Great food with great friends; our last night in Norway was filled with laughs and full bellies at Emma’s Dream Kitchen (Emma’s Drømmekjøkken). The restaurant, located in the center of the Tromsø downtown area, was elaborately decorated with old-fashioned Norwegian paintings and even some newer ones as well to give the restaurant a Scandinavian feel. Our private third floor room was ornamented with a carriage of porcelain dolls, which gave the space a fun and youthful impression.
Our table and private room at Emma’s Dream Kitchen
The restaurant was chosen so we could try a true taste of Norway, and taste is what we got! Before our appetizers were served, our waitress came out with a mouthful of… something. After plates were set down, she informed us that we had a bite of whale in front of each of us. Questions were quickly answered confirming the legality of the acquisition of the meat and that it was a non-threatened species. While some might have still been dismayed, I knew that whale is a cultural delicacy of Norway and asked myself when I might ever have the opportunity to try something like that again. The whale was tender and flavorful; the experience did not disappoint.
Next came apps! I had the salmon cooked at 42 degrees Celcuis with cauliflower cream, cucumber rounds and dill crumble. The combination of the crunchy dill and melt-in-your-mouth fish was remarkable, and the smiley-face arrangement of the food could only add to the enjoyable atmosphere. Other appetizers served were the potato and leek soup with smoked breast of duck and bread croutons, and another vegetarian soup.
My meal – a taste of whale (top left), salmon appetizer (top right), reindeer steaks and sausage (bottom left), and chocolate mousse, brownie, and passion fruit sorbet with mascarpone for dessert (bottom right)
As for the main course, I extended my adventurous palette to try reindeer, which is yet another Norwegian delicacy. The filet of reindeer with Emma’s special reindeer sausage, celery puré, beets and cranberry sauce came together to create a sweet, gamey flavor. Other entrées were fried white fish with onions, potato puré and beurre noisette with capers, and a vegetarian risotto and vegetable dish.
After some fun table games, the ‘zerts arrived. We each got a serving of chocolate mousse with brownie crust along with passion fruit sorbet and mascarpone for a sweet ending to our night. Our dining event was both fun and filling. We all got to step outside of our comfort zone a bit to become more familiar with Norwegian culture.