We have tried to get a table at Cin Cin for quite some time, but I guess it is very popular as it has been tricky to get a table. But finally, on a Saturday night in June 2020 we got a table for 4. We came to the restaurant at 7.30 PM and it is a bit weird coming to this place as we use to go there quite a lot when Ostehuset used this location. The place has been refurbished and it has a modern atmosphere and a lounge feeling – with the music being a bit loud from time to time.
Cin Cin is run by a French and Italian chef and their mission is to make food from the Italian and French cuisine with an Asian twist – sounds like a strange combo. We decided to go all in (as usual) and have the Cin Cin menu where you move from East to West. After we got some wine to start with, it did not take long before the first dish was served. The red curry soup is from the Thai cuisine and it had more of a spice kick than what I expected! This was not a problem for us at all – we have been to Thailand a few times and we love a bit of spice in the food. The soup was great, but I thought there were too many peanuts in the soup. We continued with sashimi and as Norway is blessed with some great seafood, there is quite a bit to choose from. The scallop was amazing, and I also enjoyed the halibut and the salmon. The beef tataki was also mouthwatering served with onion, spring onion and garlic crisps!
We got a pork and shrimp dumpling that I enjoyed (see also the Yips review where we had the same) but I was not that crazy about the white asparagus bowl that we got. It was served with yuzu hollandaise which was a nice twist. But to be honest, I have never quite understood why people are crazy about asparagus in the first place.
It was time to head west to Europe and we started with some homemade pasta. The raviolo was filled with a classical ricotta but with added ramson (ramsløk in Norwegian) but for me the best part was the intensity of the confit tomato sauce. The fish of the day in the next dish was cod (and I do like fresh cod) and this was served with an apple, fennel and butter sauce with some added fish eggs and it was absolutely delicious. The main part of the meal was rounded off with pork served with a saffron, carrot and orange purée! Yes, we had already had quite a bit of food, but I would have enjoyed having a bit more of the purée and the intense sauce. They kept the dessert quite simple as it was an ice pop from the local producer Siddis gelateria and it was a great way to end the meal.
So, did Cin Cin meet the expectations? I did enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance apart from the music being a bit loud from time to time. The service was spot on and we got good wine recommendations and the food was served at just the right pace. The dishes were presented in a beautiful way and it was colorful. According to the waiter, the menu is a bit limited due to the corona virus situation and the food struck us as being a bit of a “safe bet” but it was all good. I think we will have to try it again once they are back to a full menu and full crew. All in all, a wonderful evening out with good food and good service.
Facts:
Homepage: https://cin-cin.no/
Location: Hospitalsgata 6 – see this Google map
Price: 725 kroner for the set menu (75 USD)
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