– Celebration of Nordic Cuisine

By Maria Markus (English Translation by Susanna Bell)

March 2011 was the tenth time now the Food and Fun festival was organized. The purpose of the festival is to bring attention to Iceland as a food and travel destination. The goal is also to bring gourmet food closer to the average person. And let's not forget plain having a good time! Therefore, the overall tone of the Food and Fun chef competition is perhaps a tad more relaxed than in many other such contests.

This year, all in all 16 European and American top chefs jousted for the title of Food and Fun Chef of The Year. Each chef was given a restaurant to manage in Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital. Each one then designed a menu making as much use as possible of local Icelandic foodstuffs such as mutton, fresh fish and herbs.

During the festival, diners could order from the menus by the visiting chefs. Thus local foodies as well as culinary tourists got to sample and evaluate the menus. The ultimate decision as to the finalists and the winner was up to the official jury, however.

The jury, twelve strong, was compiled from international culinary professionals. The Washington DC celebrity chefs Jeff Tunks, Jeff Buben and Lauren Desantis were among them, as well as the Swede Marcus Jernmark, Chef of Aquavit, the New York City Scandinavian restaurant.

This time, the Food and Fun battle of the chefs was dominated by Nordic cuisine. The only Finnish contestant, Matti Jämsen, took home the trophy. The other finalists were Andreas Andersson from Sweden and Even Ramsvik from Norway.

The victorious five-course Matti Jämsen menu was served at the Vox of the Reykjavik Hilton. It boasted e.g. smoked salmon and poached quail eggs with cauliflower purée and fresh herbs, plus truffle and lingonberry flavoured fillet of lamb. However, the delicious entity was not a clear winner from the start.

"It wasn't an easy decision. I think Even for example had the best lamb dish, and Andreas did well with the fish. But Matti uses new techniques”, said Marcus Jernmark, a jury member.

Nordic cuisine came out on top also in the Bocuse d'Or, the "culinary Olympics" held in January. Chefs from Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranked first, second and third. Again, the culinary feats of Matti Jämsen placed Finland fifth.

Matti Jämsen has worked at various top restaurants in Finland as well as abroad. He was awarded a Michelin star in 2009 while working as a sous chef at Die Quadriga in Berlin, Germany. March 1, 2011, he took charge of the famous G.W. Sundmans in Helsinki, Finland.

Restaurants and guest chefs at Food & Fun 2011

Dill / Claus Hendriksen (Denmark)

VOX / Matti Jämsen (Finland)

Fiskmarkaðurinn / Dak Laddaporn Wichangoen (Denmark)

Silfur / Celina Tio (USA)

Fiskfélagið / Andreas Andersen (Sweden, working in Norway)

Einar Ben / John Mooney (USA)

Grillið Hotel Saga / Chris Parsons (USA)

Gallerí Hótel Holt / Paul Stearman (USA)

Blue Lagoon LAVA / Kaz Okochi (USA)

Nauthóll / Bengt Sjöström (Sweden)

Sjávarkjallarinn / Even Ramsvik (Norway)

Við Tjörnina / Bruno Doucet (France)

La Primavera / Luigi Pomata (Italy)

Perlan / Brant Tesky (USA)

Brasserie Grand / David Britton (USA)

Nítjánda / Sae Yamaoka & Natuski Kikua (UK)

Links:

Food and Fun festival, www.foodandfun.is

Matti Jämsen – Food and Fun Menu, www.vox.is/en/restaurant/food-and-fun-vox

The Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson wished to meet the Food and Fun contestants and jury. An invitation to the presidential residence followed. The guests got to snack on Icelandic appetizers and hear the President on visions of pure and sustainable Icelandic food production. Icelandic First Lady Dorrit Moussaieff praised especially the culinary dimensions of cod liver. The warm-hearted visit ended with the chefs scrambling to have their pictures taken with the President. Top chef or not, it is a rare treat to talk gastronomy with a First Couple.