PUBLISHED January 12th, 2018 06:00 am
When I think of Norway, I think of the sea and all its glorious bounty. After all, the Norwegians are the descendants of the legendary Vikings, who once fared the waves in their dragon-headed longships. Today, they’ve swapped the horned helmets and battle axes for nets and rods, as fishing becomes the country’s third largest export sector. Their long fjord-bristled coastline is home to very rich fishing grounds – including the farmed Atlantic salmon that the world loves so much. It makes sense then that the newly-opened FiSK Seafoodbar & Market at the edge of town would be so good.
I’ve heard any number of variations on the farm-to-table concept, but ‘seafarer-to-chef’ is a little fresher. It also helps that the restaurant is the brainchild of Snorre Food’s Frank Næsheim, the man behind one of Asia’s most respected seafood purveyors. At 4000 square feet of dining and retail space, you could say that FiSK is a one-stop solution for your seafood needs. Grab a seat by the open kitchen to catch Chef Markus and his team in action, though really, he believes in doing very little to allow the high-quality ingredients to retain their original flavours.
The simple Prawns On Ice ($6/100gm) for one, is sublime. These are Greenland coldwater prawns chock full of delicate roe at the bottom, which you can suck out before tucking into the sweet, juicy meat. You must head down during lunch to enjoy these on the spot – otherwise, you’ll be resigned to grabbing a pack from the Market to eat with while binging on Netflix (not a bad idea, actually). Another lunch offering, the Creamed Fish & Shellfish Soup ($7.50) is an intense bowl of Atlantic savouriness found in nearly every restaurant in Norway. You get chunks of cod, salmon, carrots, celeriac, and leeks in your soup, and plenty more that are unseen. Markus makes the stock with the bones of several white fish, lobster and langoustine shells, tomato paste, and bay leaves before garnishing it with julienned vegetables, olive oil, and a sprig of dill.
Other standouts include the Smoked Salmon, “Pulpit Rock” ($10.50), which you can think of as a traditional Norwegian breakfast of sorts. House-smoked salmon belly (first cured with salt and sugar) is layered with flatbread, scrambled eggs, chopped chives, and finished with a side of sour cream to balance the fish’s brininess. Then, go for a piece of FiSK’s Open-Face Smørrebrød Sandwich, which goes from $4 to $10 a piece depending on the ingredients available. It might be some smoked mackerel, deep-sea prawns, caviar, salmon tartar, and more, but one thing is constant: the excellent rye bread spread with organic Røros Smøre butter.
Come dinner, jump in with a spectacular Raw Hand-Dived Scallop Ceviche ($26.50), fresh sliced Scottish or Norwegian scallop dressed up with fennel and a juniper and calamansi gastrique. What you get is a creamy umami hit with a touch of herbiness and citrus, as inspired by a certain Gin & Tonic on the drinks menu. Most impressively, the highlight of the night goes to the Hot-Smoked Greenland Halibut – because who doesn’t like a whole fish served right to your table? At $35 per person, you are presented with a gorgeous halibut decorated with nutty pearl couscous and a mildly-arousing trout roe and horseradish sauce (made from a bright butter and lemon juice emulsion). The fish is partly sweet, partly smoky, and has a pleasant, soft texture – which goes great with the accompanying steamed Norwegian almond potatoes.
A scoop of Uni Ice Cream ($16) for dessert might sound ludicrous, but in a place that has displayed an impressive proficiency with seafood, it’s hard not to have high hopes. And if you love uni, you will probably fall for this creamy marvel, which Markus concocts with preserved salted uni from Japan, some cream, and tapioca starch. Throw in the nori powder, rolled oats, Danish hawthorn berries, and caramel tuile shards, and you’ve got something unforgettable.
If you’re looking to binge on seafood without much care for quality, you might want to give FiSK a miss. What it offers is something a little more special – an affinity for marrying premium seafood with Norwegian sensibilities. This is Norwegian coldwater seafood in its rightful glory.
FiSK Seafoodbar & Market is located at 30 Stevens Rd #01-01, Singapore 257840, p. +65 6732 0711. Open Mon 11.30am – 7pm, Tue-Sat 11.30am – 4.30pm, 6pm – 10pm, Sun 11.30am – 7pm. Market open daily 10am – 7pm.