Smorgas Chef

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
August 13, 2009

CLOUDBERRY DUCK
58 Park Ave
(37th & 38th Sts)
New York, NY 10016
212-847-9745

53 Stone St
(Broad St & Hanover Sq)
New York, NY 10004
212-422-3500

283 W 12th St
@ W 4th St
New York, NY 10014
212-243-7073

Morten Sohlberg

Summer is herring season, and I had the chance to taste two specials during Smörgås Chef’s Herring Festival. Made with fresh Dutch herring that swam across the Atlantic, fatty and full of flavor, both the pickled herring with potato blini and the grav-herring salad with poached eggs were delightful.

The pickled herring was served with potato blinis, sour cream and pickled onions. It was simple but the perfect pairing as the rich and fluffy blini tamed the intense acidity of the pickled herring, and a little dollop of sour cream smoothed each bite. We learned from co-owner Morten Sohlberg that the pickled onions are best as a palate cleanser between each taste rather than added to the herring/blini combination as they overpower.

The poached eggs with the grav-herring salad were served over a bed of bibb lettuce with a creamy vinaigrette and pickled mushrooms. The soft yolk of the poached eggs creates a rich dressing that complements the acidity of the pickled mushrooms and the fattiness of the herring. This is an ideal light summer entrée.

Herring season is usually in June and only lasts a couple of weeks, so I felt lucky to find the specials still available at Smörgås Chef’s West Village location last week. Chef Ari Nieminen says that the fishermen have told him that fresh herring is still abundant though the season is winding down. So try your luck by calling in advance to see if they’re available. If not, there is a herring sampler available year-round with four varieties of pickled herring: plain pickled, tomato, mustard and sour cream. These are accompanied by lefse, a traditional Norwegian potato flatbread, and potato salad.

But I didn’t just eat herring. What would a Scandinavian restaurant be without Swedish meatballs?! The ones at Smörgås Chef are available as an appetizer or entrée. Weary of the danger of overdosing on meatballs, I find the appetizer size perfect, served with chive mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce. These tender meatballs are made from a mixture of ground veal, pork, beef, allspice and pepper. I’d stop by any day just to snack on these.

Another specialty that was intriguingly delicious was the cloudberry duck. Pan-seared slices of duck breast are served with braised red cabbage and carrot ginger mash in a cloudberry reduction. Unfamiliar with cloudberry, I was fascinated to learn that it grows mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, thriving on sunlight and acidic soil, and withstands cold temperatures, so Sweden’s 23 hours of sunlight during summertime makes for the ideal breeding ground. I am told that the fruit when ripe is not tart but creamy. And from what I tasted in the reduction with the duck, it’s well balanced and sweet. A note of caution, the first time I tasted this dish at the Scandinavia House, the duck was cooked medium rare and to perfection. At the West Village restaurant, though I requested it medium rare, the duck was served well done, and it seemed a different dish altogether, and not for the better. The waitress was very accommodating, however, and offered to bring a new duck. So if you’re duck is overcooked, ask for a new one to make sure you get to savor the juicy flavors of this well conceived dish.

Saving the best for last, the Scandinavian soft vanilla waffles with cloudberry preserve and Chantilly cream are just dreamy. The waffles are thin and soft, not soggy. Unlike hard-crusted and airy American waffles, these are springy and spongy, like a cross between a waffle and a pancake. They are addictive on their own, but I enjoy them with the preserve and a dash of cream.

Smörgås Chef has three restaurants in The City (originally four, the Midtown location recently closed). While the atmosphere of each is different and befitting each of the neighborhoods (Financial District, West Village and Midtown), all are consistently low key and understated. The cuisine is home-style and the price is definitely right.

Also in Duck, Financial District, Herring, Midtown East, Scandinavian, Seafood, West Village