Surprisingly, the small Nordic island of 320k+ inhabitants took me to an amazing gastronomic adventure. The coastline of Iceland proves to be an advantage in sourcing fresh seafood. Its unique terrain (think Games of Thrones, Walter Mitty or Thor the movie) and chilly weather also create a one-of-a-kind ecosystem where Viking horses, short-tailed sheeps and fluffy puffin birds thrive.

Since I spent most of my eating time in Reykjavik, I was only able to cover the city area. After writing about What to Eat When in Iceland, let me take you to a journey starting off with...

1. Kaffi Brennslan- This buzzling, typical Icelandic coffee shop is a good place to chill and sip a cup of coffee or, for me, eat an afternoon dessert!

Carrot cake

I'm a good influence to my friends who try their hands at food photography as well.

2. Sandholt Bakery- One of the bakeries open in the early hours is a few blocks away from Kaffi Brennslan. Their fresh tomato soup of the day turned out to be loaded with quinoa/brown rice.

One big bowl of tomato soup

3. Gamla- One of the unassuming pizzerias in town that serves melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese pizza.  

Chicken with cream cheese base

 4. Fish Market- Asian inspired, you can get your fix of Icelandic delicacies, such as the puffin bird, langoustine and minke whale.



5. Seafood Cellar- Another chance for seafood lovers to get their langoustine fix. It feels like walking in an old cellar but with a more vibrant atmosphere. 

Cheese platter

Langoustine with seafood. I can go to heaven now :)

 6. Lobster House- Obviously you come here to get, what else, lobster aka langoustine! Please don't leave Iceland without trying the lobster soup.

Even though I was seated a few minutes after they opened for the night, customer service was a bit slow.

I am a big fan of lobster soup with langoustine meat.

 7. Cafe Loki- Their Icelandic plates was reasonably priced. The fish mash and herring on top of rye bread and rye ice cream platter were divine! Sit by the corner where you can ogle at the largest church, Hallgrimskirkja, in the country.  

An Icelandic platter to remember

 8. Grill Market- This establishment gives Fish Market a run for their money. Their fish trio platter is worth the monies. I would have also commended on their excellent service however found a strand of blonde hair in the corn kernels. Hmmm.

Chicken wings with deep fried corn kernels.

Fish trio with an Asian twist

Bread with black salt and creamed butter

9. Lava Restaurant- Trust me when I say that you will get hungry after spending a few hours in the hot spring at Blue Lagoon. However, since I was already starving by the time we got to the lagoon, I dragged my friends to eat first at Lava, run by 2013 Chef of the Year, Chef Victor and team. A happy tummy equals a happy me! I didn't get the desserts at Lava, but I wish I did. On second thought, I would have felt too bloated while soaking in the lagoon. #foodbloggerproblems



10. Te and Kaffi- For your tea or caffeine fix, head to Te and Kaffi, Iceland's version of Starbucks. I was surprised of the quality and flavor of the tuna bagel sandwich, which I know I could never get the same at Starbucks. Bonus points for local coffee shops!  



11. BBP or Bajarins Beztu Pylsur- Meat eaters rejoice since Icelandic dishes is not only about food from the sea, okay. The iconic hotdog stand even has a branch at the Keflavik International Airport.

This lady is as iconic as the hotdog she serves. Read all about their history on the wall of the storefront.

I wish I could tell you where to eat sheep's brain, but I didn't get the chance to find it. Maybe, next time when I'm back in the Nordic region :)

The gastronomic adventures continue in the coastal country of Iceland. When I first planned this trip (yes, I'm usually the lead perpetrator of international trips), I didn't expect the Icelandic cuisine to rival those in other Scandinavian or European countries, in general, probably because it is very foreign to many people, your truly included. Nonetheless, the country's myriad fresh seafood and other delicacies exceeded my expectations. Thus, its cuisine now ranks as one of my all-time favorites. Here are my top picks of Icelandic fare in no particular order:

1. Pizza with cream cheese instead of tomato sauce- The cream cheese base makes the the pizza creamier and flavorful, but I had a difficult time digesting (due to my lactose intolerant tummy... oopss). Tip: Eat the pizza while it is piping hot. If you take out, the cold weather makes the crust soggy.

