From Iceland — Grub & Grog: Bryggjan Brugghús Cooks With Beer, Glorious Beer

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Grub & Grog: Bryggjan Brugghús Cooks With Beer, Glorious Beer

Grub & Grog: Bryggjan Brugghús Cooks With Beer, Glorious Beer

CONTENT SPONSORED BY:
Hannah Jane Cohen
Photo by
Art Bicnick

Published August 19, 2019

From the burger buns to the ice cream, Bryggjan Brugghús strives to use its delicious beer in everything it serves. The menu is chock full of pub-style comfort food with a gastro twist, and the vibe is cosy and inviting. After my meal there, I can positively declare that it’s the perfect place for everything from a low key family affair to a lively birthday meal with friends.

Wings on wings

I began my visit to Bryggjan Brugghús there with a selection of wings—one made of cauliflower, the other chicken. Reykjavík has a definite dearth of wings places, so I was hopeful about these. Could Bryggjan Brugghús become my new wings saviour?

I was pleasantly surprised, then, at the delightful kick their spicy chicken wings serve up. Reykjavík isn’t known for spicy foods but this was a proper hot wing. After my first mouthful, I resoundingly declared I’d return for more.

The cauliflower wings, on the other hand, were melt in your mouth cushy and yummy. If the chicken wings served up a kick, then these babies served up a whole karate school. They were hot! That said, the cauliflower pleasantly mimicked the classic chicken wing and I felt satisfied and full by the healthy alternative. This was vegan junk food at its best.

Beer in the best way

Appetisers done, it was time for entrées, and while the fish of the day, fish and chips, and vegan burger were superb, it was the moules frites and piri piri chicken that took home the gold.

Boiled in the restaurant’s delectable beer, the moules frites were downright addictive—the type of food you can’t possibly eat as fast as you want to. The sauce, which was warm, oily, and beer-y in the best way, was one that I could have easily eaten on its own by the spoonful. Underneath, the subtle beer flavour were hints of fennel and garlic that gave the meal dimension and layers far beyond your average moules frites. Ordering mussels at a brewery might not be your first inkling, but it was certainly a delicious one.

Overlaid with textured, spiced, crunchy skin, the piri piri chicken was a true culinary delight and no doubt what I’d recommend trying first and foremost from the restaurant. With a delicious spicy, saltiness that was perfectly balanced out by a beer-cooked half-apple, the meal was memorable, so much so that I immediately told my foodie friends they had to stop by Bryggjan Brugghús soon for a taste. Think about it: Two wildly different parts of the meal were cooked in the brewery’s beer and both were spectacularly unique—a fact that continues to astound me.

A beautiful finish

Of course, no meal is complete with dessert, and Bryggjan Brugghús didn’t disappoint with its “Milk Of Madagascar”—a combination of vanilla ice cream, ganache, salted almonds and a sprinkling of caramel popcorn. While I thought I had no room for dessert, the combination of salty and sweet forced me to reconsider, and I happily cleaned the plate.

While beer might not be your first thought when you think of cooking ingredients, Bryggjan Brugghús’ menu proves there are ample ways to use that fated liquid in unexpected and delicious ways. Whether you’re a beer connoisseur or just a casual drinker, you’ll find something on the menu that’ll blow your mind. And trust us, seriously, don’t miss that piri piri chicken.

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