Farang

Good Asian restaurants hasn't been the strongest player of Stockholm's dining scene.

Chinese pork stews based on cheap, industrial, Swedish rosehip soup, sushi made of cold stodgy rice topped with an even colder prawn and garnished with plastic bamboo leaf and restaurants serving bland, Indian cuisine has become the norm. So sad when everything else in Stockholm, gastronomic wise, is so elitist.

I was happy when I first heard that Farang would open their doors on Tulegatan in Stockholm.

The restaurant was opened by three chefs that has worked in some of the finer restaurants around the world. The original Farang is located in Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

Flavors from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are mixed without making the concept too disjointed. The venue feels more New York than Stockholm and despite the large amount of seats available it was packed on our visit which gave off a fantastic atmosphere.

A bottle off 2011 Les Noisetiers from Kistler in Sonoma Coast for 700 Swedish crowns caught my eye on the wine list and must be seen as a great bargain. Yellow, tropical fruit mixed with toffee and citrus rounded off with a nice, fresh finish.

The food is meant to be shared, a concept I love as it gives you the chance to try more dishes and also creates a nice vibe around the table.

As a snack we started with cha plu leaf with tempeh, coconut and tamarind. 

Next was a selection of mains or 'sharing dishes' served;

Soft shell crab with green mango, peanuts, mint, pomelo and green 'nahm jim'

Pork in palm sugar caramel, rice vinegar and roasted onions.

Rib eye steak satay style.

A classic dish of beef skewers dipped in a spicy, creamy, peanut and coconut sauce. Here in a more refined form.

Tofu with morning glory, bok choy, watercress and salted pork belly was the last of the savory dishes.

As a sweet finale we choose mango-mandarin sorbet with Thai style marinated fruits and sweet peas topped with a coconut and vanilla stock.

I must say that I really liked Farang with its nice ambience, friendly service and bold, rich flavors. The fact that my picky in-laws from Indonesia loved the food and found the flavors to be authentic must be seen as a plus?

I would recommend if you could visit the restaurant as a party of four or more as it gives you a bigger chance to try as many dishes as possible. The fairly loud volume in the venue makes it better suited for a night out with the friends rather than a romantic valentines dinner with your partner.

 

 

http://farang.se/