2_1_ScanMag_79_August_2015_Text.qxp_Scan Magazine 1 06/08/2015 14:47 Page 20
Scan Magazine | Culinary Feature | Norway
Boha is located in the Bergen city centre, conveniently next door to the popular bar Onkel Lauritz.
Boha – Bringing the best of Europe to Bergen Bergen has a longstanding tradition of being a town of bustling international trade, and for the past 14 years restaurant Boha has contributed to this vibe by serving continental European cuisine. By Andrea Bærland | Photos: Lars Svenkerud
The walls of the brasserie located in Bergen’s city centre are decorated with Norwegian translations of famous rock lyrics, giving the restaurant a modern and laidback atmosphere which is also reflected in the food they serve. “We pride ourselves on serving honest and fairly simple food with a lot of taste. Everything we serve is made from scratch, we take no short cuts, and all our dishes have a clean and authentic taste. What you see is what you get. We don’t use a lot of jargon in our menus, we normally just name the dish and list its key ingredi-
20 | Issue 79 | August 2015
ents,” explains general manager and sommelier Morten Båtbukt. European influences The menu at Boha changes five times each year and offers dishes largely influenced by French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisines, as well as the occasional hint of Asia. In addition to the à la carte the restaurant also offers a daily menu of four courses and a six-course tasting menu. They also develop exclusive menus for special occasions such as the annual festival Festspillene i Bergen.
“In our quest to serve what we consider to be honest fare we have spent a lot of time finding vendors with a similar vision. As a result we have ended up with quite a few small and medium sized suppliers, and many of our wines come from organic or biodynamic producers,” says Båtbukt. And it is not just the food coming out of it that is influenced by Europe, the team in the kitchen also have a wealth of experience from European establishments. Polish Head Chef Pawel Gawlik, who previously worked at the Michelin-starred Yorke Arms in Yorkshire where he gained valuable experience in preparing game, works alongside his Greek sous chef Spartakos Stampolidis with experience from several islands in the Mediterranean.