{"id":5035,"date":"2017-03-20T17:21:53","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T14:21:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.amusebouche.ro\/?p=5035\/"},"modified":"2018-01-25T17:37:15","modified_gmt":"2018-01-25T14:37:15","slug":"faviken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amusebouche.ro\/en\/faviken\/","title":{"rendered":"Faviken: our most daring culinary adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMaybe we\u2019ll see an elk. I see them a lot these days. What a great picture would that make\u201d says our driver while we\u2019re rushing into the frozen woods. We look down the window. All we can see is a long line of pine trees on both sides of the road and the snow falling down. Our anticipation, excitement and curiosity mixes up with thoughts about the wild animals living out there.\"Faviken20 minutes later we leave the trees behind. No elk. But we\u2019ve reached our destination and this will most surely make a memorable picture. We step into the 10-cm layer of snow and reach for the red barn. The door opens.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to Faviken\u201d says Magnus Nilsson while shaking our hands with a smile on his face. This is how one late November evening started for us. Also known as our most daring culinary adventure so far.\"Interior \"Restaurant \"LoungeWorld\u2019s most isolated fine dining restaurant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Faviken is the most isolated fine dining restaurant in the world. It has 2 Michelin stars and it\u2019s a constant presence in the World\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants List since 2012. The chef, Magnus Nilsson, is nowadays a real super-star among foodies.
\nAnd he is one of the main reasons why\u00a0 Faviken is a top culinary destination for food enthusiasts all over the world (us included). If you\u2019re familiar with Netflix series \u201cChef\u2019s Table\u201d or \u201cMind of a chef\u201d you know what we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n

\"Amuse \"InteriorThe road to Faviken<\/strong><\/p>\n

Faviken sits 750 kilometers North of Stockholm and about 300 km South of Polar Circle, in Jamtland, Sweden. The closest city to Faviken is Are (25km), a ski resort popular among the Nordics. You can also spot The Northern Lights here, if you are very lucky. It was not the case for us \ud83d\ude42 No elks, no Northern Lights. But we had snow every day.<\/p>\n

The restaurant is placed in the middle of an impressive hunting estate of 8000 acres. The entire area between Faviken and Are is actually a natural reservation. Any new construction here is strictly prohibited. This stands as a solid argument for \u201cthe most isolated fine dining restaurant in the world\u201d<\/p>\n

The main building is an 18th century old barn. This place hosts a restaurant since the 80\u2019s, but only the recent history worths a mention for the foodie travelers. Faviken was bought by its current owners back in 2003. Their main objective was to raise the standard of the culinary experience. Magnus Nilsson was the right man at the right time. He came with the idea of a a fine dining restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
\n\"AmuseMagnus Nilsson, the magic want behind Faviken<\/strong><\/p>\n

Magnus arrived at Faviken in 2008, by coincidence. After years spent at Astrance in Paris under Pascal Barbot (3*) and a short run in Stockholm, Magnus decided to come back to Jamtland, the place of his childhood. Tired and a bit disappointed of cooking, his intention was to focus on wines and become a sommelier.<\/p>\n

He joined the Faviken team convinced by a friend working there. The rest is history.
\nMagnus persuaded the owners to transform Faviken into a fine dining restaurant with focus on local products and local identity. A crazy idea that led to the birth of one of the most spectacular culinary destinations in the world.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Magnus took over the role of head chef and made a whole lot of research. He travelled the region, interviewed people and studied thousands of articles.<\/p>\n

The success and global awareness of Faviken came along with its inclusion in The World\u2019s 50 Best list in 2012 (no. 34). In 2013 was named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by Zagat guide. After that, Magnus starred in some of the top documentaries for foodies: Chef\u2019s Table and Mind of a Chef. From 2016 Faviken also has 2 Michelin stars. More than deserved.<\/p>\n

How to get to Faviken
\n<\/strong>The Faviken hunting estate is 25 kilometers away from Are. There are a couple of ways to get here. From Norway via Trondheim or from Sweden via Ostersund (1-hour flight to Stockholm). We went for the second route and booked a transfer Ostersund- Are with the help of the Faviken team.<\/p>\n

