Located in Gamla Stan and part of a "Gastrokvarter" alongside the likes of Pubologi, Djuret, and…read moreTweed it was just past 19h00 that two guests entered Flickan, the sixteen seat "gastronomic rollercoaster" already rocking with everything from 80's Pop to 90's Rap blaring as a young man and woman prepared to turn out twelve courses of Michelin-starred Cuisine for approximately $90USD.
Tucked away inside The Burgudy at Yxsmedsgränd 12 and something of an exclusive experience, less than fifty available seats each week with nearly half those wrapped around a Chef's Counter, it is immediately upon arrival that guests are greeted by a one-man service crew/bartender, the Chefs themselves delivering most plates from a menu lined with symbols.
Very much built in the model of Momofuku Ko, a lot of mis en place assemblage allowing the skeleton crew to execute complex ideas with rapidity in a space that requires shouting to be heard, it was alongside Sake infused with Yuzu that dinner began with two bites, the first fresh Mackerel atop a Rice Crisp with Soy expectedly reminiscent of Nigiri while Beets and Maple Syrup with Goat Cheese fared well despite being a rather ubiquitous idea.
Progressing at a sometimes uneven pace, tables of four and six arriving thirty minutes later leading to one half the kitchen preparing a prior plate when it would seem far more expeditious to have two designated seating times rolling out one course at a time, it was on the heels of outsourced Charcuterie that a porcelain "Egg" was served containing the breakfast-y mix of Pork, Yolk and Onions, the follow-up of White Asparagus, Ramson, and Smoked Perch clearly focused on seasonality given each ingredient's current presence on every menu in town.
Using a Dim Sum steamer basket to prepare Ribs made sticky with Garlic and Sugar next, its designation on the menu by Chinese and American flags fitting, the night's two most enjoyable savories would next arrive back-to-back, creamy Cheese forming the base to juicy Chicken and a tangle of Herbs followed by Sirloin prepared via blowtorch sporting a never-before-seen charcoal filter.
Adding a lot of umami to the Steak with Red Wine, sautéed Onions and drapes of aged Beef, the decision to scale back by way of a freshly made Pancake topped in Horseradish and Roe an odd one when both it and sous vide Pike could have preceded the Chicken, it was after a substantial delay that two Desserts closed things out, the traditional Cake Roll a pleasant single bite while the Bread Pudding topped in poached Rhubarb and Longpepper Cream was sweet but nicely balanced by heat and remarkable in its layering of textures.
