Icelandic chef to head Claus Meyer's New Nordic Restaurant in NYC
Gunnar Karl Gíslason, head chef at Dill is moving to New York to head Claus Meyer's new restaurant. Mbl.is/ Ómar Óskarsson
Danish food entrepreneur Claus Meyer has just announced that acclaimed Icelandic chef Gunnar Gíslason of award-winning Dill in Reykjavik as the head chef at Meyer’s first US restaurant. The restaurant will be adjacent to a 460 m² food hall located at Grand Central Terminal, which Meyer is set to open early 2016.
”Gíslason’s curious nature, together with his love for reviving traditions, using old techniques and his eye for finding pristine products, fits perfectly with the vision of this restaurant. To create a pure and wholesome kitchen with a modern Nordic flavor palate based on produce predominantly sourced in our close surroundings. We want to come up with something brand new, rooted in our history, that makes sense here and that makes sense to us,” says Meyer.
”I look forward to exploring new culinary territory and challenging myself,” says Gíslason. “The principles of the New Nordic Cuisine philosophy can be applied anywhere, as it is all about discovering the nature at hand,” he adds. Meyer and Gíslason will work with the New York region’s distinctive and best available produce, collaborating closely with artisan farmers and suppliers. They will however bring with them a limited array of indigenous ingredients. Also they may supply the restaurant with a narrow range of seasonal signature produce from Iceland and the other Nordic countries, including Iceland. The restaurant will apply ancient techniques, common to Scandinavia, such as salting, fermenting, pickling and smoking across its menu.
Joining Gíslason will be a stellar team including sous chef Joseph Yardley, who most recently worked as chef de cuisine for Mads Refslund at Acme restaurant in New York City.
Aside from the restaurant, the food hall will introduce Nordic flavors to the New Yorkers in the form of five different food pavilions and a bar offering everything from Nordic style pastries and wholegrain breads to light roasted coffees, modern hotdogs, soups, salads, porridge, juices and cocktails.
Gíslason’s celebrated Reykjavík restaurant, Dill, whose reputation goes well beyond Iceland,
will continue to serve its highly creative, savory and esthetically pleasing dishes. As current
sous chef Ragnar Eiríksson takes over the Dill kitchen, Gíslason will continue his strong
involvement in the restaurant, although at times from a distance as he will be moving to New York in January.
Related stories:
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/culture_and_living/2015/07/08/dill_restaurant_shortlisted_for_prestigious_award/