During the summer months is probably more convenient to rent a car, in terms of money and flexibility. But we went at Faviken for the winter menu, so it was easier and safer to let the driving part to a local. Cause everything was quite frozen and it snowed every day.<\/p>\n

Where to stay
\n<\/strong>First choice has to be Faviken. It has 6 rooms for guests. You can stay here for the night of the dinner reservation, if you book in advance (together with the table). Although it sounds great to have dinner and breakfast at Faviken, for us didn\u2019t work. We wanted to properly enjoy the dinner experience, so we expanded our stay for 3 nights in Are. This way we avoided having dinner at Faviken after a long day on the road. The hotel recommended by Faviken Team: \u00c5reg\u00e5rden.<\/p>\n

The culinary experience.
\n<\/strong>There are only 16 seats for dinner at Faviken. Plus a shared table of 8. The entire experience takes the guest from one floor to another. The ground floor is where the welcome part happens. It\u2019s quite a lounge area where we got into a tasty relaxed mood before the actual meal, with glasses of champagne and mises en bouche. Following the symmetry, we also ended the meal in the same place, with coffee and sweets. For the main part of the dinner we were led upstairs.<\/p>\n

\"Detalii \"Decor The interior of each floor is 100% wood. We could see from place to place decorative elements in line with the Faviken concept: local spices, dried vegetables or fish, shepherds clothes. \"welcomeWe got a bit emotional right from the start with Magnus beeing the first person to say \u201cHi\u201d. It was basically our ideal dinner scenario becoming reality step by step.<\/p>\n

Magnus introduced the other guys from the team. Everything and everyone was relaxed and friendly. We appreciated this approach that matches perfectly with a place like Faviken \u2013 creating a relaxed and informal setting from the start.<\/p>\n

The Menu
\n<\/strong>The tasting menu at Faviken is based on The New Nordic Cuisine, with a rustic touch. All the ingredients are local or sourced from nearby. It\u2019s the only way to keep up the high standard and create an unique experience in such a remote location.<\/p>\n

The vegetables are grown on their domain, the fish comes from a lake nearby, the scallops arrive from Norway.\u00a0 The game season also provides some top ingredients for the main dishes.<\/p>\n

We went at Faviken during the cold season, when everything is frozen and nothing grows. So, the entire winter menu contains preserved vegetables, fruits and the meat and fish they can source during this season. They use a lot of ancient surviving methods to preserve different ingredients, giving them extra layers of flavor.<\/p>\n

After tasting everything and just being amazed by what fermentation can do, we had the opportunity to see the famous \u201croot cellar\u201d that makes the winter meals possible.
\n\"exterior \"Interior \"ingredienteDinner at Faviken begins at 7 sharp. It stretches to 4 hours, together with the socializing part, kitchen visit and estate discovery. Probably even more in the summer months when the sun is up for the entire visit.<\/p>\n

The menu contains about 30 items. Including the small bites and the petit fours.
\nSmall bites \/ Appetizers:<\/strong>
\nLinseed and vinegar crisps, mussel dip<\/strong>
\nWholegrain wheat cracker with carrot salad\"Wholegrain<\/strong>
\nBroth of smoked and dried reindeer, decomposing leaves, very fresh cruds and crowberries\"Broth<\/strong>
\nWild trout roe served in a crust of dried pig\u2019s blood (favorite)<\/span>\"Wild \"Wild<\/strong>
\nOne of the signature dishes. A crispy crust made of pork blood filled with wild trout roe. Unusual ingredients, wonderful textures and great flavors. We knew about this dish from Chef\u2019s Table, so we had some time to emotionally process the idea of eating pig\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n

Pig\u2019s head, dipped in sourdough and deep-fried, gooseberry, tarragon salt\"Pig\u2019s<\/strong>
\nBraised pig\u2019s head mixed with sourdough and fried. Garnished with tarragon salt and gooseberry. Some basic ingredients transformed into one delicious plate.<\/p>\n

Bird\u2019s liver custard, malted cabbage, rowan berries and parsley stems\"Bird\u2019s<\/strong>
\nSlices of cured pork\"Slices<\/strong>Main dinner:<\/p>\n

