Sarah, as a local who grew up in Danderyd, felt the need to do something new, live her dream and have no regrets and thus, YOLO (You Only Live Once) was born. She not only wants to live life to the fullest but give back to the community in which she comes from and currently lives in, which is one big reason she decided that Djursholm would be a great place for a new restaurant.
Teaming up with her Creative Leader, Chef Jonas Lundgren was no coincidence, she wanted someone talented, experienced and whose name would draw a crowd. A recruitment company helped pair her up with the perfect match. Together, Lundgren and Korduner Izosimov make this new hot spot stand out. The idea behind the food is that it is Swedish and the ingredients are the best ingredients and local to Sweden, as well as seasonal. To keep the menu exciting, they have a different lunch menu everyday—both a fish and meat dish. In the evening, their menu is more set but with a new family dish every evening. Fitting in with their concept of local and sustainable food is their Sunday menu, where they create exciting dishes with what is left from the week! The open kitchen allows guests and chefs to interact with each other...and get to know one another. While often full during the week, weekends are relatively quieter as the summer winds down and people are still at summer homes for a night or two. They get many bookings by reservation but reserve tables for walk-ins at the bar who might decide on to spontaneously drop-in—because you only live once—right?! |
As for their food, it looks amazing and today (just about a week after our initial meeting with Sarah) we got to try it and they did not disappoint. I ordered their fish of the day, which was a pan-fried herring that came from our neighbours in Norway, with potato purée, lingon berries and browned butter. It was served on a beautiful earthy porcelain dish as not to distract from the food and while the fish was cooked just right, the potato purée was amazing, light and tasted of beautiful butter which went well with the sour flavour of the lingon berries. A guest in my party had the salad with beats, walnuts and pears, which is an amazingly stunning dish with bright purple beats and the beautiful greens against an earthy plate. Yolo did not fail when it came to accommodating for allergies and dietary restrictions either. My colleague asked about their chicken with ginger and broccoli could be made dairy, nut and egg free and was promptly accommodated with a lovely balsamic vinegar and oil dressing instead. |
When I asked Sarah what new surprises will we see in the future, she told me that Yolo plans on offering catering in addition to the take-out option they currently offer, a rent-a–chef option and even in-home wine tastings with the bistro’s Sommelier, Annika Gelhaar. We'll report back if we get a chance to experience that first hand!