitol of south-western Norway. We booked tables at Fisketorget for lunch - the place to go for fresh seafood. In the evening we wanted to try the dry aged meat at Fish & Cow.

​Fisketorget

The first dish was a fish soup with cod, shrimps, Julienned vegetables, chives and bread chips. Heavenly flavors and creaminess!

Fisketorget is the playground of Masterchef Karl Erik Pallesen. It is both a fish market (Torjå) and a seafood restaurant (Vågen). What a great concept!

We arrived at the restaurant for our reservation, but had to inform the staff that our dinner guests were delayed by public transportation. As it would turn out they would arrive one and a half hour too late (!). That experience taught us two things: Public transportation in western Norway sucks, and we should never ever complain about Oslo ever again. Also; the waiters at Fisketorget gave us outstanding service during our waiting time. We tasted some great wines and got as much bread & butter as we craved. As usual, we craved a lot.

We had heard rumors from our good friend Knut Espen that Fisketorget had Lutefisk with truffles! The waiter recommended us a tasting menu, and we happily obliged, but only until we learned that the Lutefisk "exclusive" was not included in that. However, the service minded staff member had caught our interest for their truffle delicacy and made an exception. Happy Foodies Eating!

The dishes are described under their pictures below.

Tomato, Sherry & Aquavit herring. Beautifully presented on a news paper and cutting board, with pieces of flat bread, crispy rye bread and cucumbers. The aquavit was our favorite!

Green curry steamed mussels with ginger and coriander. Great twist on a classic!

Lutefish "Exclusive". Burnt leek, truffle and Jerusalem artichoke. Holy mother of Lutefisk!

The daily special. Baked cod with root vegetables, potatoes, spring onion and pork glace.

Rice pudding (riskrem) with warm cherry sauce and almond crumble. Cream, warmth, sweetness, caramel and crunch. All in one!

Eat a seafood lunch, and get your fresh fish for dinner to go!

Thanks Fisketorget - we loved you.

​Fish & Cow

We had heard much positive about Fish & Cow. However, Anders had been here once before for lunch and was disappointed. Even so, we were willing to give it another go, especially to check out their headliner: The dry aged meat hanging in an open cabinet in the middle of the restaurant. Every day there are one or two special cuts to choose from. Usually entrecôte and sirloin. Today they only had sirloin. The service was great so far, and we felt confident that we would be pleasantly surprised. We even got a visit at our table from the head chef who explained us the concept of dry aged meat, and what to expect.

NOK 495 was the price for the premium 200g beef. Unfortunately, the flavor did not live up to the hype - or price. On the plate was kale, mushroom and pickled silverskin onions which really did not go well together. On the side; fried Maris Piper potatoes rolled in Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and a Béarnaise sauce. The potatoes were good, but the sauce had a funky consistency and was too acidic . Later we learned it was in fact not a real Béarnaise, but in stead an Espuma mayo. That explained a lot.

Andrea decided to try the burger. "You can't go wrong with burger!" we thought. Turns out you can... The burger arrived and didn't look like a burger at all. It was deconstructed and had only one piece of bread. Although great tasting, it was topped with tomatoes and looked more like a bruschetta. The tomatoes were good as well, but they couldn't save the remaining catastrophy on the plate: lettuce with chives and silly amounts of dill! At least the meat was properly cooked, and the homemade ketchup tasted great. We just wish they didn't try to be as creative with a classic.

Fool me once - shame on you, fool me twice - shame on me I guess.

The bread serving with whipped butter. Sadly the best dish of the evening.

200g dry aged sirloin from "the cabinet" with kale, mushroom and pickled silverskin onions. Potatoes and Béarnaise mayo...

Deconstructed burger bruschetta with lettuce, chives & dill. Homemade ketchup.