Norway is not a nation known for its cuisine. Fish, dried fish, rotting fish, pickled fish… throw in some bread and potatoes and there you have it – not the most inspiring diet. But even within Norway, Oslo struggles to attract foodies. In fact, the capital is known far more for its coffee than anything [...]
The Norwegian Bread Belly
Today I want to talk to you about a problem I have in Norway. It’s not only personal to me, for it seems most newcomers to Norway suffer from this condition within the first year or so. It’s called… the Norwegian Bread Belly. Visibly, the condition bears a striking similarity to the “British Beer Belly”, [...]
Nighthawk Diner, Grünerløkka
And so, our epic quest for Oslo’s best burger continues! The American-themed Nighthawk Diner is a magnet for hipsters, smack bang in the middle of Oslo’s Grünerløkka district. So… how else to start but with an Instagram of the interior?? Over to Gerry… DISCLAIMER: I am writing this after an entire morning of cleaning the [...]
Illegal Burger, Møllergata
And so, our epic quest for Oslo’s best burger begins! Gerry and I kicked off our quest with Aftenposten’s favourite, Illegal Burger on Møllergata, a few steps from Youngstorget in the city centre. It’s also a stones throw from my former apartment, but I never found the time to visit. Shocking! But the main reason [...]
The Search is on for Oslo’s Best Burger
Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten recently declared the burgers served by Illegal Burger on Møllergata as the best in Oslo. Always up for a food-related challenge, me and fellow Life in Norway blogger Gerry are going to conduct our own totally non-scientific, never-ending taste test, seeking out the tastiest burgers in Oslo. It’s a tough life As [...]
The Norwegian Phenomenon of Brown Cheese
Norway’s national diet harks back to its days as a poor country, with a focus on preserving fish and meats in salt, lots of potatoes and simple sauces. This heritage still dominates today with delicacies such as lutefisk eaten through choice rather than necessity. One of Norway’s best loved culinary treats is also one of [...]
A Train, Blocked Drain and Loads of Rain
Back in October I took the Oslo to Bergen railway with my friends Chris and Graham. This weekend I repeated the trip with Nicola and Simarjeet, dear friends from my Oxjam Brum days. They were staying with me for a week so to mix it up a bit we chose to check out Bergen, partly [...]
A Mexican View on Norway
As much as I love sharing my thoughts and observations on Norway and Norwegians, you’ve heard plenty from me lately. So here I present Life in Norway’s second guest post, this time from Gerry. He works at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science & Technology) and moved from Mexico to Norway in April 2010… Through the [...]
Hold Your Noses, Lutefisk Season Is Here
This morning on my daily walk to Jerbanetorget, I wandered past the Norwegian restaurant Dovrehallen, as usual. Panic set in as I saw the latest addition to the menu – Lutefisk. Yes folks, Lutefisk season has begun. Perhaps the best way to explain Lutefisk is as the Norwegian version of Marmite, you either love it [...]
The Lifestyle Change Begins
It’s been nine days since I last updated my diary, telling you all it was time for a lifestyle change. It might sound cliche or gimmicky, but I genuinely am trying to reboot my life through more exercise and a better diet. This also includes spending less time online, which unfortunately means less blog posts. [...]
