Æbleskiver and muuiko: a brioche-like doughnut with a fried fresh water baby fish spiked into it — that and Boulette’s Larder doughnuts are the best I have ever had
I don’t normally subscribe to ‘best of’ lists. I find them rather limiting. Mind you, my blog has just been chosen by the Independent as one of the 50 best food sites and I am thrilled to be included! Anyhow, in Noma‘s case, it may just be the best in the world and if not, certainly up there with the very best. Rene Redzepi‘s food is simply spectacular: sophisticated, inventive, delicious and healthy! And you are given enough of each course to savour it fully without feeling full at the end of a meal which in our case included some 25 dishes — we had asked for the full treatment! The setting is also perfect. Simple, elegant and comfortable with lovely natural light and views over the water. As for the service, it is flawless: attentive without being intrusive and supremely knowledgeable.
Here are the pictures. I am missing only a couple — I got carried away with the live shrimps and forgot to snap them before I popped the wriggling creature into my mouth. I managed to snap the dip though! And sorry for the super long post but everything was so pretty, it was difficult to decide what to leave out, so, I included everything.
juniper: already on the table arranged inside a bouquet of wild flowers except that I ate them before I remembered I had a camera but here they are on a tray in the kitchen — a delightful start.
Moss and cep — you eat only the white feathery pieces — fabulous texture and flavour
Sea buckhorn leather and pickled hip roses; we were told to pick up each pile with our fingers and eat it — extraordinary
Fried spring onion — simple and delectable
Blue mussel: arranged over real mussel shells with the bottom of those we could eat an edible biscuit shaped like a mussel shell — fabulous
The dip for the live shrimps that were tiny and came on crushed ice in a preserving jar — a little scary but scrumptious all the same
Cookie with lardo and current: with a meal made up of so many different dishes, I was bound not to remember everything and I hope this is the right description — love the little dish
??? I think I have mixed up one of the appetizers. Anyone who spots the mistake please let me know!
Toast, herbs, smoked cod’s roe and vinegar: the roe was frozen and just melted as you put it on your tongue — unbelievably delicate (this may be wrong. again, anyone who knows please comment!)
Pickled and smoked quail’s eggs: ate them before I remembered to snap them — perfectly cooked.
Radish, soil and herbs: the soil idea which I think was started by Michel Bras is now quite prevalent in restaurants like l’Arpège, Manresa and others. I loved the fluffy dip in which the radishes were spiked and the freshness of the leaves — best radishes ever
skin, lovage and smoked cheese — I could eat these every day, even every hour!
Their own baked excellent sourdough bread served with goat’s butter and crumbled pork scratchings covering pork fat, the latter being perhaps the only unhealthy element of the meal!
Strawberries and salad rood, juniper and garden sorrel — so pretty and refreshing
Scallops and grains, water cress and beech nut: the slivers of scallops were smoked I think and arranged like butterflies over the grains — again very pretty and beyond delicious
Stone crab and beach mustard: loved the intense blobs of two different jellies together with the delicious olive oil — unexpected but perfect combination
Tartare and sorrel, juniper and tarragon: we were told to eat this with our hand and it seemed right — loved the coarsely hand-chopped meat
Oyster and the ocean: Redzepi has a way with the description of dishes, simple yet evocative. The oyster was cut in pieces and each mouthful was like eating the sea but without any of the saltiness. In fact, I had to ask for my own little salt container but only added a grain or two to each mouthful
Caramelized cauliflower, pine and cream: there aren’t many chefs who can make cauliflower look and taste so exciting!
Pike, perch and verbena, dill and cabbage: a work of art on a plate, both to look at and to taste.
The hen and the egg: possibly the only dish that didn’t have a wow factor, perhaps because we each cooked our own. Regardless, it was very pretty and very good even if a little boring!
Veal sweetbread and peas, forest shoots and grilled garlic: I have to remember to say that this was the best sweetbread dish I ever had, together with one at l’Oustau de Beaumanière where the sweetbreads were served whole
Cucumber and elderflower: they should have served this at the royal wedding — delightful and if I were a designer, I would copy this to make tiaras for bridesmaids!
Rhubarb and juniper: I don’t like rhubarb but I absolutely loved this dessert with its iced layer on top and delicious sauce sandwiching a creamy layer — fabulous textures and flavours
Carrot and sea buck thorn: I love the way Noma’s desserts are not sweet and made with ingredients you associate with savoury dishes. This said, this was my other least favourite dish despite it being gorgeous to look at. And when I say least favourite, it doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. Just that I loved it a little less than the other dishes!
We then went into the kitchens where there were three or four chefs concentrating on just scraping chicken skins clean!
And now, I simply have to go back for this dish which is still being developed!
