The cold waters off Disko Island provide the perfect environment for the famous sweet and succulent Disko Bay Snow Crab. We chose the Hotel Icefiord as it was rated the top restaurant in town and rightly so. The delicate and tasty meat from these spidery crustaceans were used in in our meal from our creamy Snow Crab Bisque as well as topping our salad. We began with champagne on the outdoor deck with a view looking out into Disko Bay with floating icebergs and whales frolicking in the waters right in front of the restaurant. It made our first meal in Ilulissat one that was absolutely unforgettable. The incredible setting and a unique menu is one that can only be found in Greenland, and was one the best meals that I have had the pleasure of eating.
https://hotelicefiord.com
And let’s not forget about cooking. It was interesting to visit the local market and prepare our finds at the end of the day. On Franz’s first trip to the nearby fish market it was quite a cultural experience. The shop caters to locals and they only spoke Inuit but one fellow did know English numbers. It turns out they only sell seal and whale meat. The catch they had was minke whale costing 30 krone for 1 kilo. In Euros that was about 5€. One kilo of whale is quite a lot! Luckily in an earlier conversation with the captain of our whale watching tour I had asked if he ate whale. It just so happened that he and his wife own a restaurant in town called The Inuit Cafe. He told me that everyone up here ate whale and proceeded to tell me how he liked to cook it and most importantly how not to cook it. I was sure glad I had remembered the details. He said that to outsiders whale meat can be really strong and to counteract the fishy taste one must use plenty of freshly pressed garlic along with other spices. He instructed that one treat the steak like a schnitzel and pound it with a meat mallet to break the connective tissue. And boy was he right! His recipe was delicious and we all enjoyed eating a traditional dish. My son creatively used the remaining meat in ramen bowls with veggies. For us cooking with native ingredients is part of our Native Journeys.
