noma

noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

Chef: René Redzepi (Listed in TIMES 2012 100 most influential people in the world)

San Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurants - currently ranked 2nd (2013): http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/noma/

(1st place in 2010, 2011 and 2012  before losing the number 1 spot to El Celler de Can Roca in 2013. 

Recipient of two Michelin stars

We were greeted by a staff at the front who led us into the rustic looking restaurant

Noma:  two Danish words "nordisk" (Nordic) and "mad" (food)

Located in a converted warehouse in central Copenhagen,  the restaurant is known for its reinvention and interpretation of the Nordic Cuisine.  Noma is rated as one of the toughest reservations in the world by numerous media.  We made our reservation via Noma's website a week prior to our arrival and were duly placed on the waiting list. Fortunately, a party of 8 cancelled and 2 spots became available the night before our departure from Copenhagen.  The only drawback was that it was a communal table where we dined with other people.

#1: Blackcurrant berry and roses

This little succulent candied berry is created from a blackcurrant fruit leather formed into hollow balls, filled with blackcurrant juice, garnished with rose petals and elderflowers.

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#2: Nordic coconut

Nordic Coconut is a kohlrabi, with a hole bored in the side with the center hollowed out and filled with lightly fermented kohlrabi juice.  The “straw” is made from a hollow plant stem. 

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#3: Gooseberry and elderflower

Tomato in texture, the dish exhibited a soft, floral sweetness.

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#4: Hip berries and walnuts

A single bite of blackcurrant and rose placed on a bed of greens.  We were told to eat it in seconds as the outer shell will melt into a puree of berry with a floral after-taste.   Sensational. 

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#5: Moss and cep

Reindeer moss - quickly fried and seasoned with powdered cep (mushroom), was surprisingly savory, light and fragrant.  A dish that supposedly took 20 man-hours to create. 

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#6: Cheese cookie, rocket and stems

Biscuits made from Swedish cheese presented in an old biscuit tin.  The freshness of the rocket mixed well with the cheese cracker. 

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#7: Pickled and smoked quails egg

Presented in a porcelain egg with smoke seeping out of the edges, I was greeted with a small explosion of rich warm yolk at first bite. Loved the smoked fragrant. 

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#8: Caramelized milk and cod liver

Thinly shaved frozen cod liver served on a caramelized milk cracker.  Similar to eating foie gras on a toast. The creaminess of the liver was rich and sublime.  

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#9: Æbleskiver and greens

 Æbleskiver - traditional Danish pancakes in a shape of a sphere. Similar to a pancake but light and fluffy.  It was like a Danish takoyaki filled with cooked greens and topped with flowers. 

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#10: Sea urchin toast

A thin silver of toast:  Raw Norwegian sea urchins covered with a thin wafer made from duck stock.  The sea urchin was the star.  It was fresh. rich and delicate without any pungent taste.  Very different from the ones we get from the Pacific. 

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#11: Burnt leek

The tiny leek hearts were cut with precision and had a smoky burnt flavor.   

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Our communal table - where we shared our appetizers in a fun and informal setting with others.  We all chatted about our origins, travels and our love for food.  

Our lovely knowledgeable wait staff who was participating in the apprenticeship program.  The most interesting fact that he shared with us was that the restaurant housed roughly 45 diners and a team of approximately 45 chefs in the kitchen (a 15 hour work day)! It's like having your own personal chef!!!

Bread service: the warm bread was made from grains milled at the restaurants. 

"Virgin butter" - cow's milk butter that has not been churned fully.  "Butter like this where you can pretty much taste what the cow ate" - Anthony Bourdain

"Butter Viking" with crisped pork skin and fat on top. 

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#12: Squid and fennel

Cold thinly shaved squid was served in a fennel broth with broccoli.

A wonderful palette cleanser before commencing the next phase of our menu. 

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#13: Shrimp and rhubarb root

This ravioli look alike dish was filled with an aromatic broth of rhubarb root and raw shrimp.  This definitely showcased the hand foraged ingredients at Noma.  

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#14: Onion and fermented pears with salt made from wood ants

An understated dish of onions cleverly balanced with pears and ants!!!!!!  An essential ingredient to provide acidity to the dish. 

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#15: Beets and aromatic herbs

The beets were softly roasted, giving an earthy taste.  

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#16: Cauliflower and pine cream and horseradish

Covered in fragrant pine needles, the cauliflower was slow roasted in pine stock.  It was rich, soft and a pinch of horseradish created a well-balanced taste.  

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#17: Potato and bleak fish roe

This half cooked fermented potato was the least favorite of the table.  The crispy potato was cooked in fermented barley and paired with very salty fish roe.  

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#18: Wild duck, pear and kale

This locally hunted wild duck was our main entree.  It was cooked perfectly and tasted like the wild outdoors!

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#19: Blueberry and ants sandwich!!!

Our dessert journey began with this ice cream sandwich filled with greens and blueberry ice cream, topped with ant paste and blueberry compote.  Wild, sweet, floral -  Phenomenal. 

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#20: Potato and plums

Potato, plum compote and whipped centre of plum 

This was a simple innovative dish, but not my favorite. 

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#21: yeast crackers 

Caramel, skyr and buckthorn berries - consumed by spreading some skyr on caramel and sprinkled with a bit of elderflower salt over the cracker. 

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Coffee - pure

 It was written that approximately 30% of the world's top tiered Michelin starred restaurants use Nespresso.  However, Noma introduced a coffee program that took eight months to implement assisted by 40 dedicated staff members.  With deluxe beans brewed and decanted into a hand blown glass carafes, the coffee is recommended to be consumed without any milk and sugar.   It is believed that the addition of milk and sugar would "mute" or "dull" the original taste of high quality joe and make it no different from commodity-grade coffee.

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#22:  Traditional danish pastry with barley (instead of chocolate)

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#23:  Chocolate covered deep fried pork skin

Pork scratching, chocolate, freeze dried berries

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Very clean kitchen with a complete makeover recently.  

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They "surprised" us with a copy of our tasting menu at the end of our meal. 

 Every course had sensational flavor and texture. Fairly simple ingredients, with some extremely clever twist.  All the food was prepared from locally grown, foraged, or sourced ingredients.  

The quality of service was one of the very finest that we have experienced.  The exceptional treatment did not necessarily start from our first step into the restaurant, but from the first phone call that I received from the receptionist. 

Food: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Presentation: ★★★★★