Going by stereotypes, you might picture a Scandinavian meal as fish, boiled vegetables and fish. While it is true that this is a cuisine traditionally short on fresh vegetables, chefs are doing a whole lot more with fish and boiled vegetables these days than you might think.

For starters, my friend tried the creamy game soup with reindeer. It was rich and a bit sweet, and, 24 hours later, my friend confessed she had been talking it up to colleagues all day long.

On a whim, I sprung for the trio of herrings. I’m not a big fan of herring, but once had a lovely assortment at a Danish restaurant in London that even I enjoyed. I figured that made it the test of a good Scandinavian restaurant.

Herring #1 was prepared in a cream sauce with onions; herring #2 was described as “traditional” in a sweet, vinegary preparation; herring #3 was in curry sauce, which I thought was a Belgian twist, but it turns out it is actually quite common. On the side was a dark, dense rye bread. If that was the test, Up North passed.

We also tried two of the restaurant’s three aquavits – a flavoured Scandinavian spirit: the clear Danish aquavit was dry, the golden Norwegian one more herbaceous. Both were a nice compliment to the strong flavours on our plates.

For mains, we each had (you guessed it) fish and boiled vegetables – but that description belies the elegance of the presentation and the pleasant combinations.

A fennel puree accompanied monkfish along with sweet bites of beets and apples and a langoustine sauce so tasty that my friend was seriously considering licking her plate.

I ordered what the menu called “trout in sour cream”, but there was no cream to be seen. The trout was served with potatoes, cauliflower and marinated cabbage, a hearty preparation I enjoyed, if not exactly what I was expecting.

For dessert we shared a blueberry jelly roll: spongy white cake with blueberry jelly filling, topped with buttery frosting and featuring tiny cooked blueberries on the side. Light and not too sweet, we gobbled it up.

Up North stays true to Scandinavian style in its décor, with a simple, stylish interior and modern tableware. Although the dining area only seats 24, in the coming warmer months – the first full summer since their August 2009 opening – the restaurant will spill out onto the sidewalk, with the front doors wide open to bring that nice weather to indoor diners, too.

www.upnorth.be

Hoedenmakerstraat 36, Brussels
Tues to Sat 12.00-14.30 & 19.00-22.30
A place that gets beyond the stereotypes of fish heads and boiled vegetables, with an intimate, hardwood design in a great location

Contact Bite at [email protected]