#TerrificTakeout #InauguralReview #BjorkCafeandBistro by #ExecutiveChef and #Owner #UlrikaBengtsson and #Owner #SabinaLindmark
Founder, Executive Chef and Owner, Ulrika Bengtsson
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and now we know Ulrika, Founder, Owner and Executive Chef of Bjork Cafe on Park Avenue in Manhattan's Scandinavia House, a cultural house for all Scandinavian countries. Open since October 2022, Bjork Cafe is owned equally by Ulrika Bengtsson and Sabina Lindmark, whom we look forward to meeting another day. Originally there was a birch tree inside here, and that is what the word Bjork means in Swedish. It's pronounced Bee-ork. Originally from the southwest of Sweden, Ulrika first graduated from Culinary School in Sweden and came to New York in 1991. You may know her from Ulrika's, which was in the East 60's from 1999 to 2006 and we are sorry we missed it. Later, she worked in a Hotel and ran creperies and catering.
We believe this is our first Swedish restaurant experience ever!
We are so pleased to expand our coverage of Swedish people and previously we've interviewed Henrik...he has a lot of time now for dinners and movies (watch the videos below to see what we mean!) we surmise so we do hope he is reading this one.
New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist
You'll notice the modern, clean, classy interior right away.
We were greeted with a Lingon berry Spritzer, which is similar to a sparkling Cranberry soda. The delightful effervescence was a sparking start and we ordered a green salad of Crispy Greens with Lemon and Olive Oil: super fresh and bright!
Ulrika aptly recommended we try the Smorgasbord plate: Gravlax, mustard sauce, pickled herring, herb herring, Jansson's temptation, red beet salad, meatballs (beef), lingonberries, pickled cucumber, and boiled potatoes. We'd highly recommend this as well, particularly if this is an introduction to Swedish food for you too. Every element of this extravaganza was professionally prepared and spectacular in its own right. We liked the fish the most and the amazing meatballs!
Our favorite edible of the day was the Toast Skagen: cold water shrimp, lemon wedge, dill, bibb salad and toast to spread it on! We adored the brilliant flavoring of the dill with the shrimp and seasonings that really impressed our palate and would highly recommend you all try this.
Note pictures are always unedited.
You excel like Ulrika or we do not publish.
The menu has great depth, and the open-faced sandwich selection absolutely hits the spot.
On the left, please meet Herring and Egg and on the right please meet Roast beef and remoulade. The crispy onions on top really made our day! The freshness level of all dishes tried was highly commendable and extraordinary. The pickled persuasion of carrots, cauliflower, onion, mayo, curry and tumeric deliver knockout flavor that will wow you.
Ooooh how we loooooove bacon! And you will find it with Lingonberries under the Savory Potato Waffles section. Lingonberries are an artic berry, similar to a cranberry. They're found in many Scandanavian countries we understand and this authentic nod to their culture is one you absolutely should experience. The sparkling contrast between savory and sweet and crunchy and smooth is an added bonus to the experience!
If you think hot dogs are just hot dogs, first of all you've never had one in New York then and the top of the heap is this edition by Ulrika at Bjork Cafe: Frankfurter Sausage is going to be among the best you have ever had. Perched perfectly on a bed of flavorful, creamy mashed potatoes, this is sourced from Schaller and Weber and arrives in style with pickled cucumber, mustard and those phenomenal crispy onions! These pickles in particular put all other pickles to shame.
Prathamesh Satardekar was a terrific server and also has excellent phone skills, superior to many Manhattan restaurant phone answerers!
The festivity of the Main Course: Brisket with Root Veggies is a homage to carnivores internationally! It is exactly as colorful as you see here which accurately predicts the wondrous flavors that combine to make this a tremendous feast. For us it hit the spot on a rainy day and we would also commend the cast iron presentation. Finally, baked cod with beets, capers and butter is perfection for the lighter side and we reveled in its straightforward simplicity.
Bjork Cafe is Terrific Takeout!
We look forward to seeing what they do next.
58 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
212-847-9745
