Dining at the WORLD’S NO. 1 RESTAURANT Before It Closes – NOMA

Today, we are back in Copenhagen for the restaurant that turned Denmark into a gastro-nation.
Arguably the best restaurant in the world will close for good at the end of 2024.
It’s name is Noma.
Three years in a row, from 2010 to 2012, Noma was named NO.1 restaurant in the world.
They would go on to claim the number one spot a total of 5 times.

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My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission – to find inspiration in gastronomy. I love fine dining, good wine and sharing what I know with other people.

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We are back in Copenhagen for the restaurant  that turned Denmark into a gastro-nation. It’s name is Noma. Arguably the best restaurant in the world  will close for good at the end of 2024. Opened in 2003, it got a lot  of attention in a weird way. From a document. I know, weird. Right?

It was called the Manifesto  of the New Nordic Kitchen. Written by food activist  and entrepreneur Claus Mayer with a handful of Scandavian chefs, it  redefined the rules for Nordic cooking. Basically it says… New Nordic cuisine must keep traditional  methods and use ingredients that are in season.

On the other hand, it needs  to innovate, be passionate and create new ways to use  traditional Nordic foods. After it was presented at the Nordic  Kitchen Symposium, people freaked out, and the concept caught on like wild fire. It would change not only  Denmark, but the whole region,

Inspiring dozens of chefs and pushing  Scandavia into the world’s culinary spotlight. And standing center stage was Rene Redzepi. Head chef of Noma. When he was 15, Rene dropped out of high school and signed up for cooking school. After, he trained as an apprentice at a local  Michelin-starred restaurant called Pierre Andre.

From there, he spent time cooking in France and then in Spain where he worked at El Bulli. He returned to Copenhagen and  took a position at Kong Hans but took a break to spend a season at The French Laundry alongside Thomas  Keller in the Napa Valley.

In 2002, the 24 year old chef was approached by Claus Meyer who offered him  the opportunity of a lifetime. Head chef of the brand new Noma. The name Noma comes from  a mix of two Danish words. Nordisk, which means Nordic, and mad which means food. They opened in 2003.

In fact, the first few  years were an uphill battle. Turns out, Danish people were not  so adventurous with their food. They were used to traditional  dishes like roast pork and potatoes. And left the local food landscape unexplored. For example, out of 55  edible berries in the region, people ate only 7.

Redzepi knew that changing what  people eat would not happen overnight. But many wondered if it was possible at all. After simmering for a few years,  things finally started to heat up. By 2006, it reached a rolling boil. Sustainability, simplicity and  freshness became the order of the day.

Three years in a row, from 2010 to 2012, Noma was named best restaurant in the world. They would go on to claim the  number one spot a total of 5 times. Something that’s been done only  once before – by El Bulli in Spain.

Despite all their success, the Michelin guide  held Noma to 2 stars for more than a decade. Finally in 2021, they gave Noma the third. So now that you know how special this place is, I have some bad news. This year is your last chance to try Noma.

At the end of 2024, Noma will  close it’s doors for good. It’s not the first time Chef  Redzepi has made such a bold move. In 2012, Noma closed to open a pop-up in London. In 2015, they did the same, this time in Japan. In 2016, it was Australia. In 2017, Mexico.

In 2016, they took a year off. and in 2018, reopened in the  current building as Noma 2.0. Then during Covid, they closed  completely and became a burger bar. So no doubt, Chef Redzepi has  something else up his sleeve. What could it be? We arrive at Noma’s garden village.

We didn’t see any signs, just a collection of  small buildings, greenhouses and raised beds. We arrive at the main building  covered in deer antlers – a sign of what’s to come. Stepping in, we are met with this. Hello from everybody. What a reception! Heartwarming from the start. Love it.

The staff are energetic and excited to talk. That’s when I learn we are in  for something really special. It’s something I rarely get to  experience when dining abroad. A server that can speak my mother tongue! This is Szabolcs, and he speaks Hungarian.

And because of him, I know this  is going to be a special night. Welcoming us to the table is this  guinea fowl in a thick salt crust. We are also presented with an  outrageous amount of mushrooms that are going to make their  way back to the table later.

