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The mystique of Asia – in the middle of Stockholm

It’s easy to miss Farang if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

Published: 8 August 2016 10:07 CEST

The mystique of Asia - in the middle of Stockholm

Photo: Tuukka Koski

The restaurant is central but slightly off the beaten track, just a couple blocks up from the chaotic shoppers on Drottninggatan in downtown Stockholm. A passer-by or lost tourist would never guess that the glass-and-brick building on the corner, complete with concrete entrance harking to the ‘70s, is in fact a culinary oasis.

Even once you step inside, you may not realize you’ve entered one of the best restaurants in town. The bar is simple, subdued; the cool, raw concrete walls greet guests like a mafia gangster – elegant, yet rough around the edges.

That’s the owners’ intent, of course.

“A lot of restaurants overdo the whole ethnic thing in the décor,” says Chef Kim Öhman.

“We wanted to keep it what it is; mixing the mystique of Asia – that polished style – with the rougher industrial side.”

But just a few more steps in and you’ll gasp as the room opens up, leading guests into a grand hall with high, vaulted ceilings, lit by warm candlelight all around – even though it's midday outside.

The fragrances of lemon grass and ginger delicately mingle and meander through the air, accompanied by the muted but merry laughter of guests sharing their meals.

“It’s really a social gathering, like eating with friends at home,” Öhman continues. “The food is designed to be shared – like tapas – and it’s fun.”

Photo: Marica Rosengård

Kim is one of three Finnish chefs conquering Scandinavian with their unique take on Thai cuisine.

Tomi Björck and Matti Wikberg opened the first Farang in 2009 in Finland – and it quickly won over Helsinki hearts.

“It was a fairy tale from the start. We won ‘Best restaurant in Finland’ several years in a row.”

And last year Kim Öhman took the concept to Stockholm.

“Thailand is one of the biggest tourist destinations for both Finns and Swedes, and everyone has a reference point to the food – good or bad,” Kim explains. “But most people have never eaten real Thai food, as opposed to the premade curries from fast food kiosks.”

The name, Farang, sounds exotic, reflecting the Asian spice so clearly in the menu. But the Finnish trio has a sense of humour.

“It means 'white guy',” Kim grins. “It's what the Thai call tourists.”

And indeed, the three chefs have done their best to make authentic Thai flavours more accessible for said “white guy” – the Scandinavian palate, accustomed to bland potatoes and basic brown sauce.

“There’s not much Southeast Asian food available in Europe. People here are quite scared of spices,” Kim says. “We take the spice and flavours of Thai food – the acidity from lime juice, the sweetness of palm sugar, the spicy chili – and we balance them for a European palate.”

Photo: Tuukka Koski

But the food is no less incredible for being more balanced.

The recipes are all classic Thai, and Kim says they make sure to use only the best ingredients – even when they’re hard to get.

“We’re not making fusion food; it’s just milder. We want to do it the right way, from start to finish, without any MSG or other additives,” he says.

Book a table at Farang

“We use the best lemon grass, and Asian delicacies like banana blossoms, green mango, and green papaya.”

Farang even makes its own house curry – a labour intensive process which is quite rare in Europe, where premade spice blends rage rampant.

The team of chefs has even developed a perfectly tailored selection of wine to accompany the unique flavours of the food – and an enviable cocktail menu which lures patrons back time after time.

“Our Bloody Mary is the best in town,” Kim boasts, “And of course we do a proper Singapore Sling. And then we have a lot of our own signature drinks. There’s quite a pulse here in the evening.”

Photo: Tuukka Koski

But what is it about a Thai restaurant, hidden behind an industrial façade, which captivates tourists in the Swedish capital – instead of classic meatballs?

“It’s something different,” Kim says. “If you’re here on a seven-day holiday, you’ll get quite tired of Swedish pickles, potatoes, and mayonnaise – and all the French and Italian restaurants.”

Thai food is summer food, he adds – and at Farang, the food speaks for itself.

“It’s an explosion of flavours. You’ve just got to try it.”

This article was produced by The Local and sponsored by Farang.

How to grow your own fruits and vegetables in Sweden

Know your growing zone

Sweden is split into eight different growing zones, known as växtzoner in Swedish, with one being the mildest zone in the far south of the country and eight being the harshest, in the far north.

The easiest way to figure out which zone you live in is to search your address on a digital growing zone chart like this one from the Swedish Garden Association.

There are two “bonus” zones too, which you’re unlikely to see on plant labels: zone zero, which refers to extra mild conditions in zone one, like a sheltered south-facing garden or the climate inside an unheated greenhouse, and the fjällzon or zone nine, which is found in mountain regions.

Lots of fruit trees can handle snow, for example, but not all of them will survive the winters in harsher, colder zones.

“Apple trees or fruit trees will survive snow,” British gardener and cider maker John Taylor, known for presenting Swedish gardening show Trädgårdstider (Garden Times), told The Local.

“You can grow all kinds of apples, pears, plums, cherries, we can grow edible quince in southern Sweden, so there’s a bunch of fruit trees which will survive, but it depends what rootstock they’re on – that’s called grundstam in Swedish,” he explained.

“There’s one rootstock called B9 that survives down to minus 40, because it’s from Russia, then there’s another called M106, and that probably doesn’t want to live in the depths of Norrland.”

