Svinet

"I want to go to there."

Occasion: Pork feast
Location: Svinet, the restaurant in the Victory Hotel on Lilla Nygatan in the Gamla Stan neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden - nearest T-bana stop is Gamla Stan
Edibles: en karnivors dröm ("a carnivorous dream")

Musings: The rest of the year, the restaurant is called Djuret (Swedish for "animal"). But in the summer, it focuses on the majestic pig and calls itself Svinet ("pig"). Yining found an article while researching our trip, and we immediately agreed that we had to go.

It's a pretty popular concept, and the article recommended an early arrival - around 6pm - to ensure a seat. We were in the midst of a few drizzly days so the place wasn't crowded at all. The drizzle had luckily stopped by dinnertime, and we were able to sit out on the rooftop patio.

With a sampler called "a carnivorous dream" on the menu, what else could I order? It's a pretty steep 850 SEK (~$120) for a platter for two, and comes with salad. Booze is extra. We got a pitcher of sangria which was tasty and fruity, but which I'm pretty sure had almost zero alcohol content.

You get five different meats. From the top, they are 1) sirloin on the bone; 2) neck; 3) sausage; 4) ribs; 5) some mysterious cut they called secreto de cerdo Iberico de Bellota ("secret Iberico pork").

That last one, whatever it is, is AMAZING. It's got a really fine grain and tons of flavor. It's tender and juicy, but not fatty. It tastes sort of like the pork equivalent of a skirt steak. You can get it as a single item for 255 SEK. I came *really* close to ordering another one, but we really were quite stuffed and Yining vetoed.

The other items were less exciting. The chop was probably the worst of the bunch - really dry and almost woody. The sausage was decent but nothing you can't in a million places. The rib had a nice char; the interior tended to be fatty and flavorless.

The way to go is definitely that secret Iberico pork. It's quite a culinary wonder!