Fem Sma Hus @ Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden

The restaurant name which literally means "five small houses" has been in business since 1969, serving classic Swedish food with a French twist. 

The 5 basement houses are connected via exposed bricks passageways, with decors that reminiscent the 17th century.  

Assorted Herrings and Fish: Vendace bleak roe, herring, Baltic herring, marinated salmon, smoked salmon, mackerel and marinated elk (SEK 270). Each items were meticulously handcrafted, making it hard not to scoop everything up in one bite!

Two Kinds of Salmon (SEK 210) - They say good things come in pairs, and this is certainly the case at Fem Sma Hus. Each salmon were paired with compatible other half, be it the velvety smooth tartar or the shrimp with horseradish mix. 

Seared Halibut with Shrimps (SEK 310) - The seared halibut pale against its peers, as it was a tad overcooked and a little too plain. Shrimps, horseradish, melted butter and spinach were served alongside. 

Vegetable Tagliatelle (SEK 180) - The towering homemade tagliatelle were infused with hearty greens, accompanied by some rocket salad and walnuts. This may be a simple affair, but the flavors were rich and dense. 

Roast Lamb Rumps (SEK 320) - The succulent lamb rumps were perfectly cooked, drizzled with rosemary sauce and sided by some vegetables and a potato cake. 

Fillet of Reindeer with Port Wine Sauce (SEK 325) - The lingonberries were as red as rubies, while the reindeer fillets were as tender as midnight moon. Reindeer is a very popular meat amongst Scandinavians, especially during the winter months. Its flavors are best retained when served rare or medium rare.

Raspberry Soup with Lime Parfait (SEK 110) - The all natural raspberry was assertive, creamy and most importantly, not too sweet. 

Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie (SEK 125) - If you are not in the mood for soup, the restaurant also doubles as a good place to enjoy quality pies. To top it off, a scoop of maple syrup ice cream was added - helping to deliver another big smile on my face.

VERDICT: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Smitten Dishes:

Assorted herrings and marinated fish

Fillet of reindeer with port wine sauce

Raspberry soup with lime parfait

Rhubarb and Strawberry pie 

Fem Sma Hus

Address: Nygrand 10, 113 30 Stockholm

Telephone: +46 8 108 775

Opening Hours: Open from 5pm everyday

Den Gyldene Freden @ Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden

A continuous stroll at Gamla Stan will ultimately lead you to one of the oldest restaurant in Sweden - Den Glydene Freden. 

The restaurant name which means "Golden Peace" refers to the famous Treaty of Nystad in 1721, that helped ended the Great Northern War by making peace between Sweden and Russia. 

This traditional rustic Swedish home cooking restaurant has been in business since 1722. 

Its cozy interior, dim lighting and antique furnitures helped to recreate the 18th century dining ambiance.

The rustic open air kitchen was bright and graceful, filled with modern cookwares.

We were offered three types of bread - Swedish flat bread (top) Limpa bread (center) and Baguette (bottom). The limpa bread was extremely memorable given its unique caraway and anise flavors. It also had a subtle sweet tone, which made it rather interesting. 

House Made Selection of Herrings and Baltic Herrings - As we waltzed through the herrings from sweet (honey herring) to savory (capers herrings and goat cheese herring). We were presented with some boiled potatoes.

These delicate and lightweight potatoes paired well with the heavily cured herrings. 

Swedish Meatballs with Cucumber, Lingonberries and Cream Sauce -You can't leave the restaurant without trying the meatballs with lingonberries. The meatballs were bursting with fresh minced meat and was further punctuated with some lingonberries and cream sauce. If only we can find such delicious meatballs back in Malaysia.

Lingonberries also known as mountain cranberries, is a staple food in Scandinavia. It is a popular relish for meatball, beef stew and liver dishes. 

Marinated and Butter-fried Cod with Crayfish Sauce and Spinach (SEK 325) - The pairs were marinated and slightly butter-fried before it was topped with a slew of crayfish sauce. The final flourish of spinach and potatoes were ideal for spooning over the creamy sauce. 

Beef with Chanterelles, Bacon and Mashed Potatoes (SEK 355) - Lastly, the steak found its way from the vintage cookbook to the dining room's table. The perfectly cooked steak was hard to go wrong with any sauce, but the chanterelles sauce with bacon was a marvel. 

VERDICT: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Den Gyldene Freden

Address: Osterlanggatan 51, Box 2269, 103 17 Stockholm. 

Phone: 46 (8) -249760

Fika @ The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Sweden

During the hot days, you will see people socializing and taking coffee breaks under the sun. But during the cold days, most people will look for a warm and cozy interior for their coffee breaks. 

Since the weather was good, we decided to take a short fika outside The Royal Palace.

Inside the peaceful Palace's square, you will encounter a cafe truck selling a wide variety of delicious sandwiches and homemade pastries. 

The colorful food selections was accompanied by a relaxing outdoor seating and a beautiful view of The Royal Palace.

You can't say that you have visited Sweden without trying the humble cinnamon bun. The cinnamon bun was big, rich and studded with sweet icing - a perfect match for a cup of black coffee.

The Swedish apple pie was slightly different from the usual English style we know. The apples were held together by a softer dough instead of a crusty base. It was indeed a lovely pie with a different twist. 

When I arrived in Stockholm, my dad taught me a new word called "Fika", which means to drink coffee/tea/squash, accompanied by something sweet such as cinnamon rolls. This is similar to our Malaysian way of "Yam Cha",  except that our version of Fika is usually cheaper and involves something savory. 

Nobel Museum @ Stockholm, Sweden

Head towards the heart of Old Town and you will find the famous Nobel Museum, where 826 individuals and 20 organizations were awarded between 1901 to 2011 - all in accordance with the will of one man, Alfred Nobel. 

Inside the museum, you will learn about the Nobel Prize and its founder, as well as the work and ideas of many creative minds. 

The Nobel Museum offers English guided tours everyday at no extra fees. It is probably the best way to experience and learn more about the museum and the Nobel Prize.

Alfred Nobel was a chemist, engineer and an inventor. He was also the creator of dynamite, which made him a very rich man. In his will, he wrote that every year a Nobel Prize will be given to a person that has contributed the most in the field of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economics, where the winner would receive a part of his fortune's revenue. 

With more than 800 laureates, the museum has decided to present each laureate in a random order, through a portrait and prize citation along a unique cableway on the ceiling. 

During my visit, I had the chance to catch the Sketches of Science exhibition where German photographer Volker Steger displayed 50 portraits of Nobel Laureates holding a huge piece of paper, describing their discovery.

Nobel Museum

Address: Borshuset, Stortorget 2, Gamla Stan

Subway Station: T-Station Gamla Stan

Telephone: +46 (0) 8534 818 00

Email: nobelmuseum@nobel.se

Admission:

Adult: SEK80

Children: SEK 60

Audio Guide: SEK 20

Free Guided Tours (everyday):

Winter - 11.15am and 3 pm 

Summer - 10.15am, 11.15am, 3pm and 4pm