Chicken with cream cheese from Gamla

 2. Minke whale- In this part of the world, whale is considered a delicacy and is abundant. I tried the grilled version of the meat, which tasted like seared tuna with a tougher texture. The horseradish and ginger sauce helped cut through the 'fishiness' of the whale.

Robata grilled minke whale with horseradish, served with soya ginger sauce from The Grillmarket (Grillmarkadurinn).

 3. Puffin bird- If you have seen a puffin in real life or through pictures, you wouldn't want to eat this bird. It is so cute! But then again, since puffin meat is common in Iceland, I tried a sliver. It is similar to duck in texture and taste but with a very strong aftertaste that made my eating buddies and I look for a 'chaser'- Icelandic salt is a good option to cleanse the palette.  

Smoked puffin with creamed leek, apples and wild mushroom from The Grillmarket (Grillmarkadurinn).

3. Lobster/langoustine- Lobster lovers rejoice! I tried different dishes with langoustine - grilled, mixed seafood and soup- at a few restaurants in Reykjavik and none failed me. Enough said. Other resto options for langoustine dishes are The Lobster House (Humarhusid) and Seafood Cellar (Sjavarkjallarinn).

Grilled langoustine from Westman Island with grilled pineapple and pina colada from The Grillmarket (Grillmarkadurinn).

 4. Icelandic doughnut- A good pick-me-up deep fried snack paired with hot cocoa or coffee. I still prefer an authentic Spanish doughnut, but this elongated pastry definitely gives you extra energy to fight off the cold. 

Icelandic doughnut from Kaffi Brennslan

 5. Fish- Seafood lovers rejoice! I'm stating that yet again. Iceland offers a bevy of different type of fishes, such as cod, salmon, monkfish and blueling. Try whatever you fancy and get those omega-3's while at it. 

Seafood sampler of cod, salmon and monkfish from The Fish Market (Fishmarkadurinn).

 6. Bread- I am not a big fan of bread, but the free bread served before a meal at many restaurants in Reykjavik made me realized that there is really something about Icelandic baked bread. It is always extra soft, tasty and delicious. Is it the water? Perplexed. Try it with creamed butter and Icelandic aromatic salt.

Bread from the Lava Restaurant.

7. BBP hotdog- Many travel sites recommend BBP or Bajarins Beztu Pylsur's hotdog located near the harbor. A long line awaits you as many hungry local and foreign patrons know that this is the IT thing to eat regardless of the time of day. 
 8. Local beer- I am a picky beer drinker, but the ones I've enjoyed the most are local beers that are not for export. Vatnajokull beer is light and refreshing and a perfect companion after a strenuous glacier hike.  FYI, Vatnajokull is the largest Icelandic glacier.
9. Herring- This raw fish has an acquired taste. Think of it as sashimi. I first got introduced to brined herring while living in the Netherlands, however the Icelanders prepare it as pickled herring, giving it a sweet and salty kick.

Herring on rye toast from Cafe Loki.

10. Rye bread ice cream- What's not to like especially when it has a unique twist? I personally err towards desserts that aren't too sweet and don't give me a sore throat. The rye bread ice cream easily passed the mark.

Rye bread ice cream from Cafe Loki.

11. and 12. Icelandic salt and water- Sometimes, we just ignore the simple things, such as salt and water. Salt is one of the common condiments that come with the complimentary bread in restaurants. The best one I tasted was salt with arctic thyme and edible lavender flowers, evoking a salty yet sensual flavor. Salt can also be sexy!

