Stuck in Iceland recommends: Sümac restaurant

In this first special Stuck in Iceland restaurant recommendation, we will talk about one of our all-time favorite restaurants in Reykjavík, the Middle-Eeastern themed Sümac, run by one of Iceland´s most renowned chefs, Þráinn Freyr Vigfússon. Þráinn also runs ÓX, one of the three Michelin-star restaurants in Iceland. The other two Michelin-star restaurants are Moss and Dill. Þráinn was kind enough to answer some questions about his background and vision for his restaurants. He also provided excellent restaurant recommendations for those visiting Iceland.

This restaurant recommendation is written by Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir, my much better half.

But first, let’s talk about the joy that is Sümac on Laugavegur 28

This bustling and always busy restaurant (we recommend booking a table if you want to eat there!) serves top-notch Icelandic ingredients with a nod to the wonder of Middle Eastern cuisine. A fragrant smell of coriander, cumin, fenugreek, zaatar, and, of course, the beautifully sweet and sour spice the restaurant is named after, sümac, fills your nose the minute you walk in, and your taste buds respond with an exciting longing.

The food is phenomenal. The small dishes, like the za´atar bread with baba ganoush, the oyster mushrooms with the most crunchy hazelnut dukkah, and the beautifully grilled halloumi with fennel honey, are an excellent start to the meal. The star of the night is the lamb chops with lentils, grapes, and almonds. The Icelandic lamb is one of the crowns of Icelandic food produce, and it is served in a way that makes your heart soar. We can also really recommend the roasted cauliflower for our vegetarian and vegan readers. It is a beautifully complex dish in its simplicity, served with almonds, pomegranates, and a beautiful harissa yogurt.

We were so full after all this fantastic food that we did not get to the desserts this time, but I will not miss out next time!

We asked Þráinn a few questions about his life, his work as a chef in Iceland, and his two fantastic restaurants.

Tell our readers a bit about yourself; what is your background as a chef?

I’m from Sauðárkrókur up north in Skagafjörður and grew up there free to explore and learn about the nature around me. I started 14 years old as a dishwasher at my dad’s summer hotel up north in Iceland. Then, I worked summers in the kitchen there and found it exciting, and I have not looked back.

My apprenticeship was at Grillið Hótel Saga from 2002-2005. I worked there until 2011, with some breaks where I worked abroad (France, USA, London, and Nordic countries).

I was the head chef at Kolabrautin Mediterranean restaurant from 2011 until 2013, when Sümac started to come to me. During 2013-2016, I was the head chef at the Blue Lagoon.

I started planning to open Sümac and ÓX 2016, which opened in the summer of 2017 at Laugavegur 28.

What inspired you to open Sümac,  a Middle Eastern restaurant in Iceland?

At first, I was looking for a restaurant concept to be the sugar dad/mom for ÓX. I had looked at North Africa, Lebanon, and Morocco before and found them interesting, so I started traveling to countries around there for food. I Fell in love with the food, and Sumac came to light. Sümac is influenced by Lebanon and North Africa, using Icelandic ingredients but spices and traditions from there.

You are also the chef and owner of one of two of Iceland´s Michelin-awarded restaurants, Óx, which I still have to visit. Is Óx themed around a more Nordic cuisine, or if not, what is your general direction for your award-winning restaurant?

ÓX is an idea I had while cooking at the hunting lodge at Kjarrá in 2006. Make a restaurant that is very connected to the chefs and the clientele. It emphasizes Icelandic ingredients and traditions combined with modern cooking techniques. The dinner guest sits by the kitchen counter and watches everything the chefs do.
The interiors are from my grandparents in Snæfellsnes, built by my grandfather in 1961 for their home at Hlíðarholt in Staðarsveit, just above the famous church at Búðir.

Apart from visiting Sümac and Óx, what culinary tips do you have for visitors coming to Iceland?

I would go to Nielsen in Egilsstaðir, North in Akureyri, Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjar, Oto Reykjavík, and Dill in Reykjavík. For burgers – Le kock.

What are your favorite places and activities in Iceland?

I love the Westfjords (Vestfirðir), my home fjord Skagafjörður, and the island Drangey. Skiing in winter and fly fishing in the summer are my hobbies.

How do you source your ingredients, and how important is local produce to your menu?

For ÓX, great farmers are doing extraordinary things for us. For example, we have Siggi in Stokkseyri farming ducks and quails to use at ÓX. We source everything on the menu from Iceland.