Smushi

The Royal Café in Copenhagen, albeit tucked in a small alley in Strøget, is famous for serving food / drinks with their beautiful china serving sets made by Royal Copenhagen (hence the name). Recently the café has given birth to a new culinary phenomenon - Smushi, traditional Danish smørrebrød (open faced sandwich) with a contemporary sushi twist.

Entrance to the café

Buildings surrounding the café

I love the concept and the pictures from the café's website is so luring, I just have to try it. Finally on a one fine weekend with good weather, I paid my visit to the café targeting the smushi. Picking an open air garden seat beside the running water 'fountain wall', ordered a platter of my favourite 3 smushi selections, a pot of coffee with warm milk, I'm all set for the first encounter of smushi.

Table decó, courtesy of the florist next to the café

The beautiful chinas never fail to impress me although I think it's a bit weird to use what is typically liquor pot in China is used as coffee pot in Copenhagen. I could have sworn it'll look much nicer in one of those chubby tea pot :)

And here comes the main character, tada....and aren't they wonderful looking? Small yet delicate, filled with nice finishing touch, they look so beautiful. There's only one more thing to find out - the taste. Experience says that a lot of time, restaurants / cafés focus on making food looking nice and neglected the taste. How's this one?

Smushi platters

Surprisingly, they tastes good. Not Michelin good but they taste of what they're supposed to (these descriptions explains why I can be food critic). The fish fillet is freshly fried, still steaming hot, the rye bread taste fantastic (I normally don't fancy them). If I must pick something to critic, I think the liver paté is the low fat type; albeit healthier, the taste is being compensated.

Smushi with shrimp and egg

Smushi with liver paté and roast beef, topped with 'sky' (the wiggly black jelly)

Smushi with fried fish fillet & tartar sauce, my favourite

I love love love Royal Café now. Their cake might not be the best but never bad. Now with tasty smushi, topped with their impeccable seating / settings, the always beautiful china and friendly service, I'll definitely bring all my visiting friends there if possible. I'm even starting to think about having similar business in Penang, unfortunately a lot of Asia's retail groups are already lining up to get a piece of smushi action (:s) Any potential business partner out there?