Salon Terminal opened mid-April as a part of Thon Hotel Vasa at Vasagatan opposite the Central Station. Labelled as a contemporary take on a classic brasserie, it is off to a good start and has been getting positive reviews for both food and ambience. We got the possibility of asking some questions to Jonas Höglander, executive head chef and Elias Kvarning, chef de cuisine.
What will set Salon Terminal apart from all the other brasseries opening in Stockholm right now?
We like to think that through our food, we can feel accessible to both the experienced foodie and the uninitiated guest. We have the classic and recognizable, but also a bit of the challenging and complex. And we think that letting those elements coexist on the very same plate creates something unique.
What are you bringing with you from your past experiences? You have credentials from both fine dining and neo-bistros like Operakällaren and Ett Hem.
(Jonas): Something that has permeated and driven my work, regardless of past workplaces, has always been trying to broaden my chefs' culinary knowledge. I want there to be a major dose of joy in cooking at every single station—something I hope will be reflected in the food.
(Elias): Personally, I really want to take the direct, hearty cooking style that you're able to do at a neo-bistro and scale it up into a brasserie format. As far as possible, I also want to work with a small-scale mindset when it comes to ingredients and suppliers.
The menu at Salon Terminal mixes classics with new interpretations. What is the idea behind having a classic ice cream cake on the menu?
It was our pastry chef who developed it, and it feels incredibly fitting for what a brasserie is—something to share in a nostalgic format. And honestly, who doesn't love ice cream cake?
The Thon Group's hotels in Norway have a strong gastronomic profile, including the Bristol Grill in Oslo (89 points in Falstaff). Is this the beginning of a similar venture in Stockholm?
The level of ambition from both us and the Thon Group is high, but it's a long road ahead to get to where Bristol is today. Still, it is both uplifting and motivating that there is a long-term goal for what Salon Terminal and Thon Hotel Vasa will become. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.
What is the strength of having a restaurant located inside a hotel?
Aside from the obvious perk that hotel guests have a phenomenal restaurant in the exact same building where they have their room, it's also the synergies you can leverage between different departments and services. Plus, there is just something special about an operation that is constantly in motion.
