Restaurant K2 - a restaurant with a mission!

We went to Restaurant K2 on a Saturday night in September 2020. The restaurant opened in May 2020 and the philosophy is to have a minimum footprint –meaning that they use local produce; preserve food that is harvested; focus on nature/biodynamic wines; reduce waste etc. Can this translate into a great dining experience, as well? Our booking was from 7 pm and we were seated a bit away from the kitchen. The restaurant is a bit on the sterile side with light colors on the walls, local art (e.g. from Anita Tjemsland), dark tables and wooden chairs that were quite comfortable. There is only a set 7 course menu to choose from but the menu options include vegetarian or with meat/fish. They also offer an alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks pairing. They actually pair the food with a combination of cocktails, wine and beer. Although we were in a celebratory mood, we did not feel that adventurous this evening so we asked for just a wine pairing with our meat/fish menu, which they had no problem accommodating.

 

The snack to start with was served quite fast on wood and stone plates. Cod skin topped with cream and herbs, cured duck breast, smoked tail from monkfish, pickled onion, delicate brioche with a chicken liver cream, cherries, figs etc. A lovely starter with a lot of character and fun to nibble on each of the small pieces.

 

The first main dish was tomato ceviche. What a pretty sight to behold indeed – with colorful flowers and locally sourced tomatoes (Hanasand gård). Looks did not deceive, as it was also a great ceviche with a nice combination of acidity of the lime cured fish and sweetness from the local tomatoes. Next dish was much more intense – a “stew” of chicken skin with Norwegian corn and seasonal mushroom. Very rich with lots of umami and maybe a bit on the salty side – but still excellent. 

 

We continued with a fish dish and we got a piece of Norwegian haddock (uer) served with onions and celeriac. I love baked celeriac, and this gave lots of the flavor to this dish. The lamb dish that came next featured lamb from Klostergården and had meat that was prepared in two different ways – served with local nettle leaves (brennesle) and some citrus cream on the side. The lamb confit was especially tender!

 

And suddenly, we were done with the mains and moved over to dessert. First up, was ice cream served on plums and crumble. There was a nice combination of sweetness from the ice cream compared to the slightly sourish taste of the plumbs – but the crumble could maybe have been a bit crunchier. And to round off the meal – petit fours where we got slightly different ones as they took Nikki’s lactose intolerance into consideration. We had e.g. a small chocolate ball filled with a berry mix, a macaroon, a canelés with caramel filling etc.

 

All in all: I would wholeheartedly say well done K2. Solid and attentive service; food was served at a pace that suited us; and the food and wine were presented in detail (and with a sprinkling of passion here and there). The place where we were seated was almost a bit too quiet, but I guess it will be a bit livelier when there are no corona restrictions anymore. In the end it is the food that matters and we enjoyed all the dishes on the menu! Next time we will try to be more adventurous and try the vegetarian menu and a drink pairing that includes the recommended beer/cocktails. K2 is well worth a visit and we look forward to being more adventurous on our next visit.

Facts: 
Homepage: https://restaurantk2.no/
Location: Pedersgata 69 - see this Google map
Price: 850 kroner (90 USD) for 7 courses, 600 kroner (64 USD) for alcoholic drink pairing.