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Sunday noon, waiting for a ferry...
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After an hour of driving from Stockholm, we were just a 5-min ferry ride away from this small island Oaxen. We had to be patient as the ferry runs once every hour!
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Finally the ferry came but it could only take 10 cars at a time. Luckily we arrived early in the queue as we definitely could not wait another hour!
Image 4: Chef: Magnus Ek
Michelin's coverage in Sweden is only limited to Stockholm. Otherwise, many top Swedish chefs would easily agree that this place would be at least a 2-star equivalent.
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Open only 6 months every year, this hidden culinary treasure did not disappoint us! It actually turned out to be one of the best meals in our life!
Image 6: Seasonal: SEK1300 for 7-course and SEK925 for 5-course
À la carte menu: SEK725 for 3-course
Closed Monday and Tuesday. Open only from May to October.
Image 7: Amuse Bouche
Impressive plating! The chef paid meticulous attention to detail even for this free complement before our first course. Thinly sliced air-dried Swedish ham with an avocado terrine cube and an apple wedge, garnished with pumpkin seeds, parmesan pastry, and drops of caraway oil as a finishing touch!
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From the creamy avocado, to the crunchy apple, to the crispy seeds, to the puffy pastry... it was all about texture!
Image 9: Amuse Bouche
Another exquisite complement before the real stuff! Fully braised melt-on-the-tongue pork cheek half-filled with a pork consommé along with truffled mashed potato blanketed by a thin pork jelly. We haven't even started our first course yet, but we already felt the complexity of what was lying ahead!
Image 10: They brought us a different bread to pair with each course. This one was a rosemary baguette. It came with a salted butter and a goat butter! Very professional service as all staff were wearing a white glove before setting cutlery for each course. We ordered a wine pairing to our 7-course meal.
Image 11: He then demonstrated to us their smoking technique. A clam with a generous piece of lobster were hanging inside a glass, skillfully filled with smoke from burning wood and sealed with a green pea puree. Brilliant idea and perfect execution! We then waited for a minute before he came back to do the plating for our first course:
Image 12: First course, our server brought us this plate beautifully decorated with a strip of green pea dust and tapioca, but the main item was missing!
Arcane Saumur Blanc Château Fosse-Sèche Brossay, Loire France 2005
Image 13: Minute-smoked lobster and clam with green pea foam served with a melon terrine and cream of roasted wheat. WOW! The freshness of the lobster, the texture of the clam, the sweetness of the cantaloupe, the charcoaled aroma from the smoke, together with the technical display and the colourful plating, this course was mind-blowing! Far beyond anything we had in El Bulli and Fat Duck!
Image 14: Setting up for another amusement! We have experienced Liquid Nitrogen in El Bulli, Fat Duck, and Marc Veyrat, but we were surprised to see LN in this small island. LN frozen herbs were fragmented into pieces when reacted with warm consommé. This amplifies the essence from the herbs as explained by our server.
Image 15: It was then served on our second course: Seared scallops in rockweed water served with fennel crisp and a cream of rockweed and pecan. Pure fresh sweetness of the scallop dominated the course while the pecan and rockweed provided a subtle nuttiness and the fennel crisp offered light crunchiness to this excellent dish.
Quarz Sauvignon Cantina Terlan, Alto Adige Italy 2002
Image 17: Magnificent artwork! Accompanied by an orange brioche was a terrine of duck liver topped with a brittle cardamom sugar and fried ink. The plate was decorated with juniper spiced apricot, roasted macadamia nuts, and painted with cuttlefish ink and apple ice wine.
Le Mont Moelleux 1ere Trie Domaine Gaston Huet Vouvray, Loire France 2003
Image 18: The fruity-sweet ice wine syrup fabulously complemented the silky foie terrine with the crispy ink and the crunchy sugar. Moreover, the orange fragrance from the brioche brought an burst of sunshine to this perfect dish! Another texture and flavour masterpiece!
Image 19: Turbot on cabbage with puree of chanterelles covered in a porcini foam. Aromatic flavours from chanterelles nicely carried throughout the dish and did not distract the fresh delicacy of the fillet.
Marsannay "Les Grasse Tetes" Domaine Bruno Clair, Bourgogne France 2001
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It also came with an unique looking pickled chanterelles jelly on the side.
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More entertainment, a display of clay!
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Our server cracked open the clay and there was pork inside!
Image 23: Our main course: Clay baked pork with sweetbread, chickpea puree served with lemon and chichory infused carrot. Although the infused carrot was a bit weird, the pork was remarkably moisted and tender.
Villa de corullon Descendientes de J. Palacios, Bierzo Spain 2004
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Lovely sea view from the dining room. What a relaxing dining environment for a Sunday lunch!
Image 25: Back with a refreshing cup of mixed berries before the dessert.
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Honey ice cream with brioche blanketed with a raspberry jelly. Our server then squeezed some lime and berry syrup on top. Nice pre-dessert.
Image 27: Another eye appealing dish! A quenelle of goat mozzarella topped with ficoide glaciale resting on a delicate bread caramel with raisins underneath cooked in wheat beer. Sandwiched between toasted rye bread was herb spiced goat and cow milk cheese with marmalade. The blackcurrants on lemon gel gave an intelligent twist to this incredible and innovating cheese course!
Tokaji Furmint Nyulaszo Istvan Szepsy, Hungary 2005
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A short break before the dessert. Lounge area upstairs.
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More spectacular plating! Definitely deserved another photo from a different angle...
Image 30: This stunning piece of art was composed of cream cake of pears squeezed in between two slices of spiced sugar, a browned butter ice cream, a terrine of peach, and salty pistachio. A wonderful dessert to conclude our adventurous meal!
Grüner Veltliner Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal Austria 2004
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Petits-Fours
Jelly wrapped in chocolate. Three types: Pear, Gooseberry, and Red wine.
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Petits-Fours
Madeleine, Coconut jelly, Caramel, Schnapps centered sweet
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Petits-Fours
chocolate macaron, coconut-raspberry jelly, vanilla macaron, almond chocolate nougat.
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Petits-Fours
Chocolate 3-types: Salt and lemon, Mocca, and Mint chocolate
Image 35: They definitely make your stomach full before you can leave this island!
Oaxen Krog: Innovative food, exceptional flavour, high quality of ingredients, creative plating, along with a team of white-gloved staff in such a unique location. What else do you want?! Chef Magnus Ek has magically transformed a remote island to a culinary heaven! simply the most memorable meal in our life!
Image 36: They definitely make your stomach full before you can leave this island!
Oaxen Krog: Innovative food, exceptional flavour, high quality of ingredients, creative plating, along with a team of white-gloved staff in such a unique location. What else do you want?! Chef Magnus Ek has magically transformed a remote island to a culinary heaven! simply the most memorable meal in our life!
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And for those who want to stay overnight on this island, the restaurant offers an interesting accommodation in their ship cabins!