Buy plants local to you

An easy way to make sure the plant you’re planning on buying is going to survive in your zone is by sourcing it from a local plant nursery or garden centre, as they won’t sell plants that can’t handle the local climate.

“There’s a nursery in the north of Sweden and Finland called Blomkvists, they sell lots of fruit varieties which will survive up there,” Taylor said. “You can grow pretty much anything you want up there, just as we can [in Skåne, southern Sweden], but it will be different varieties that taste different and will survive the frost.”

You won’t be able to grow Mediterranean fruits like lemons or oranges in Sweden unless you bring them inside during the winter, although you should be able to grow peaches or nectarines in most of the country.

“The further up in the country you go, the further north you are or the further away from the coast, the harsher the climate becomes, so you might need to have them on a south-facing wall or in a greenhouse,” Taylor said.

Think outside the box

Although the growing season in Sweden may be shorter than it is further south, there are still a number of crops from warmer climates that do surprisingly well.

“People don’t really grow cucumbers outside here, I don’t think they realise that you can actually grow them outside,” Taylor said. “Tomatoes, too. You don’t need a greenhouse, you just stick them in the ground, they’re basically a weed – you’ll get so many you won’t know what to do with them.”

Sweetcorn, for example, performs well in a Swedish climate, Taylor said, although Swedes more often grow it as a feed crop for pigs.

You can also test things by trying to build a microclimate so you can grow things that are one or even two growing zones away from yours. Usually this is done by providing shelter from the wind and the weather using fences, hedges or by planting near buildings, as well as providing protection during the winter.

And if you’re pushed for space, look into companion planting, where you can grow multiple plants which complement each other in the same space.

One example of this is the “three sisters”: corn, climbing beans (or peas), and squash. The corn provides a support for the beans or peas, which anchor the corn in high winds while fixing nitrogen in the soil, while the squash’s large leaves provide shade for the soil, preventing it from drying out.

Don’t be put off just because you don’t have any outside space

Thinking outside the box applies to balconies too.

“If you’re in a built-up area, you will get reflected light from other buildings, so even if you’re on an east-facing balcony, you should be able to grow a lot of stuff. North is a bit more tricky, but east and west are probably better than south as you’re not getting hammered by the sun all day,” Taylor said.

You should be able to grow things like tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers, but it’s important to get hold of good soil and replenish it each year, so your plants have enough nutrients.

“Anybody with a balcony can grow pretty much the same that you can in a garden, you just have to get the soil up there and you always have to fertilise, the soil becomes nutrient deficient after one season.”

“But if you’re prepared to get the soil up on your balcony you can grow anything, even fruit trees. They will be smaller and stunted, and won’t give as much fruit – I’ve done it myself – so don’t see it as an obstacle, see it as a possibility.”

Kale and tomatoes growing on a balcony. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Take inspiration from Swedish growers

Thinking outside the box doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore what all your Swedish neighbours are doing. If you’re not sure what to plant in your garden or what fruit and veg you should try to grow, take a look at what other people who live near you are growing.

You might also come across some crops you’ve never tried before which work well in a Swedish climate, like Alpine strawberries (smultron), honeyberries (blåbärstry), wild garlic (ramslök) or sea buckthorn (havtorn).

This doesn’t just apply to varieties, but also where you plant them in your garden. Some crops need full sun, some work best in shade, and others, like asparagus, can grow tall and cast a shadow over your garden.

“You want a south-facing location for all fruit, and berries – check out what your neighbours are doing,” Taylor said.

If you don’t want tall plants to cast a shadow over other crops, see if you can plant them at the northernmost edge of your garden, while making sure that sun and soil conditions are still optimal. Blueberries, for example, need acidic soil to thrive, meaning you will probably need to amend your soil if planting in the ground, or even plant them in containers.

Think about what you want to do with your harvest

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to plant what you like to eat, too. If you hate the aniseedy, licorice-y taste of fennel, why bother growing it?

You should also choose the variety of crop based on what you’re going to use it for. Do you want to make pickles with your cucumbers, or are you going to eat them on salads? Do you want cherry tomatoes for snacking on, or big beef tomatoes for making sauces?

“Think ‘what am I going to do with my harvest’,” Taylor said. “Am I going to juice it? Am I going to preserve it? Am I going to make cider with it, for example?”

Apples, for example, can range from sweet eating apples to tart cooking apples, so make sure you do your research before you commit to buying an apple tree. Most varieties exist in English-speaking countries, so you should be able to search the name of the variety online and find some information in a language you understand, if you don’t speak Swedish.

“Patience is a virtue,” he added. “A lot of fruit trees are going to take two or three years, or even more, to give a harvest. So you have to have patience.”

Learn to deal with the Swedish weather

Many areas of Sweden along the coast or in the south of the country can get windy, which you’ll have to learn to deal with.

“How to deal with the wind? You can’t,” Taylor said. “We cannot affect this, we are powerless.”

“What you have to do is plant them in areas where there’s less wind, usually behind large buildings.”

Some plants simply won’t survive the wind, so either you plant them close to buildings, protect them, or accept that you’re restricted in what you can grow.

Make sure to provide supports for crops which will grow tall, like sunflowers, peas, beans and sweetcorn, and tie these down well or bury them deep in the ground, so summer storms can’t blow them away.

Listen to the full interview with John Taylor in The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers. Out on Wednesday, May 8th.

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