Tag Archives: Ox-EN

Indulging in the Christmas Menu at OX-EN Steakhouse

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The site on which the restaurant OX-EN stands dates back to 1761, when a building was erected to be used as a residential building. From then, the building changed owners numerous times until the mid 1800s, when it was converted into a small business. It opened as OX-EN Steakhouse in 2003, a restaurant focussing on quality meat.

Having the reputation of a very good steakhouse, OX-EN was an obvious choice for a celebratory dinner with Michael’s parents and uncles. We arrived a bit late, by which time all the others had opted for the Christmas menu. A brief glanced quickly confirmed that it looks good, so we went along with the flow.

Suppe
Hjemmelavet kartoffel- og porresuppe med pesto og ristede skiver af sønderjyske kålpølser
Lune kuvertbrød og smør

Homemade potato and leek soup with pesto and roasted southern jutland sausage

Australsk oksemørbrad
Grillet og garanteret mør oksemørbrad, hjemmelavet rødkål, ovnbagte kartoffelbåde med
rosmarin, æble flæsk og kraftig skysauce

Grilled beef tenderloin, homemade red cabbage, ovenbaked potato boats with rosemary, apple, bacon and gravy

Æble og marcipan
Æble, marcipan og mandler bagt i ovn med vaniljeis

Oven baked apple, marzipan and almond with vanilla icecream

It took a while for the soup to arrive, which was not ideal with a table of hungry Danes that had been travelling most of the day. Nevertheless, when the decent-sized soup arrived, it was definitely worth the wait! I loved the creaminess of the soup, especially with the sausage (and was happy to find more of that sausage in my bowl, besides the 3 pieces decorating the top of the dish!). I don’t really remember the pesto, but that possibly says more about how good the rest of the dish was and less about the pesto. The bread was also warm and crunchy on the outside. The bread was also left on the table for the main course – something which scores a million points with this Maltese girl!

The main consisted of beef tenderloin with a number of different sides. Although we regularly eat pork tenderloin, I do not remember ever having had beef tenderloin. The sight of them in Danish supermarkets disgust me, but if the taste of this one is anything to go by, this is absolutely something to try again. It was moist, it was tender, it was melt in your mouth goodness. And it was perfectly cooked! I was less of a fan of the sides, especially the apple and bacon mixture, and the cloying taste of the red cabbage, which made everything feel very heavy. However, for the meat I am more than willing to turn a blind eye to all the rest!

By now we really needed the inevitable wait between the main and dessert: my stomach clearly got the signal that Christmas time is near! I love almonds, and any apple dessert, so I was really looking forward to this one. And when it arrived it didn’t disappoint. Perfect end to a great meal!

This meal confirmed to me the place of OX-EN as one of the better restaurants in the area. Perfect if you are looking for a lesiurely meal. Not so if you want a quick one. But for the price, you probably want to savour all that you can get! The people serving you also appear happy to be there, which always makes it such a pleasure! Definitely somewhere to return to if a celebration is called for!

We forgot to get pictures of the food but over at Vibekes Mad there are pictures of a similar meal as ours.

Taste King Frederik’s favourite dish

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I am not sure which King Frederik it is, or how they know that this was his favourite dish. But it is offered at Restaurant Colosseum, one of the restaurants along the harbour front in Sonderborg. The restaurant website doesn’t give much information about this dish besides that it is a house speciality, and an email I sent to the restaurant remained unanswered so I am none the wiser, but wherever it comes from, I am glad it is on the menu!

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The dish consists of ox in a spicy sauce. It is served with potatoes, french fries (yeps: both!) and small portions of chopped egg, onions and beetroot. The sauce is a rich, liberally supplied sauce, making it perfect for dipping your potatoes in it (alas, if I was back home I would love dipping bread, but this is Denmark, so no bread, just potatoes). It comes served as a very generous portion in a pan (yeps: a pan!) with the other side dishes in separate bowls. In fact, if you are not very hungry, or are taking a starter and dessert it may also be possible to share.

And if you are not in Sonderborg? Well, you can also make it yourself! Here’s the recipe:

Serves 4 people

  • 600-700 grams of flank steak
  • 4 tbsp chopped onions
  • 1.5 tbsp curry
  • 3 tbsp edelsüss paprika
  • 0.5 litre of whipped cream
  • 4 tbsp ketchup
  • A good splash of Worcestershire sauce

Cut the flank steak into strips and brown them well in the pan. The chopped onion is fried with the curry and paprika. Let it simmer for a bit. Whipped cream, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce are added. Let it boil for a couple of minutes.

Serve with potatoes and fries and as sides make:

  • One bowl of chopped eggs
  • One bowl of chopped onion
  • One bowl of chopped beetroot

Stroll along Sonderborg Havn

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Sonderborg Havn (Harbour) is a major feature of the town of Sonderborg. It comes alive especially in the summer months when the weather entices the people in town to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere along the water. If you are looking for something more than some relaxation, this is a bit of what you can see along the water.

Sonderborg Castle

Sonderborg castle is the dominating feature of the south end of Sonderborg Harbour. It has been around since the 12th, protecting Jutland from attacks from the south. A visit to the castle is a good way of learning a bit more about the history of the area (though not all displays are translated into English). (#2/99 of Things to do in Sonderborg)

Fru Jensen

Every afternoon you can buy fish straight off the Fru Jensen fishing boat moored besides Sonderborg slot. (#5/99 of Things to do in Sonderborg).

The Legend of King Christian’s Table

The legend goes that while Christian the 2nd was imprisoned in the castle, he continuously walked round a table dragging a finger around its edge. Over time, a groove to form in the table top as a result of the constant rubbing along the edge. Although the story is simply a legend, you can see a statue called “The Myth” representing this along the harbour.

Ringrider Track

The ringrider tradition is a popular tradition in southern Jutland. You can see an old ringrider track at the side of Sonderborg castle.

Ringrider Monument

With Sonderborg having the biggest ringrider festival in Denmark, it is apt that a monument to this tradition is placed in such a central location.

Old Castle Wall

If you looked at the models of the castle in the first display cases in Sonderborg Castle you may have noticed that the castle was originally on an island, surrounded by thick walls with towers at the corners. You can still see remnants of a tower here, as well as bits and pieces of the wall on the other side.

Der Butt im Griff

The “Flounder in control” is a sculpture by 1999 Nobel Prize recipient in Literature, Gunter Grass. This 2.3m high bronze sculpture was opened in 2004. The same sculpture can also be seen in Lubeck and Dusseldorf.

Restaurants

There are 5 restaurants just across from the harbour where you can savour a wide variety of food, from Argentinian and Asian to Danish, fish and beef.

Ice-Cream Kiosk

Having walked this far around the harbour you deserve a treat. And what better place to get it than at the ice-cream kiosk just on the water front. If ice-cream is not your thing you can also get a beer and relax on the benches and tables right next to the kiosk.

Train Tracks

Nowadays, the train stops at Alsion, on the Jutland side of Sonderborg. However, the train used to cross the King Christian bridge from Jutland onto Als. Evidence can still be seen close to the harbour, where there are still remnants of the train tracks left embedded in the road.