THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Skal

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Skal Restaurant Review:

Sitting quietly on the corner of Ludlow and Canal Streets, on the border of Chinatown and the Lower East Side, an Icelandic restaurant is doing impressive things. The chef, who logged time in the kitchen at Noma in Copenhagen, cooks up deceptively simple fare to be served in a candlelit dining room. The menu lists dishes based on their size. First up are salt cod croquettes, which are good and even better with the accompanying horseradish rémoulade. Smoked mackerel, paired with foie gras, is a very nice riff on surf ‘n’ turf. The sleeper hit is the broccoli, which comes out crispy and intertwined with green garlic and breadcrumbs. For larger dishes, do yourself a favor and get the lamb loin (only served in portions for two or three diners). It’s fatty in a favorable way and melts when it lands on the palate. Finish with the dessert of beetroot, Concord grapes, granita and skyr (a soft cheese), a subtle interplay of sweet and savory that will make you wish for more. There are a handful of inventive cocktails on the menu, some made with Icelandic vodka, but the Icelandic brew on tap is strong and hoppy and worth a slurp or two.