Scallop \u201cI skalet ur elden\u201d cooked over burning juniper branches (favorite)<\/span>\"Scallop \"Scallop<\/strong>
\nProbably Faviken\u2019s most famous dish. It\u2019s mentioned in almost all the materials referring to the restaurant.<\/p>\n

These beautiful scallops from Norway are cooked simple over juniper branches. They are served on on a bed of moss and juniper and the guest is invited to eat them without cutlery. Eating with hands it meant to enhance the experience.<\/p>\n

King crab and almost burnt cream (favorite)<\/span>\"<\/strong>
\nAnother signature dish and our favorite from the menu. This dish is another sample of what you can do when you use the best ingredients. Simple plate, two ingredients, intense flavours.<\/p>\n

Cod steamed with spruce needles, fermented Jerusalem artichoke\"Cod<\/strong>
\nSourdough pancake, seaweed, beef butter\"Sourdough<\/strong>
\nLupin curd gratin<\/strong>
\nRazor clam\"Razor \"Preparat<\/strong>
\nA small egg coated in ash, sauce made from dried trout and pickled marigold (favorite)<\/span>\"egg \"egg \"preparat<\/strong>
\nThe most adventurous dish in the menu. Again, the documentaries and the research helped us understand it better. Because otherwise, the idea of eating something prepared using sheep dung is \u201chard to digest\u201d.
\nUsing an old preservation technique from Iceland, the quail\u2019s egg is prepared in a layer of ash made from sheep\u2019s dung. The egg is served together with a sauce made from dried trout and pickled marigold. One word: delicious.<\/p>\n

Steamed cabbage, very good cream and Finnish fish eggs\"Steamed \"Steamed<\/strong>
\nWild duck and Set broth, truffles and beer cream\"Wild \"Wild<\/strong>
\nColostrum with medowsweet (favorite)<\/span>\"Colostrum \"Colostrum<\/strong>
\nAnother controversial dish. Milk crust filled with colostrum (the first milk of the cow) and meadowsweet.<\/p>\n

Raw Jerusalem artichoke, dark roasted cereals\"Raw<\/strong>
\nPotato dream\"Potato<\/strong>
\nAn egg yolk preserved in sugar syrup served on a pile of crumbs, made from pine tree bark, ice cream seasoned with spruce\"egg \"egg<\/strong>
\nPetit fours\/ lounge<\/p>\n

Raspberry ice\"Raspberry<\/strong>
\nBone marrow pudding, frozen milk\"Bone \"Bone<\/strong>
\nPickled semi-dried root vegetables\"Pickled<\/strong>
\nMeat and birch pie\"MeatA wooden box filled with tar pastilles, meadowsweet candy, dried rowanberries, smoked caramel, sunflower seed nougat, dried black currants\"A \"wooden<\/strong>
\nAromatic seeds\"Aromatic<\/strong>
\nSnus fermented in a used bitters barrel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wines<\/strong>
\nWe went with the wine pairing. It includes 4 wines plus a local beer. And they didn\u2019t care about the number of glasses. We enjoyed this approach, but we believe this menu deserves an extended list of wines.
\nWwine pairing list:<\/p>\n

Jamtland Vingard, Faviken Ljust Mjod, Oster-Ovsjo, Jamtland<\/strong>
\n2014 Domaine Emmanuel Giboulot, Le Pierres Blanches, Bourgogne<\/strong>
\n2012 Reichsrat von Buhl, Riesling GG Pechstein, Pfalz<\/strong>
\n2011 Michel & Stephane Ogier, Cote-Rotie, Rhone<\/strong>
\n2011, Klein Constantia, Vin de Constance, Constantia, South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Service & Atmosphere<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Faviken team knows how to create a cozy, informal atmosphere. We felt this from the first contact with Magnus and the team. At the end of our meal we socialized with the staff and shared some culinary memories from around the world.<\/p>\n

Faviken represents a new milestone for us in terms of culinary adventures and efforts to get to a restaurant.\u00a0 But it was a tasty journey and a also one from which we had much to learn. Totally worth the extra effort.<\/p>\n

Good to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n