Icelandic Arctic Char. One of the dishes in the prix-fixed menu at Luma. Image courtesy Oliver & Bonacini/Cindy La.
Taste of Iceland returns to Toronto for its fifth year, with four days jam-packed with food, film and music. On from November 12-15, 2015, this is your chance to experience Icelandic culture in more ways than one without even stepping onto a plane.
For the foodies, there will be an impressive four-course prix-fixed Icelandic menu at Luma. To oversee the menu Ylfa Helgadóttir, chef de cuisine and owner of Kopar will be flying in from Iceland to collaborate with local chefs Michael Wilson and Anthony Walsh of Luma. Featuring authentic Icelandic delicacies like Cod and lamb, there will also be a signature Violet Mojito cocktail to round out the meal. The cost for the dinner is $75 (excluding wine pairings). Visit oliverbonacini.com to make reservations.
Another food-focused event that combines cuisine with Icelandic entertainment is An Evening in Iceland, hosted at Luma on Sunday, November 15. The evening begins with a meet-and-greet cocktail reception with chef Helgadóttir, Wilson and Walsh, followed by the prix-fixed four-course tasting menu as described above. The chefs will walk guests through the menu, while they dine at communal tables and are treated to musical performances through the evening. The cost of this dinner is $115 (and includes wine pairings) and is open to guests 19+. Visit universe.com to reserve tickets.
Airplane and Spaceship.
Music fans will want to mark Saturday, November 14, on their calendar. Reykjavik Calling, a free open-to-the-public concert hits Adelaide Hall featuring Icelandic bands Samaris and Airplane and Spaceship and Toronto artists Prince Innocence and RALPH. Admission is based on a first-come first-serve basis and you must be 19+ to attend. The doors open at 7pm, with the concert from 8-11pm. Visit eventbrite.com to register for tickets.
On Sunday, November 15 at 1pm the Royal Cinema will be presenting an Icelandic Film Festival presented by the Reykjavik Shorts & Docs Festival. It’s a 90-minute program composed of three shorts and a 60-minute documentary titled “Women in Red Stockings” about 16 Icelandic women tell the story of their fight for equality in their country. The event is free. Visit eventbrite.com to register.
For those more interested in the political side of Iceland might want to consider sitting in on the “Iceland at a Watershed: Is it Different This Time Around?” On Friday, November 13 from 3:30-5pm, Dr. Fridrik Mar Baldursson, professor of economics at Reykjavik University, will be discussing the legacy of the 2008 banking crisis and how its put Iceland in an enviable economic position. The free event will take place at the Bennett Jones Office at One First Canadian Place. Visit eventbrite.com to register for tickets.
