Scandi Kitchen
Sometimes it seems that the further you go up North, less is more.
Well, at least that’s the way that furniture seems to go. Nordic furniture seems to have acquired the characteristics of clean lines, minimalist motifs as opposed to its more Southern counterparts with more chunky, baroque patterning. Just take a glance at Ikea, who took the world by storm with their clear cut furniture. And of course the price. Why indeed price your objects of desire at full fledged heavy weight points when they were actually made of chip board. Might as well bring down the costing to a more representative level when not all of us can afford to go for bespoke furniture items carved out of Swedish oak.
Up near Oxford Circus, Scandi Kitchen, provides a welcome respite from the pandemonium of Oxford street. That is, unless you enjoy playing dodgem with screaming kids, rather louder and amplified street performers and People in Search of a Good Deal. The last is of particular concern as anything that comes in between them and their goal is something to be swatted aside. That is unless you are double their mass. Something that I do not aspire to be. Would impede my ability to beat the crowds to new, fashionable and trendy eateries. In the foodie world, sometimes speed is of the essence. Yet as usual, I digress, here is the review that you have been perhaps looking for.
On entering, the bar which tempts you when you arrive with sandwiches artfully arranged behind Plexiglas. A clean display counter showcasing food with minimal dressing.
Sweets on top. Temptation waited on the upper level.
Healthy salad on the side. With elements more conducive to long life adjacent to more tasty food.
Meatballs with kale, broccoli and beetroot. My fellow diner was attracted to foodstuffs that held promise of longevity. When I tried some, I was surprised. The vegetables were cooked just the right side of raw, avoiding the nuking that I am often accused of when cooking my own greens. Yet, it was the meatballs which were all I had eyes for. Soon, it was all I could do but feast my tongue on them. They were meaty, tastefully seasoned and addictive.
Open sandwich with avocado, seeds and nuts, and herring with egg and beetroot. I always did find the term open sandwiches to be an attempt to otherwise glitz up the fact that it was just bread layered with topics. An excuse for running shortcuts. Although, it is not as bad as places which insist on bringing you through their “concept” that “dishes come as they are ready”. Seems to be smokescreen for a disorganised kitchen, as part of the skill of a restaurant is timing things to appear at just the right times. Although I might be reviled for refusing to uptake this new seemingly alma mater of food, I did wonder what would happen if the same approach was brought to music. When sitting down at the opera, the announcement being, the act will occur as and when the performers and musicians feel like it. That would be slightly jarring, although in a morbid way, quite entertaining.
In any case, these open sandwiches were not bad and best of all they did put undue strain on the wallet. I think you could say they were value for money.
The utilitarian setting. While dining in this type of atmosphere, it really felt like I was in some type of massive depository. Surrounded as you are by various Scandinavian foodstuffs and items, it did feel a bit like being in a supermarket.
Hot dog with sauerkraut, mustard, and fried shallots. I remember many friends waxing lyrical about the Ikea hot dog. People I know would go to the Ikea warehouse, not to shop for furniture, not to marble at Nordic design but to have a hot dog. Was it really that good? This was not bad, especially considering the wallet friendly price. Although, I do hope that it is more usual meat in the hot dog (recent horse meat scandals aside), as I quite enjoyed it.
I guess I should feel fulfilled and satisfied. I have now completed one of my life’s ambitions. Eating in a DIY shop. The food was quite decent. Simple, not overly fussy and with a proportionate price. An excellent complementary eatery when you have been leaking money out of your pocket on the nearby high street. In which case, something simple, nutritious and fair value is particularly welcome. Thankfully, I didn’t have to DIY my food. If things went the way of my usual Ikea assembly experiments, that might be quite entertaining.
A quiet eating 7/10.
Lunch (two small sandwiches and a hot dog) was GBP8 excluding drinks and service.
61 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia,
London W1W 7PP