District One
“A Swedish best of menu of Asian food.”
Another day, another “light and Asian” place? I have the discussion with my wife quite regularly and whenever I don’t want to feel like I swallowed three bricks, I suggest “light and Asian”. This time, District One on Lindholmen was our place of choice. We ordered there once a few months ago and it was alright, so let’s see the place for real.
Situated in a newly built environment close to Lindholmspiren and the Science Park, District One has a very modern interior, is spacious and has enormously high ceilings. And since we were there around 7pm, it was empty. So, so empty. We were the only ones in a place that can sit roughly 50-80 people I believe.
Yes, District One is a lunch place for all the Lindholmen-based office gangs. And their menu shows it. A mix of Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Hawaiian is obvious. It’s a best of, of what Swedes expect from an Asian place. Your spring rolls, summer rolls, sushi, thai curry and, of course, the Poké Bowls.
From the menu it seems though, as Vietnamese is the actual focus. We had the spring rolls, the thai curry and the lemongrass tofu (my favourite, if you keep reading my reviews).
The spring rolls were quite alright. They are made with rice paper in a traditional Vietnamese style, filled with glass noodles, carrots and mushrooms and served with a sweet chili sauce from the wholesaler. Quite alright and three pieces at that price point is nice. But a lack of protein makes them just greasy and crunchy mainly.
The mains were served in rather big bowls. The portions are massive as I realised when I could barely finish my food. And I’m a thicc boii. In any case, the sauce in the lemongrass tofu was quite good and had a nice punch of Vietnamese sambal. It was packed with vegetables as well. Only the tofu was a downer, as it was silken one without much chew and rather tasteless. Also, the fried onions belong rather on a hot dog than in this dish, but I guess that’s the Swedish taste.
The curry is quite well balanced as well and has a variety of good vegetables such as aubergine and bell peppers. Also here, the tofu is a downer. But overall, the taste profile is mild with a hint of lime leave and some sharpness from the curry paste. It is more of a coconut-heavy one though. The last part that was a bit of a downer was the alcohol-free beer. Unspecified in the menu, at a price point of 49 SEK and then it’s a Carlsberg. Come on, you can do better than that at this price point.
Price:
3x Spring Rolls: 69 SEK
Thai Red Curry: 129 SEK
Lemongrass Tofu: 129 SEK
The Verdict
In the end, District One is a lunch place. They handle their wild mix of Asian dishes quite well, the portion sizes are good and the prices cheap. As a dinner place however, I’d pass. Rather take-away and eat the food watching a movie with your loved ones (or alone, I don’t judge) or order in. Despite the table service, it almost feels like going to Max for dinner. Still, the food is good for the price point!
4/5 Leaves
Pro
Cheap prices
Massive portion sizes
Fast service
Con
It is a lunch/take-away place and feels eerie and empty in the evenings
The menu is wildly mixed of all sorts of Asian countries and lacks a clear direction
Their alcohol-free beer is Carlsberg and overpriced (49 SEK)
Location
Götaverksgatan 4
Opening Hours
Mo-Tu: 11:00 - 14:00
We-Th: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 21:00
Fr: 11:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 22:00
Sa: 14:00 - 22:00
Su: 13:00 - 20:00
