6-20-12
Today's challenge: find a place for smørrebrød, the open-faced sandwiches that are quintessentially Danish lunch food. Using the advice of Lonely Planet and Rough guidebooks, we found Slotskaelderen Hos Gitte Kik. It definitely appeared that we were the only non-Danes in the dining room during the lunch rush, so I think we successfully found our authentic experience. And what an experience it was!
To order, you walk up to a table where all the choices are laid out. There were some things that I recognized (like shrimp, egg salad, smoked salmon) and some that I did not. One dish sort of looked like Italian carpaccio. I found out it was actually lamb, though it didn't look very cooked. The next plate looked sort of like cow's tongue--but I thought surely not since I wasn't standing in a Piggly Wiggly. Oh yes, tongue. Two strikes. Another member of our group asked what the most traditional sandwich was, and the waitress suggested the herring. It came in three varieties: curried, marinated, and fried. Here is where I wimped out a little. I don't like uncooked meat--I am not a big fan of sushi and I have never ordered anything "rare." To guarantee that it wasn't "pickled" herring, I went with the fried fish. I figured then I would definitely know that it's cooked. One person ordered the marinated herring, three picked the curried, another joined me in the fried, there was one roast beef, and another person opted not to get anything. The plate came with a piece of fish, some type of clear liquid that tasted sweet, red onions, capers, dill, and one slice of buttered bread on the side. It was extremely fishy, and I would say overall that it did not fit my flavor palette. I did finish it, though. I am thankful that I did not go with either of the other choices. I tried the curried herring, and I ate one bite of the fish in it. It tasted slimy, rubbery, not good. By the end of the meal, you could tell almost everyone was working to get the food down. The flavors basically "built-up" as we ate the meal, and they became too much. Bring on the after-lunch gum to chew! While I doubt I'll ever order that sandwich again, I did get to have the experience.
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| An unassuming storefront. Gotta love a find like this. |
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| The choices |
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| My meal: fried herring with capers, onions, and dill |
From what I read the food looks interesting to eat if you put in the right food mixture.Marinating the fish would take taste good which depends on what kind of flavour it is marinated too.I would stay away from eating tongue cause it feels like I'm eating a human's tongue. So if I ever go to Denmark I would love to try the food.
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