Many were skeptical when the company XL Diner saw the light of day almost 24 years as a clipfish (dried, salted cod) restaurant. But what could be more natural than to highlight this local raw material that has been so important to Sunnmøre’s business life for hundreds of years? Almost 98 % of all clipfish exported from Norway to various countries in the world comes from Ålesund.
“I think we may say that we deliver food and stories as local as possible here in Ålesund”, says Roar Aarset, restaurant manager at XL Diner. “Maybe we should belong to some sort of cultural department,” adds Ålesund’s well-known chef and owner Ivar Breivik. “We have always been focused on sustainability, use local ingredients and prepare tasteful, simple and honest food with generous portions to please most palates. Our environment and culture have been a natural part of this. I have been very proud to walk from table to table and tell stories and talk about clipfish all these years,” says Aarseth.
The restaurant XL Diner has had a fantastic journey since its start in 1999. They have promoted Ålesund both locally, nationally and internationally, and helped to put the town on the map as the “clipfish capital”. With their special twist on clipfish, storytelling and food experiences, they have been the focus of a number of international media and have also had guest appearances around the world. “During a market survey a few years ago, we discovered that XL Diner was among the 15 largest brand names in Sunnmøre, we both shed a little tear,” continues Breivik.
The restaurant has always had a food philosophy of making the food understandable, abundant and tasty, and everyone should be able to cook the dishes at home. The portions have always been generous and the restaurant has handed out recipes to the guests. “When we look back at the time when we started with clipfish, almost no restaurants in Norway had this raw material on the menu. Today, the awareness of the clipfish as a local and national brand is high – a development we warmly applaude. One day, maybe we will make our own book, telling the local stories, and showing photos and clipfish recipes from all over the world. We just have to find the time”, chuckles Ivar, who, together with Roar and the rest of the team at the XL Group, is preparing for a hectic summer season.
Do you want to book a table at XL Diner? Order here.