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TASTE OF HOME: Where foreigners in Oslo go to satisfy their cravings

Richard Orange
Richard Orange - richard.orange@thelocal.com
TASTE OF HOME: Where foreigners in Oslo go to satisfy their cravings
A full English breakfast, Uzbek plov, and a Colombian arepa pie. Photo by Elle May on Unsplash Photo by otabek xatipov on Unsplash Photo by Frederick Medina on Unsplash

From pierogi to plov and manti to marmite: every foreigner living in Oslo has at least one dish from home they crave. We asked them where to go to get them.

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Eastern European 

Poles are now so established in Oslo that there are several polski sklep selling a broad selection of pierogi dumplings, sausage, cheese, soups and stocks. There's Polski sklep spożywczy Baza in Holmlia in the southeast and Polski sklep Høvik just across Oslo's borders in Bærum. The latter runs the Polmarket.no online store. 

The EkoMarket chain has five outlets in the city, the most central at Calmeyers gate, Veitvet, and Sofienberggata. As well as Polish goods, the supermarkets also stock foods from Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and even Germany.  

Oslo also boasts two Polish restaurants, the more upmarket Polskie Jadlo in Gronland, and the more casual Polska Shots and Bites on Hausmanns gate. 

The Matmarket website offers home delivery of items from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Macedonia, Russia and more.

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People from post-Soviet countries can gorge themselves on Central Asian favourites at Registan, an Uzbek restaurant with dishes such as plov, a rice dish, manti, a kind of stuffed dumpling, and samsa, a meat pie. 

North America

For Americans looking for a taste of home, Coopers Candy stocks US sweets such as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and root beer.

Way Down South on the banks of the Akerselva river in downtown Oslo does barbeque, covering classics such as brisket and pulled pork. It will also offer special menus around holidays such as Thanksgiving. It has a sister location in the borough of St. Hanshaugen that focuses on deli food. 

Meanwhile, Hot Temper offers up spicy Nashville-style fried chicken in Grünerløkka. 

Bob The Bagel and Emmas Bagels have both recently opened and regularly have queues out the door. 

Western and Northern Europe 

Since Iceland closed down in Norway last year, Brits in Norway have lost one of the main places to pick up their dried, canned and frozen goods.

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The two Jacobs delicatessen shops in Majorstuen and Holtet, have filled some of the gap, with a UK-based supplier dispatching Marmite and, for Australians, Vegemite. They also stock brands like Bisto gravy, Walker's Crisps, Twiglets, Irn Bru from Scotland, and Old Jamaica Ginger Beer. 

They currently cannot import fresh and frozen foods, such as Scottish haggis and British sausages, due to the UK leaving the EU. 

Coopers Candy also provides popular British sweets, drinks such as Irn Bru, and Yorkshire Tea and Tetley Tea. It even sells Batchelors' Cup a Soup. 

UK Corner Shop has long drawn customers in Norway, but some ordering from the site of late have complained of being made to pay import fees and suffering long delivery times.

The variety chain store Normal has also been known to stock UK confectionary. 

Oslo has a lot of fairly decent Italian restaurants, with Ruffino Ristorante Italiano, Osteria Della Nonna, and Taverna'n some of the best. For high-end pizza, there's Piazza Italia, Campo de Fiori, and Mamma Pizza Osteria Italiana.

The cosy neighborhood restaurant Ansjosen has a tasting menu based on Italian dishes that's well suited to special occasions. 

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People looking for quality Italian groceries could try one of the Smak Av (taste of) chain stores. The eight Smak Av Italia stores scattered around Oslo are excellent places for finding high-quality cheeses, meats, and olive oils. They stock meat too, perfect if you are after some guanciale to make an authentic carbonara or cured meats.

The same owners also run the the Smak Av Spania online store, which sells everything from tapas and paella kits to Serrano ham. 

Felloni & Piersante sell fresh pasta, sausages, porchetta, cured meats, pesto and olive oils from different regions of Italy. It is also possible get dishes to go from its Sofienberg location. It's focaccia sadnwhiches are considered some of the best food on the go in the city.   

Oslo also has a number of pintxos restaurants. Barramón Mathallen in Vulkan and Txotx in Grünerløkka are both highly recommended. 

Greeks (and anyone else) can buy olive oil, olives and more from the Olivelia online store. You can also stock up on Greek food at Middelhavets Delikatesser & Kafe in Ulven, and indulge yourself with Greek pastries at the Yasou Greek Bakery and Café in Frogner. 

Americas

Mexicans are poorly served in Oslo with the Los Tacos chain getting a firm thumbs down.

Breddos Tacos, the Norwegian spin-off of the London-based restaurant is popular, while Corrals serves up birria tacos from its food truck in Grønland and recently opened restaurant in Solli Plass. Las Cazuelas in Torshov is small, but serves up pozole and a Cuban food plate in addition to its selection of tacos. 

People from Latin America can get a wide range of goods from La Bodeguita, which has an online store. You can eat delicious Peruvian food on Saturdays at Aji Spiseri in Nydalen. 

Those missing the meatier side of Latin American cuisine, you can go to Brasilia, which is a Norwegian owned, Latin American-themed steak house and grill. 

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Asian 

Oslo has dozens of Indian and Pakistani restaurants thanks to the city's large Punjabi community. Ricksha Pakistani Street Food offers kebabs and birianis. Masala Politics, whose 71-year-old founder Gurdial Singh claims to have bought Indian food to Norway, is popular and good, as is Mannu Grill. 

Punjab Tandoori has solidified itself as a neighborhood institution in Grønland since its opening in the 1990s. 

The city also has a good selection of Pakistani grocery stores selling rice, pulses, pickles, spices and other essentials, with some of the best known being Grønlands Torg Frukt, Norbygata Dagligvara, and Pak Matsenter. 

For those from East Asia, Dim Sum Oslo & Cocktail bar provides acceptable dim sum. You can stock up on Chinese ingredients at Hoang Asia Mat in Sandvika. 

Typically Chinese restaurants in Oslo have had two menus, one for Norwegians and one with much more authentic Chinese regional delicacies. Some restaurants now give diners the option of ordering from both, while others will still need guests to ask for the menu with the best Chinese dishes. 

The unassuming Szechuan Chengdu has become one of the hottest places in the city to eat due to its menu offering authentic Chinese dishes, while Yummy House also has a secret menu for diners who want something a bit more genuine. 

Izykaya in downtown Oslo offers up Japanese small plates, while the recently opened 175°C K-fried serves up Korean fried chicken. 

Eathappy Vegan serves up meat-free pho and banh mi, while Nam Fah Thai has some of the best dishes from Thailand in Oslo. For those who want their Vietnamese fix with meat, then Atelier could be an option. 

Do you have any suggestions or hidden gems on where to source international food in Oslo that we've missed? Let us know in the comments section below. 

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