The concept

In contrast to molecular cuisine of El Bulli which had squatted the enviable world leader in recent years with the flat all-techniques and ultra-chemical, Noma cuisine based on two principles perfectly reasonable: eat local, eating in season. This is the manifesto of the new Nordic cuisine. If you have the opportunity to stroll in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, do not miss this trend. Momentum in lichen, strawberries, green vegetables ever seen … It is a thousand miles from any uniformity as possible.
The place

On the banks of Copenhagen, opposite the New Port, Noma desert occupies a dock just disturbed by the ripples and the passage of boats. Outward simplicity, inside without snobbery light wood and ceramics: it is far from the claim of the French star restaurants that you leave the water in silk from the Orient. Not coldly minimalist chairs are covered with sheepskins, the clientele is relaxed, we do not eat in a sanctuary. Phew.
The service

Again, large walk-over against the competition. Noma servers are also the cooks, they have no regular table, it can be served by fifteen different people who know your name still all within three minutes. And here, no question of playing the slaves: the staff joke, make fun of you if you have a piece of lettuce between your teeth, takes you by the hand to the toilet if you are in heels … while ensuring that your chair is properly placed and that you have always to drink. No servility, no suit and tie, but no vulgarity or star system of the server so Parisian to me, that balance is a huge highlight of Noma. Because even if you come to be served the best food in the world, you feel surrounded by so friendly and not artificial. In addition, the staff is unbeatable on the origin of food. It’s just they do not give you the chest of the dairy.
The food

This is done:) Of course, it was excellent, but mostly faithful to the great manifesto of the new Nordic cuisine. Sample fresh local produce: a full to swallow live shrimp (raw) while still moving the legs and antennae. So that’s the scenery! Or sea urchin ice pellets, cucumber and dill, cabbage-stalk stalks smoked in pine branches, leeks fried in butter, tartare of a knife covered with young shoots to eat with your fingers, foam carrot and sea buckthorn … etc, etc, etc.. There is much to be taped to each dish! Especially as dishes, there are many. So much. The agreements are simple, not more than three or four ingredients per service, but the compositions are so well balanced that “feels” every detail. Crunch to mellow, each ingredient has been met. And no big pretentious blabla written in gold letters on a board made up of human skin. Among the “jokes” of the house, there is also a mold that must also eat the shell (made with malt flour), a pot of flowers which are picked radishes and carrots (the earth is actually a cover subtly salty) … we must also eat the flowers on the table!
The amount

If like me you go for the full, you are going to travel five hours, eight appetizers, twelve services (eight entries, one flat, three desserts), and three more little surprises with sweet coffee (with a caramel marrow will remain on my thighs for the rest of my life). A menu of wine “perfect match” is proposed to support the festival: I finished with eight glasses on the table (ten, with champagne and water). We’ll automatically tightens when you arrive at the end of your drink, therefore I write this article with a headache pretty brutal. Obviously, since by twelve dishes, the portions are reasonable. There was no hunger in coming but will not restart it over on a stretcher.

Wine

Franchouillard huge surprise for the service: the wines at Noma never passed the door of a French restaurant. Not that they are bad, however I was pleasantly surprised, but the sommelier takes obvious pleasure in finding nice small bottles instead of Mouton-Labourriche 83. Result: almost only vintage 2010, with half coming from organic disorders with textures and tastes unusual, and zero status symbol. No AOC, rather (!!!) table wines or wines from France, produced by young farmers rather than houses known. I’m sure some bottles cost less than five euros. Yet, given to food, these choices took full extent. But we must leave her snobbery at the door!
The conclusion

When I decided to ruin my finances in September on a single evening, it was mostly for me to confront a myth. If you live in Denmark so you have to go to Noma, as well as Paris you must go to Notre Dame. I wanted to know what was the horizon of contemporary cuisine. For my general knowledge. So far, though I like restaus good, I had no idea what the large kitchen. Or to judge 1 to 10, it’s better to know exactly what the 10 (for one, let me three minutes near a fridge). Mission accomplished! Once installed in front of his plate, adding stratospheric becomes secondary. You pay for experience, for a certain idea of ​​perfection. The only real problem is to return to the real world. Clearly poorer, but clearly without regret.