As you can see, everything is out in the open, almost begging you to ask about it. Gone are the traditional white tablecloths. In it’s place is warm Scandanavian design  using all natural materials, mostly wood. The staff uniforms are more function  than fashion, but by no means sloppy.

It helps to set the atmosphere  to informal and relaxed. Noma is open just 4 days a week from Tuesday  to Friday, and is open for lunch and dinner. There are 40 seats, but four of  them are reserved for students to try the gourmet experience at a lower cost.

If you are by yourself, you are still welcome. You can reserve a seat at the shared table and make new friends while you  experience a food paradise. The menu is divided into three themes,  showcasing food seasons and its best ingredients. From January to June, it’s Ocean season. July to September is Vegetable season.

October to December is Game and Forest season. That’s what we are trying today. The menu will set you back 535 euros, but you are also expected  to choose a drink pairing. The wine package goes for 280 euros while the juice pairing is 215. For me the choice is easy.

First to hit the palette is a  sparkling wine from Triple A. Suddenly, the menu begins. Here, they have done away with the little  bites and amuse bouches, and dive straight in. First is guineafowl – juicy and tender breast with a dipping sauce of hazelnut  milk, rendered fat and koji.

On the side is caramelized  skin roasted over charcoal, and guineafowl egg with nettles. It looks and smells good, but for taste and texture I was  hoping for some acid and some crunch. Next at the table, one large pear. It’s straight off the tree. Just how I like it. Almost. Watch this.

This is pear salad with sea buckthorn. It was really good, and really fresh. and I also really love the presentation. Up next, it’s something totally unique. What do you think it is? In a million years, you would never guess. You’ve heard of the probiotic  drink called kombucha.

This is what they use for fermentation. It’s called scoby, and it stands for  Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. I know how it sounds, but it was brilliant. It’s cultivated with crowberry tea, brushed  with larch oil and drizzled with bergamot. It’s presented beautifully  on a solid chunk of clear ice

And it’s juicy and chewy, in a good way. On the side is a fabulous stuffed hip berry. With this dish, the kitchen is  really flexing their science muscles. Proving that Noma is as much research  institute as it is restaurant. Partnered with this dish is  also something unconventional.

A 2019 Cotillon des Dames from Jean Yves Peron. This one is a real sniffer. It smells amazing. This is a skin-contact wine,  also called orange wine. To make it they use the skins, the  seeds and sometimes even the stems.

What comes out is a complex, deep and mineral  wine lower in alcohol but higher in antioxidants. So it’s even healthier than regular wine. Next, pumpkin pie. It’s interesting how they follow up an  adventurous dish with something common. It’s good, and the presentation is great. but in terms of creativity and taste,

It’s a little step back,  compare to the previous dish. Next, a bowl of walnuts. Sounds pretty basic, and it is. But it’s also amazing. Each fall, Noma’s beekeeper brings  fresh walnuts from his tree, and each year they find a way to  incorporate them into the menu.

Part of the daily prep work at  Noma includes cracking the shells and carefully peeling the skin away to  reveal the tender meat of the walnut. It’s paired with a balanced and  full-bodied Japanese sake served warm. Up next, this. Cherry leaf sandwich. But it’s more like an ice cream sandwich.

It’s crisp cherry leaves with  foamy goat cheese ice cream. They make things really interesting by  adding white truffle from Piedmonte. Hey that’s not Danish! That’s cheating! Technically, yes, but I was happy they did. It set up a wonderful balance  of flavor and texture. Umami, salty, sweet, creamy, light, and crunchy.

One of the best of the meal so far. Speaking of things I like, the  interior here is super inviting. And the atmosphere created by  the staff is something special. And it’s clear they are not trying to  impress, they are just doing their thing. Nothing fancy or high-end.

That said, I love a nice glass and wish I had one. The rest, is brilliant. Our next wine is from French producer who is a former musician turned  winemaker producing unfiltered wine. This one is an acidic Chenin  that is absolutely vibrant. It’s paired with wild boar  belly, apple, and lingonberry.

