Mondo is the best restaurant in Sandnes, hands down. I’ve finally found a place I can return to again and again in the city I grew up. A few weeks ago I wrote about Charles & De, which at that point had been the highest quality eatery in town for ten years. Mondo is the latest addition to a rather small restaurant scene in Norway’s 7th largest city. Both places were created by the Bocuse d’Or gold winning chef Charles Tjessem.
Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in Sandnes? Check out our city map of Stavanger & Sandnes!
Mondo couldn’t possibly have a better location in Sandnes. At the first floor of the brand new building Havnespeilet – the port mirror. Thusly named because the exterior looks like those mesmerizing reflections of sunlight in the sea. A flock of ducks and a white swan were swimming undisturbed in the harbor basin as we arrived at the pier. It was around midday on a Saturday, and we had brought my parents and brother for a lunch.
The first thing that meets your eye when you enter Mondo is the beautifully detailed Scandinavian design. Concrete walls, wooden furniture and green plants all over the place. We started with a cocktail in the lounge area, which has a slightly different vibe: Marble tables, copper vases and comfortable designer sofas. A sign on the wall reads Smak på verden – taste the world. Mondo means world, and the kitchen is supposedly influenced by all the world’s cuisines. An obvious trend in the restaurant industry right now. Just look to Eldorado in Copenhagen or Bass in Oslo, who refuse to limit themselves to one style or concept.
Restaurant manager Joakim Wågen showed us to our table. I immediately noticed something familiar in front of me: the ceramic plates! There’s nothing odd about the tableware at Mondo, though – it’s just Odd Standard. In fact, the artist duo from Stavanger, who specializes in restaurant tableware, have made virtually every plate and bowl you are served at Mondo. Wågen suggested a sparkling wine as an aperitif, and from that point on we gave him full authority over all our wine pairings.
Head chef Christian Andre Pettersen came out to say hello and offered us a taste of his evening menu. The talented young chef was headhunted from restaurant Spiseriet in Stavanger, and has previously worked at Charles & De. His current style of cooking at Mondo is a mix of upgraded street food and a sort of rustic fine dining. To be honest, it’s just high-quality ingredients presented in a nice way – and made to share!
The first snacks to arrive were crispy potatoes on sticks. Deliciously crunchy, fatty and sprinkled with sea salt. They were served with sour cream and løyrom, which I guess makes the origin Nordic-ish? Having a slight hangover from our dinner at Re-Naa the night before, this was the perfect start to a meal. Next up: chicken Satay from Malaysia and salmon tataki with origin from Japan.
The main dish was the very Nordic serving of cod with burnt leeks, browned butter, celeriac cream, Avruga caviar and grilled cabbage. Followed by a fusion palate cleanser of fresh cheese with lime leaf sorbet. Highly refreshing! Then, a proper cheese serving before the grand finale: a Madeleine fruit tart sprinkled with wood sorrels and elderflowers and topped with warm, runny caramel sauce tableside.
Mondo is without a doubt the most contemporary and up-to-date restaurant in Sandnes. I would even rate it as one of the better in the entire Stavanger and Sandnes region. It’s impressive how in line they are with both design and cooking trends from the Scandinavian capitals. This shouldn’t come as a surprise if you look at how decorated head chef Christian André Pettersen is: Nordic chef of the year, young chef of the year, and the list goes on … His experience is invaluable to the success of Mondo.
Have you been to the new restaurant Mondo yet? Please share your experience in a comment below.
Please note: This restaurant has closed permanently. Check our rumors page to see what’s opening instead.