It is hard to describe why the water in this country is special. But the first time I drank it, it tasted smooth, unfiltered and pure, similar to the water of Austria. Both countries' drinking water comes from spring water, and you can even drink water out of the restroom faucet. The best things in life are free afterall! 

Be forewarned that alcohol and food are expensive in Iceland so plan accordingly. 'Til the next gastronomic adventures (looks like it will be another cold place)...

I had to go all the way to Eldure to get my fix of DIY crepes and daim cake. Eldure is a laid back ice cream/creperie on a quiet downtown street in Reykjavik. Rest assured, their ice cream and even their whip cream are not American style, i.e. it is not as sweet but still definitely on the yummy side. I should have added this spot in addition to my blogs about Where to Eat and What to Eat in Iceland.

I received an email from one of the advertising programs this blog is signed up for reminding me to write about organic terms, such as hearts, chocolates, pink and valentines. So there ya go! Kidding aside, I rarely celebrate valentines because I'm a strong believer that love should be given everyday to those who count the most.

Chocolate heart ring, anyone?

Instead of writing a typical 'which restaurant to take your date' post (people do ask me this question from time to time), just read about my favorite restaurants here and the top 3 things I super love to do:

1. Travel to places not many people get to go in their lifetime.

Chasing the Northern Lights outside Reykjavik, Iceland

2. If you want to break bad news to me, bring me to a boba tea shop please.

Making faces with Purple Cow

3.  My favorite city for gastronomic (mis)adventures is Barcelona with Singapore as a close second. Besides from being biased since I am part Spanish, I can stuff myself everyday with seafood tapas, patatas bravas, paella and the list goes on..

Chipirones ala plancha from Tapas 24

Let me start by writing that this is not a foodie post. I got altitude sickness right when we landed at La Paz airport from Miami that I eventually started to feel uneasy. On the second day of our land tour where we headed to the highest altitude for our entire trip, I puked twice. Alas even though I really wanted to try Bolivian wine and home cooked meals, I just couldn't.  My head was pounding. My body was not cooperating. #foodbloggerproblems

Epic shot. No photoshop here.

Uyuni from the airplane.

Onwards to the Good Stuff
Despite the fact that many complained about other organizers of Uyuni land tours - e.g. drunk and careless drivers, faulty SUVs, Spanish-only speaking guides, etc. - we were very fortunate to find a reliable tour operator, Quechua Connection, who actually picked us up at the Uyuni airport (unlike other operators who told us to take a taxi to their office), and had an English-speaking guide who genuinely took care of me while I became sick and gave me extra oxygen, which instantly made me feel better, plus an assistant who knew how to take creative photos with a DSLR at the salt flats. I rarely recommend any tour operator unless if they've done a superb job!

Big thank you to our guide who gave me coca tea and extra oxygen to cure my altitude sickness!

On our first day, my wish of taking breathtaking photos of the Uyuni salt flats came true. After all, I consider photographs as the best souvenirs. Imagine yourself in a desert filled with salt. I am glad that my tour mates already knew what to photograph and shoot since you really need a creative director to get the best shot.

First stop at the train graveyard.

Meditating so my head would not explode.

I can't bike but I do have a video of the others who biked the salt flats. Watch out for it on my next post.

Banana ice cream after lunch at the salt flats.

Standing on top of salts, which I'm not supposed to do. Oopssie!

Can you spot where our luggage are?

On our 8th consecutive year of travels and still counting.

Babes on board.

A one-of-a-kind experience lunching on the salt flats.

High kick!

We didn't get sponsorship from Pringles, ok.

On top of alpaca.

Cute Bolivian kid.

WOW! Overlooking the salt flats.

Our guides' idea of giving us an unforgettable photo memoir.

The next two days were honestly a blur to me. With my altitude sickness kicking in high gear, I can't remember much. But the photos below are evidence that I did complete the entire circuit and sat on the bus to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile without making a mess for our onward journey.

Red lagoon filled with flamingos.

Bye, Bolivia! It has been bittersweet.