Icelandic Food at ”Skál”

Smoked Mackerel on onions steamed in whey and foie gras (from Tabelog event)

Skál                37 Canal St ( corner of Canal St & Ludlow St ) NYC

Skal is located at the restaurant which was formerly Les Enfants Terribles. It’s still the same owner but I couldn’t recognize the former space. They changed everything completely from the inside out. Skal is located on the corner of Ludlow and Canal St at the edge of the L.E.S. and the beginning of Chinatown. This area has a few cute restaurants which I have blogged about in the past such as Fat Radish, Bacaro, and the Leadbelly. I was here around 8:30 PM 0n Thursday night.  When we got here the place was not so crowded but soon after 9, 9:30 the place was packed. I came here with with my friend Justin who is a cook book editor (^_^).  The menu was small yet interesting Scandinavian style cuisine. At the end of dinner it was wonderful to meet their Canadian chef Ben. This was my first visit but Justin had been here once already and said the menu had changed from his last visit. He ordered Smoked Mackerel for an appetizer and for his entree Chatham Cod, Chantrelles and Laurel. My pick was Beef for appetizer and Cod for an entree.  In the end we shared one dessert.  The biggest hit from dinner was the Monkfish with Roasted Sunchoke for sure. I would say the main reason why Justin and I were so excited over the Monkfish with Roasted Sunchoke was because they cooked the Sunchoke as a whole. I am used to eating Sunchoke prepared as slices and have never seen Sunchoke in its whole form before. The taste was so sweet that I thought they tossed it in brown sugar but I was wrong. Chef Ben explained to us that it is just naturally sweet from the Sunchoke itself. Shocking!!!! Aside from this, there was a little bit of a downside to Skal which was that the plating could have been a bit prettier and also they used the same puree for both Justin’s  and my fish. I would love to go back for brunch sometime in the near future. Also I would love to come back when the weather gets warm so I can enjoy the outside table facing the street.

We ordered the Smoked Mackerel and Monkfish gluten-free for Justin, so this may be slightly different from the regular menu.

Ps – Half of photos are from ”Spring Tabelog award party” at Skal and they are not on the menu!! Also as 2014 summer Chef Ben is no longer working at Skal. New exclusive chef James Kim.

Raw Beef, fermented ramps, littleneck clams, and sorrel (from Tabelog event)

Gin cucumber cocktail

Wellfleet Oysters with verjus and chamomile (from Tabelog event)

Seasonal pickled vegetables (from Tabelog event)

Long Island Duck Wings (from Tabelog event)

Salt Cod Croquettes with horseradish remoulades (from Tabelog event)

Special Black cherry Old Fashioned for Tabelog party!! xo

Scandinavian donut with vanilla cream (from Tabelog event)

Heirloom Carrots with burned honey, buttermilk and dill (from Tabelog event)

Wine tasting for Tabelog event

Smoked Mackel and Foie $? ♥♥♥1/2

Glazed Berkshire Cheeks, Buckwheat Porridge, Whelks and Mustards $16 ♥♥♥1/2

Grilled Monkfish, Roasted Sunchokes with Cauliflower and Cabbages $24 ♥♥♥1/2

Chatham Cod, Chantrelles and Laurel $25 ♥♥♥1/2

Beetroot, concord Grapes and Skyr $8 ♥♥♥1/2

Chef Ben Spiegel & Cooking book editor Justin Schwartz

brussel sprouts

steak

Thank you for coming to Tabélog Meet and Greet party!!

more posts by

I Just Want To Eat

Johnny Prime

Rock Shic

Gastronomi

Student Foodie 

NYC Tastes

Let’s Nom Nom

Brooklyn Food Whores

Restaurant Fairy

The Dishelin Guide