By Frank Benjamin Horn Hartvedt
I could not have dreamed of anything better on the gastronomic front during my visit to Oslo this weekend. Both Honsan by Stortinget and Jaipur on Karl Johan had decided to deliver exactly what they usually deliver: the absolute finest food in Norway, of what I have experienced.
At Honsan I naturally chose the buffet; anything else would have been foolish. That is because, in a bygone time, I found the perfect mix of meat, vegetables and sauce. To me it was obvious that both the red and the green peppers were unusually crisp that evening. The red onion was springy, not limp. The same cannot be said of the romaine lettuce, but it was decidedly acceptable. The bamboo shoots had a fine consistency: yielding and not chewy at all. The water chestnuts? They took the throne that evening. It was almost hard to believe what one was experiencing. Yes, we know they are often as crisp as can be, but I cannot remember ever having experienced such an appealing crunch. The beef was excellent as usual, tender and cooperative, and the barbecue sauce was steady and fine. The flavour level sits right up there with what one experienced at the majesty that was Mongolian Barbeque in Olav Kyrres gate in Bergen in its day.
At Jaipur there was likewise nothing to discuss; as usual it had to be the Jaipur Mixed Grill. The appearance of the dish was, as always, on a completely different level from what you see in other Indian restaurants, colourful as ever. When the dish is placed on the table, it is as if you are entering an orchard or seeing a rainbow in all its glory for the first time. I have nothing to criticise from that day, with the exception that the naan bread was a bit bland and that the sauce was a touch too strong. I like it mild, very mild. The chicken had a nice bit of resistance to it and was suitably marinated in exquisite coriander. There was likewise nothing to fault when it came to the scampi and the lamb. The rice behaved lightly; there was no nonsense with stickiness or the like.
There was no dessert at either Honsan or Jaipur. That job went to a cosy café on the second floor of Oslo S.
(This article was published on frankbenjaminhartvedt.no in 2025)