Swedish pizza is a statement that usually has a question mark at the end of it. But like Japanese pizza, Swedish pizza is a force unto itself. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out in Coogee or Neutral Bay. They don’t have Sweden’s most brow-furrowing variety — the Africana – topped with ham, banana, curry powder and peanuts (see it ), but they make up for it with a few variations on Sweden’s classic kebab pizza — basically the ingredients of a kebab, but put on top of a pizza. That got your attention, didn’t it?
in Manly is probably Sydney’s most authentically Swedish experience on offer — that is, if you can ignore the shirtless surfers walking past on their way to the golden beach just down the road. If you want to know how it’s really done in Sweden, they’ve got you covered. My pick is the toast skagen (prawn and caviar on toast — here's a ). The first time I had it in Stockholm was a game-changer and this is the only place in Sydney you can get a real one. Otherwise, head there in February when the Swedish Fat Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) cream and marzipan buns, semla (below), are on the menu. (Seeing as Shrove Tuesday's passed, make Adam's take on the at home!)
If the allure of Scandi-style filter coffee hits you as hard as it’s hit me over the past few years, you’ll find it nearly impossible to go back to the hot milkshakes that pass for lattes these days. in Surry Hills does filter coffee just like they do in Denmark. So much so that Klaus Thomsen’s own Coffee Collectif did a residency here a few years ago. Don’t leave your baby in the pram outside though. Some Scandinavian customs don’t really work outside of Scandinavia.
“What does Nordic food have in common with Japanese food?”, you might ask, and it’s a fair question. Before I answer I just want to tell you about how the whole series came about. I’d been visiting Sweden frequently for a few years to see close friends I have there and I asked my wife what she thought of the place. Her response? “It’s like European Japan.” I took that sentiment to SBS and the rest is history. Scandinavia and Japan are like two peas in a pod. Geographically separate, they share an awful lot in terms of social structure, custom and even food. To see what I mean in tangible form, head to Darlinghurst’s for breakfast to try their unique brand of Scandi-Japanese fusion.
Before it shut its doors just before Christmas last year, Sydney’s longest running pop-up, , was the holy grail of new Nordic cuisine in Australia. Following the formula of minimal interiors, affordable prices, a green focus and whip-smart cooking, ex-Marque head chef Pasi Petanen’s first solo venture would have been just at home in his native Finland as it was above an old garage in Darlinghurst. I was very sad to see it go, but wherever Petanen opens next, I’ll be first in line at the door.
There is no greater exporter of Swedish culture than , and I’m not just talking about unpronounceable furniture. Stop by the café on your way out for suspiciously cheap hotdogs and you’ll also find meatballs, lingonberry jam, elderflower cordial – it's all there. Want a few kilos of frozen Swedish crayfish for your very own summer kräftskiva? IKEA won’t let you down.
View recipes from past seasons: , , .
