Takeaway from Yips Sola

We have tried Yips in Stavanger a couple of times (see this review) and we have been impressed by their dumplings and bao (steamed buns). Recently, Yips opened a new place and this time in Sola (just outside of Stavanger) and we decided to check it out on a weekday, and we decided to just do it as takeaway. The restaurant does have some tables so you can actually eat at the restaurant but it seems like it is more popular as a takeaway place.

 

We decided to try both dumplings and bao once again and I ordered the siumai dumpling (pork and shrimp) and 4 baos (classic, salmon, chicken and BBQ braised pork). We ordered at the restaurant and we were told that it would take about 15 minutes and that was correct as it was ready when we returned to pick it up.

The siumai dumplings were delicious. Mixing pork and shrimp in a dumpling might sound a bit weird but it is certainly something that I find to be delicious. As it came in a small plastic container, it also stayed warm even until we reached home which was a bonus for me. The baos had started to cool off by the time that we got home which is a shame – they are best when they are fresh. I stared with the classic and this is pork belly with hoisin sauce. I love pork belly but this one was a bit too firm for me liking or maybe I was just expecting it to be more tender. The salmon bao was also a bit of a surprise as I thought that the salmon was going to be a bit seared, but it was raw salmon. This is not a problem; I just think it tastes a bit better when it is seared a bit. We moved on to the chicken and this was amazing. The chicken was very tender and juicy perfect with a bit spicy mayo as a sauce. The BBQ braised pork was also very delicious with the sweetness of the BBQ pork as a contrast to the chili mayo sauce.

 

All in all, Yips makes some beautiful and delicious portions of food and even if everything was not totally to my liking this time, I can still recommend that you give them a try. In addition to making baos and dumplings, they also make ramen, poke bowls, noodles and more. So, if you want to have a taste of Asia. Head to Yips in either Pedersgata or Sola so get your fix!

Facts:

Homepage: https://yips.no/

Location: Solakrossvegen 10 - see this Google map 

Price: 400 kroner (41 USD) for 4 baos (with fries) and dumplings. 

 

No surprises at Fish & Cow

Fish & Cow is located right on the city square of Stavanger (torget) and on the day that I went there, it was a lovely sunny afternoon/evening and we got a table by the window. Fish & Cow shares the space and kitchen with Tango (read previous review here). Fish & Cow is a more informal place (compared to Tango) and has seating both inside and outside (when weather permits). My initial thought when I sat down was that the chairs did not work for me – I could not find a comfortable position at all but maybe that is just my body.

 

The menu was limited as we are still in an opening phase after the corona outbreak lock down. Fish & Cow’s offerings included a three-course meal, or you could choose from the starters and mains. I asked if it was possible to get the starter from the three-course meal but have a different main dish but this was not possible. I ordered the fish soup to start with and salmon as a main dish.

 

Just as we got the bread and butter (which were very good, by the way), the starters also arrived. The fish soup was quite good but I would have enjoyed it if it was even creamier and richer. There were good chunks of salmon, possibly cod and another white fish in there along with some shrimp.

The main dish did not take long to be served either – salmon served on top of a bell pepper mayonnaise and served with a grilled gem lettuce. It was also topped with salmon roe that was not specified on the menu but was an appreciated additional bonus. I have salmon quite a lot at home so ordering this was maybe not my most daring choice. I wasn’t disappointed though, the salmon was very tasty and I really enjoyed the bell pepper mayonnaise that it was served on top of. My friend had the sirloin of veal and he enjoyed this - even with it’s more rustic presentation.

 

To round it off, we had some dessert as well - seem appropriate when celebrating a friend’s birthday. My friend had a chocolate fondant (which they seemed to nail) served with strawberries. I had the cheesecake ice cream served with a rhubarb compote, crumble, and a small cookie to add some crunch. Sounded like a great idea but I was not too keen on the chewy consistency of the cheesecake ice cream. 

All in all, it was a healthy meal for me I guess with fish soup and fish. It would have been good to have a more extensive menu but I understand that this is due to the aftermath of the corona crisis. Having said that, today’s menu at Fish & Cow seemed like a very “safe bet” that didn’t have many surprises for me. I hope that they will be back to a more exciting menu soon so that I can schedule a visit again.

