noma Copenhagen

Noma 2.0, in a new location, where the staff kitchen is now bigger than the entire kitchen in the old place, tries to reinvent itself.
Often these innovations completely flop as there is too much pressure and strain and too little easy creativity.
Not so here! I have been a fan of Noma but had somewhat mixed meals there, very good ones but also meals with dishes not really connecting with me.
However this seafood themed tasting menu played with various levels of acidity paired with different textures and flavours. I was afraid that I get a bored as there is limited possibility of taste progression if you stick to just seafood, but the Noma Team managed to keep me and my palate alert and interested. The "main course" a BBQed head of cod was of great taste and very playful. There was only one dish which caused some conversation on our table, the horse mussel ragout. The tomato based sauce was so strong in flavour that the clam was reduced to texture. This might have been by design but nevertheless caused some discussion.
We were scheduled for the first ever serving of Noma 2.0 on Thursday for lunch, but a mishap with one of the equipment forced the Noma team to move Thursday's meals to Saturday and Sunday evening. Despite this, the execution of all dishes very flawless and throughout the menu consistent.
The ambience and atmosphere they create is genial, starting with the staff greetings to the lounge where you have your dessert and coffee. The main dining room is, as one expects, dominated by light wood. The tables are well spaced and the seats very comfortable so you like to sit through the menu.
In the past there was often a discussion of why the Guide Michelin did not award Noma a third star. Based on the publicised criteria I completely concurred, it was for me and most likely for them the lack of consistency.
It is early days now, but if the vegetable and game season turns out to be as good as the seafood season, I predict that they are a shoo-in for the third star in 2019 and also for a return to the top of the WB50 List.
Congratulations to the team, very, very well done.

1 year after René Redzepi closed Noma at Strandgade 108, we were glad to be in the new Noma 2.0 for the second day of the reopening. I rarely felt that much excitement and energy in a restaurant from the staff and all the lucky guests. The new restaurant is much bigger than the previous one with different sections for the kitchen, lab, vegetables and herbs, oven, etc...
The menu is about seafood and ALL the menu from the very beginning to the end is related to seafood done in a new way, the Noma way! Everything is designed to turn your meal into an a special experience and not only a simple lunch or dinner. My favorite dish of the day was the head of the cod barbecued. It was only the second day after the opening and René told me he was already exited about the vegetable menu that will be available from early summer and that will be amazing.

René Redzepi and his team managed to create something as crazy as in Tulum, but in a very different way.
Enjoy the ocean in 21 acts!

Mind blowing dinner, extremely creative in their beautiful new location

It was really fantastic to return to Noma 2.0, almost exactly the same menu, but a totally different experience to eat it the second time: no stress, no fear of missing out the details, but a great opportunity to enjoy the food totally relaxed.
Like watching a great movie for the second time.

Another level under the sea and notice some many new beautiful details on second visit

The second big lunch on my recent foodie trip to Copenhagen, where I had 14 of my readers with me, was at Noma 2.0. My third visit in the seafood season, which I'll be the first to admit is a bit silly, but which truly was the best one yet. For the rest of my guests, it was their first time to visit the Refshaleøen version of Noma, although a few of them had visited Noma 1.0 on Strandgade 93. Just to observe their happy faces as they were about to enter, and when they got the fabulous Noma welcome, made it worth for me to take part.

Scene 2 of the relaunch of Noma, the vegetable season. In one word: IMPRESSIVE!

It is incredible hard to keep a dinners attention throughout a multi-course menu when you can play with seafood, fish and meats. When all you have is vegetables, this task becomes exponentially harder. I have visited every single Guide Michelin rated vegetarian restaurant on earth but there is only one (Fu He Hui in Shanghai) which managed to keep my interest. Until now.

The vegetarian menu at Noma in 2018 is phenomenally creative, pleases with extraordinary combination of flavours and textures, all of this presented very, very beautifully.

Three dishes were for me just off the charts and clearly next level.
berries and fava beans - a harmony of sweet and sour, soft and crunchy textures and the exact amount of acidity that the flavours lingers in your mouth like a Chateau Mouton 1982.
caramelized milk and cheese - this unassuming title hides the layer of summer truffle which covers the entirety of the base layer. This creates an unbelievable sensation when you eat it.
shawarma of celeriac and truffle - thin layers of celeriac alternated with truffle create a meaty texture releasing lots of umami. You wish you could ask for seconds.

All in one wonders how one can come up with so much creativity and take so much risk. As the current food thought leader Réne and his team succeeded beyond everyones wildest hope and delivered a phenomenal second stage of the their Tour 2018.

Kudos!!

Noma Plant Kingdom, the second time - check my video for all the dishes' names and more info:
https://www.facebook.com/jokuti/videos/vb.100000818769352/2332421320128471/?type=3

Noma plant Kingdom, the first day!
Check my video for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/jokuti/videos/vb.100000818769352/2332421320128471/?type=3

The level of creativity and ambience during Vegetable Season is unique here and after a slowish start the level and flavors became mindblowing. As a little minus the wine parring was more average than during Sea Season

all the dishes on video here: https://www.facebook.com/jokuti/videos/2484804398223495

Another level of creativity and potentially the best season so far, only minus the wine parring

The closing party of Noma (1) ended up in a dinner party at the new restaurant, that was still before all the constructions works began, so it was practically a construction on the edge of the infamous Freetown Christiania, used by homeless and vagabonds.
The neal itself was a collaboration dinner offered by Noma and friends of Noma, like Baest, Hija de Sanchez, Fyskebar, Gasoline grill, etc.
A wonderful night, and almost one year later the new Noma 2.0 will finally open!
Further read:

What does Noma mean to you?
http://jokuti.blog.hu/2017/02/27/what_does_noma_mean_to_you

The top restaurant where an immigrant dishwasher can become partner:
http://jokuti.blog.hu/2017/02/28/the_dishwasher_noma_ali_partner_rene_redzepi_worlds_best_restaurant

To this day my wife Amy insists that this was the best meal of her life.
And she is right, it was just perfect. Experimental but not not one course flawed. A wonderful combination of flavours and tastes.
Nordic cuisine at its best.