where jess ate

Taste of Iceland (#TasteOfIceland) has returned to Toronto for a fifth consecutive year! From Thursday, November 12th to Sunday, November 15th, the touring festival will be showcasing Iceland’s cuisine, music and culture in our city.

During the four-day affair, you can get a taste of authentic Icelandic fare at Luma, the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant located above the TIFF Lightbox. Icelandic Chef Ylfa Helgadóttir ​(owner and Chef de Cuisine of Kopar Restaurant) has collaborated with Oliver & Bonacini’s Corporate Executive Chef Anthony Walsh and Luma’s Chef de Cuisine Michael Wilson to create a four-course prix-fixe menu for $75 showcasing some of what Iceland has to offer. It’s not too late to make a reservation – you can call Luma at 647.288.4715 or click here.

I had an opportunity to check out the menu and I was truly impressed with what they’ve created. Here’s a look:

Nordic Sour – Aquavit, lime juice, orgeat syrup, angostura bitters, egg white 

Icelandic Cod – dill mayo, seaweed salad, salmon roe. What a fantastic way to start off the meal. I loved the delicate texture of the cod and how light the entire dish felt. The seaweed salad underneath the fish was a lovely accompaniment which reminded me of a Japanese seaweed salad.

Langoustine Risotto – shellfish sauce, fennel salad. The minute this was placed in front of me, I knew I’d enjoy it. The smell of the flavourful sauce made my mouth water and it was torture taking photos of it before digging in. The langoustine (essentially a small lobster) was cooked impeccably, as was the accompanying shrimp and risotto. It might not look like it underneath all the greens but this was a pretty substantial portion.

Icelandic Lamb – small potatoes, creamed mushrooms with port and garlic, garlic confit. Each dish continued to impress me. I loved every single component of this dish. The potatoes, mushrooms, roasted garlic and root vegetables were so incredibly flavourful and just look at that lamb… it was a perfect plate!

 Icelandic Skyr – sorbet, caramelized white chocolate, cream cheese mousse, raspberries. I have to admit, when we were served this for dessert, I didn’t think too much of it since it just looked like two simple scoops of sorbet. Looks can certainly be deceiving. This was a killer dessert! The rich and creamy skyr (an Icelandic milk product similar to cheese) paired perfectly with the refreshing sorbet and crunchy crumble. We all licked our plates clean!

If you have time this weekend, I highly recommend checking this special menu at Luma. From start-to-finish, they had everyone at the table gushing about the food!

Other events during the festival include the free Reykjavik Calling concert on Saturday, November 14th at Adelaide Hall which will be featuring Iceland’s hottest up-and-coming musical talent. Doors open at 7:00pm and the event is 19+. In addition, the Reykjavik Shorts & Docs Festival will be presenting the free Icelandic Film Festival on Sunday, November 15th at the Royal Cinema at 1:00pm. Take advantage of these fun events this weekend! Find more details here.

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*