Changing Tastes At Fönix: Visiting Reykjavík’s Enduring Sichuan Outpost

Fönix is an unassuming 36-seat Chinese restaurant in the somewhat grey and concrete-heavy locale of Höfðinn. It sits on the middle floor of a three-storey strip mall next to one of Iceland’s biggest motorways, between a car workshop and a hunting supplies store. It doesn’t stand out much, from the outside. But over the last 13 years, Fönix has become a bastion of Chinese food in Reykjavík, serving a mixture of takeaway favourites, and a short menu of specials: that is, sizzling Sichuan-style dishes with a hearty, home-cooked feel.

The chef of the family

The restaurant was opened in 2012 by spouses Símon Xianqing Quan and Wenli Wang, who emigrated to Iceland from the Anhui province of China in the late ‘90s. Today, their son Aron is the director of operations. He fondly remembers moving to Iceland aged five, and seeing snow for the first time — and the path that led to founding Fönix in 2012.
“I have seen a lot of change in the Icelandic palate in the last ten years.”

“My mom and dad had been working in a few Asian-style restaurants in Iceland for years,” he says. “But they always wanted to start their own business, doing their own thing. The place has changed a lot since then. We had a small budget when we opened, and only bought the absolutely essential kitchen supplies.”

Aron remembers that even during this busy time, food was always at the centre of the home. “My mom has always been the chef of the family,” he says. ”There was always home cooking. It didn’t matter if she was working 10, 12, 14 hours a day. When she came home, she always prepared some dishes.”

Spicy and numbing

This passion for cooking and comfort food is a key factor in why Fönix is so popular. The menu covers all kinds of Western-style takeaway favourites, like simple fried noodles, deep-fried king prawns, and an excellent Kung Pao chicken. But it’s with the specials — a short section tucked away at the end of the menu — that Fönix really shines.

“We’re always trying to incorporate more authentic dishes into our menu,” says Aron. “That’s why we have the speciality section. My grandma is from the Sichuan region, which is that spicy, numbing food.”

The restaurant also serves a piping hot mapo tofu, including a popular vegan option. The Sichuan eggplant dish is a treat; the thinly sliced, double cooked pork belly — first boiled, then fried — sizzles with spice. The Sichuan chicken dish gives that welcome, tongue-tingling buzz of ‘numbing’ Sichuan pepper heat.

“The dumplings are very popular, too,” says Aron. “We make both the dough and the mince itself. We buy the chunks of pork, and mince it ourselves to get the just right fat quantity. We make everything from scratch.”

Something new

Fönix has seen an evolution in the tastes of its customers in recent times. The takeaway classics remain ever popular, but an increasing number of people are showing interest in Sichuan flavours.

“I have seen a lot of change in the Icelandic palate in the last ten years,” says Aron. “We have been seeing more authentic Chinese restaurants opening all over the world. I think younger people are more open to trying authentic dishes. There’s definitely potential there. We’ll always keep the classics — but I think we don’t have to be afraid to give Icelanders something new.”
“More authentic Chinese restaurants are opening all over the world.”

One of the things Aron has been thinking about is traditional Chinese hotpot, where diners dunk raw ingredients into a bowl of bubbling broth and cook it to their own taste. “I absolutely love hot pot!” he exclaims. “It’s so versatile, you can put everything in it. There is definitely a need for a hot pot restaurant in Iceland.” He pauses, musing over the idea. “But I don’t know how practical it is — you have to cook the raw meat yourself at the table. So I think it might run into trouble with the health authorities, which is probably why nobody has tried it.”

But for now, business is good. In 2020, the family opened a second location in Hafnarfjörður, which has proven just as popular. Fönix will keep doing what Fönix does best — but with one eye on the changing times.