Facts:

Homepage: https://www.fishandcow.no/

Location: Torgterassen, Skagen 3 - see this Google map

Price: 625 kr for three course. My menu was about 580 kr (60 USD)

Skagen Restaurant - informal setting with great food and wine

Note that this restaurant is permanently closed! Is has been replaced by Matkontoret

We went to Skagen Restaurant on a Saturday night and I was surprised to see that the restaurant did not seem full - a lot of other restaurants in Stavanger are fully booked these days. When we got there, we got a great table by the window overlooking Stavanger harbor – as I mentioned in my previous review, Skagen has a long history and the interior is charming!

Skagen (with the new chef Cato Ødemark) is now running a collaboration with the wine bar Vinkontoret and that means that you get access to both great food and great wine! We decided to go all in this evening and have all the items on the menu but the concept is that you can choose as many servings as you like, and each dish costs 99 kroner (10 USD). We listened to Christoffer from Vinkontoret and started with a Cava but soon moved over to Metodo Classico Extra Brut from Franco Conterno – a sparkling wine from Italy made from Nebbiolo grapes! This turned out to be the highlight of the evening – out of the wines that we had that night.

 

But it was not all drinking, of course – we started with a small shrimp and crab sandwich which was beautifully presented on the plate. From there we continued with cured duck with beetroot and blackcurrant – also tasty and delicately plated. Next was a small shellfish soup that was intense (imagine lobster bisque) with some salmon bits. The next two dishes were vegetarian as we got a tomato tart topped with crunchy celeriac chips and spring salad with vegetables from the lovely small island Brimse located a bit out of Stavanger. I am usually not a big fan of mackerel but served with a butter sauce, the fish was excellent as well. As you would expect, there was a dish with meat, and this was pork cheeks served with chickpeas and lardo (Italian cured fat). We rounded off the evening with two desserts – rhubarb with chamomile cream and pistachio and a white/dark Valrhona chocolate ice cream dessert.

 

Sounds like quite a lot but as you can tell from the photos, they are all smaller portions and servings are well paced and so we had no problem finishing and being satisfied. The service had a bit slow start but that was not an issue for us as we had good drinks and good company. Suddenly it was 1 am and we were basically the only ones left in the restaurant.

 

All in all, this was an excellent meal. It is a sort of gourmet/fine dining light as the service is informal and the restaurant interior is rustic. I think that a lot of people still think of Skagen as traditional and an old school established restaurant. This is not the case anymore and I hope that many others will re-discover and enjoy Skagen! Thank you to Cato Ødemark for the excellent and locally sourced food and to Christoffer Ingebretsen for guiding us through the wine list. We shall certainly be back to try more of both.

Facts:

Homepage: https://www.skagenrestaurant.no/

Location: Skagenkaien 13 – see this Google map 

Price: Each dish is 99 kroner (10 USD)

 

Sabrura sticks & sushi

The Sabrura sticks & sushi franchise store opened on May 27th in Stavanger (in Herbarium) and we were there on the opening day! Due to the corona virus situation, there is limited seating in the restaurant, and they do not have a full menu (their main concept is usually a buffet and that is not a great idea these days). Sabrura is located by the main entrance of the Herbarium mall so I would not say that it is very cozy, and I think it also close early as the mall itself close at 8 PM if I’m not mistaken.

 

At the tables there were menus, but you must order your food at the counter which seemed a bit strange as there were quite a lot of staff on duty. We ordered a “Liten kosekombo” and a “Medium combo”. Maybe it was because it was starting problems on opening day or maybe because it seemed to be very popular for takeaway, but it took about 50 minutes before the food was brought to our table. The Liten kosekombo is quite a lot of food as it contained three chicken sticks, three fish sticks, two small spring rolls, an Asian style salad and nigiri and maki. The chicken was served lukewarm which is always a letdown, but the fish sticks were hot. The spring rolls were a bit bland, but the Asian style salad was a bit like a Thai som tam salad which was a bit of a surprise. I’m not a sushi expert but the salmon nigiri was good and the Lindesnes maki was actually a California roll and I also enjoyed that.

 

All in all, this was not bad at all. Sushi in Stavanger restaurant has been quite pricy, and it is good to see that there is a “budget option” available now. The “Liten kosemombo” was 199 kroner (21 USD) to give you an idea of the price level. I don’t think this will be our new favorite restaurant but I would not mind going there again.

Facts:

Homepage: https://www.sabrurasushi.no/

Location: Herbarium in Lars Hertervigs gate 6 – see this Google map 

Price: Liten kosekombo 199 kroner (21 USD)