In my mission to eat at the world’s best restaurants I have now had the privilege to try out Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. Noma has long been on my list of places to try after glowing reviews by pretty much everyone who has ever stepped foot in the restaurant. Since we were attending the lovely Hoffman – Peterson wedding this weekend, I had made a reservation 2 months in advance for a lunch spot for 2 people. The reservation was painless as can be as they have an online booking system. The restaurant was also amazingly flexible and kind by letting us up the reservation from 2 to 4 people on the day.
The concept of Noma taken from their website:
At noma, we aim to offer a personal rendition of Nordic gourmet cuisine, where typical methods of cooking, fine Nordic produce and the legacy of our common food culture are all being subjected to an innovative gastronomic approach. Carrying this line of thinking further, we view it as a challenge to play a part in bringing forth a regeneration of Nordic culinary craft, in its capacity to encompass the North Atlantic region and to brighten the world with its distinctive tastiness and special regional character.
The restaurant itself it situated on a pier overlooking the water in an industrial looking building. It was raining on the day that we visited, but inside it was warm and cozy despite being very minimalist in the best Dankes style. We were greeted by a friendly crew at the reception where you can view the bustling kitchen behind. I especially loved the sheepskin mini rugs that are draped on the backs of the chairs.
We were given a few tasty and beautiful previews of what was to come. These included amazing breads with pork butter or butter with fresh cheese whipped in from Iceland and a chicken skin, roe mousse finger sandwich. Mesh decided to try out the specially brewed Noma beer and hailed it a success. We all opted for the 7 course tasting menu as it would obviously be a waste to go for anything but!
Our menu for the day consisted of the following. Sorry that the photos are pretty crap, but I didn’t want to use a flash in the restaurant.
Can’t remember what exactly this one was – but it was so beautiful and tasty!
Seaweed and fresh prawns with beets
Ashes and hazelnuts
Caramelized chicken broth and leeks
Asparagus and woodruff
Shoots of fiddlehead, hops and bull rush
Marrow and pickled vegetables
Herbs and bouillon
Sven gets ready to eat his pork with the bone handled Noma knife
Pork and wild ramson leaves
Grilled cucumber and gold stars
Birch juice and birch syrup
Spanish chervil and honey
Beet and woodruff
Crème fraiche and pickled hip roses
Overall opinion:
This was one of the best, if not the best, meals that I have ever had. It was flawlessly executed and astoundingly innovative. The quality of the ingredients was absolutely amazing. The presentation was artistic and beautiful. The tastes were clean and refreshing. Noma captured the essence of their surrounding lands and gave their own interpretation of classic Nordic tastes. All of this wonderful food was served in an unpretentious environment by an expert staff. Gold stars all around. I personally think that Noma deserves 3 Michelin stars!
Thanks to my dining companions, Mesh, Phyllis & Sven for putting up with me taking pictures and for a wonderful afternoon!