Just look at that fat. You know what that means. Fat means flavor! And this dish has lots of it. Nice classic combo with pork and apple. This is an outstanding one. Chef Rene Redzepi drops by. He has come to show us something. At first, I think it’s pork belly.

But turns out, it’s scoby. Remember that dish we had earlier? This is where it started from. I’m not sure I needed to see or smell that, but when a superchef casually drops by your table just to show you something in  a huge jar, it’s pretty cool. Next, we have gelatin made with mushroom.

On top is a ring of fresh sunflower  seeds and in the middle, whipped cream. Interesting and pleasant texture  with a heavy umami flavor. Coming up, we have a clever dish that will  make you curious or turn your stomach. It’s an omelette, made with reindeer brains.

It starts with a thin egg pancake  and pheasant garum with kelp salt, then folded around a filling. That filling has a healthy  amount of reindeer brains. Sounds weird, but actually it has a  soft, creamy texture like custard, it’s delightfully acidic with exciting flavors. It’s served in a foamy,  buttery pheasant garum sauce.

Genius! I loved every bite. Our next wine is a 2017 pinot noir. It’s the top rated year for this wine and  features dark fruit and light tannins. To go with it is a wild mushroom ragou. It’s sauteed mushrooms and herb salad with crispy pieces of chestnut  served in a beeswax bowl. Very nice.

Our next course is another one gets  people talking or leaves them speechless. Reindeer tongue. It’s pan-fried in butter  and thyme until medium rare and served on a sharpend reindeer antler. It’s served with a special herbed  butter sauce made with oxidized wine, a Noma Projects vinegar and pine salt.

The tongue was chewy but tender  and full of meaty flavor. Exceptional. Our next wine is something really different. It’s called Gabriel’s wine and it’s  made in the country of Georgia. It’s made from saperavi grape. And this wine is completely handmade, using a centuries old method of  aging in clay pots under the ground.

Out next is our main course. Grilled fallow deer and autumn  pickles in a horseradish sauce. With it is city loaf sourdough  bread from the Hart Bageri, one of Chef Redzepi’s side projects. The deer was spot on and  this bread is something else! Next is dessert. Starting with pine resin jelly.

This is one of the creations  from the test kitchen. Starting with pine resin, first they soak it  and then cook it for hours with wine and sugar, and then form it into little lumps. After they soak it again, it balloons to  ten times the size and becomes this jelly.

It has a unique texture, and  a slightly pine cone flavor. Our next dessert is an ice cream spaghetti made from fresh hazelnuts and hazelnut  oil, candied chanterelles and berries. This was really good. Finally we have three final sweets. Woodruff and pine caramel Candied pinecone (cooked in sugar)

And finally a chocolate sauce with a sumac flower. The flower is used as a  sponge to eat the chocolate and gives it an acidic kick. This was my favorite. After our meal, our generous waiter  Szabolcs gives us the grand tour. We see everything, no door goes unopened.

When all is said and done,  we make our way to the door. They say goodbye like they said hello, with all hands on deck. And present us a parting gift  from Noma Project on the way out. Our total for today is just  under 2000 for two people. What a great experience.

Sadly, it cannot be had for much longer. The clock is ticking. Next year, Noma will be ‘nomo.’ We found out its fate in January 2024. From 2025, Noma will no  longer serve as a restaurant. It will be used as a test kitchen and  they will sell the products online.

Although Chef Redzepi didn’t spill the beans, I have no doubt that he will surprise us somehow, and Noma will continue in some shape or form. What can I say about this experience? I’ve been here before, but  this time was a game changer. To be served in Hungarian,  this was a first for me.

I actually got to experience a  3-michelin star in my mother tongue. It was kinda magical. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about  was the all-natural wine pairing. It was a really good selection  made by the sommelier, but natural wines just aren’t my thing.

When I look at Noma as a restaurant,  I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite. When I see it as a movement that made  a lasting impact on a lot of people, it has no equal. And not just in Denmark, but on  the world of gastronomy and beyond.

It inspires and shows the way  and this will continue on. Although the restaurant as  we know it will say goodbye, their way of thinking is not going anywhere. and that does it for this episode. Thank you for joining me! If you like this video, hit subscribe! See you soon!