In collaboration with PASSIONS, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in PASSIONS Volume 47 in 2013, we present this story on Noma, a critically acclaimed restaurant showing the world the wonder of Nordic cuisine.
When ranking the great cuisines of the world, Nordic cuisine might not immediately come to mind. After all, French cuisine is rich in techniques, Italian cuisine has its earthly-driven simplicity and modern Spanish cuisine is renowned for its no-limits approach to harmonising traditional and new flavours. But that was before Noma burst on to the culinary scene in 2004 when co-founders, gastronomic entrepreneur Claus Meyer and head chef Rene Redzepi rewrote the typical Nordic menu with a passion to elevate the quality and diversity of cuisines in the Nordic region, earning two Michelin stars along the way.
Since its inception, the response has been overwhelming. Who would dare argue with more than 800 food critics, chefs and restaurateurs who collectively voted it the best restaurant in the world as part of the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, bestowing the title on Noma not once but twice in a row for 2010 and 2011. Take a seat with PASSIONS as we manoeuvre through the purely Nordic nature of the restaurant’s chef, menu and ambience.
Don’t Trust First Impressions
It is safe to say that you won’t exactly fall in love with Noma at first sight. Housed in a converted 18th century warehouse in the old Christianshavn district of Copenhagen, Denmark, the restaurant has a deceptively dilapidated exterior, with walls rough with age and colours that are washed-out neutrals.
Enter through the wood-framed double glass doors to where interior features like the wood floors, visible wooden beams, unplastered stone and deep rounded window recesses seamlessly harmonise with matching handcrafted designer oak furniture, forming an ambience rich in juxtaposition that is comfortably rustic with a touch of understated refinement. A distinct absence of music only heightens the intimacy of the setting.
Similar to other top-level restaurants, Noma does not hide its culinary secrets. Customers are free to watch chefs at work behind a soundproof glass wall. Chefs will also be glad to prepare dishes that are not included in the menu. A friendly waiter will explain the menu while suggesting the best choices and provide guidance on the vast collection of wines.
Another appealing aspect of the dining experience is that there is a rotational system in place where the waiting staff and chefs take turns serving food. This is because Redzepi wanted his chefs to interact with the restaurant’s patrons, “to remove barriers”, an entirely refreshing service concept.
Top right: A rather beautiful composition of Toast, Cod Roe, Wild Herb blossoms and Powdered Vinegar that is delicate in appearance and on the tongue. The salty cod roe is well countered by the acidity of the powdered vinegar dust.
Bottom: The Oyster and the Sea dish sees sliced oyster served on pebbles and shells, cooked with horseradish, caviar pearls, herbs and capers The pot’s function is simply to prominently present the fabulous oyster and create an image of the ocean. Images ©Ditte Isager
Wild Food
Look beyond the surface to find a menu filled with delicacies never before seen whose ingredients, incredibly enough, were lovingly foraged by Redzepi and his team of chefs from the Danish countryside, including local vegetables and wild herbs like Ramson, Shoot of Fern, Spruce and Woodruff. Staying true to his roots, Redzepi insists on utilising only Scandinavian produce such as lamb, musk ox, berries, herbs and seafood. If an ingredient cannot be found or is not in season, the dish does not make it on to the menu, a testament is his conviction to preserving his Nordic food manifesto.
The food served at Noma has a satisfying balance of cooked and raw, so that the diner feels intimately in touch with wilderness, landscape and seasonality. You may opt for the 12-course ‘Noma Nassaaq’ menu but be prepared to spend at least 4 hours eating your way through it. Or you may opt for a smaller 7-course menu, that includes both classic Noma dishes as well as some newer inventions. As crucial as the source of the ingredients, presentation is key to the Noma experience, when dishes may resemble a charming thicket of woods that is almost disneyesque in its whimsy.
Noma’s specialties include the Stone Crab and beach mustard, caramelised sweetbreads and their signature dish, The Hen and the Egg. This is a dish that restaurant patrons cook themselves by breaking a duck’s egg onto a hot skillet, adding thyme butter, spinach, wild garlic and herbs and topping it with curls of fried potato.
Man Behind the Menu
Along with his organic-based approach to cooking, Redzepi brings to Noma an enviable pedigree. Calling his initial foray into the culinary world a happy accident, he trained at newly-opened Copenhagen-based restaurant Pierre André, which had recently received its first Michelin star. He further honed his craft at world-renowned three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli in Catalonia in the late nineties, before moving to Napa-based French Laundry in California in 2001. In 2002, Redzepi was approached by Claus Meyer, who asked him if he wanted to co-found a new restaurant in the North Atlantic House (a former 18th Century Danish warehouse and cultural centre for the region). Following this, Redzepi was made head chef of Noma – a position he has retained since 2004.
Aided by sous chefs Victor Wagman and Samuel Miller, Rene Redzepi has paved the way for new Nordic cuisine influenced by molecular gastronomy, by acting as a catalyst for change. For example, Claus Henriksen, an ex-Noma sous chef is creating his own unique and delicious food at Dragsholm Castle in North Zealand following the same principles and it is only a matter of time before others follow suit.
