noma, copenhagen.
march 2022
it’s here it’s here! we went to noma! and it was such a journey getting here. as i’ve alluded to already several times, we were supposed to go to copenhagen in spring of 2020. i had managed to snag a reservation at noma for “seafood season” (again, our favorite) and all was right with the world. until it wasn’t.
first, you walk through one of their greenhouses.
so we canceled our resy and waited. in fall of 2021, they announced seafood season for 2022 yet again and so i booked a reservation as soon as it was available. with so much wait an anticipation, i was worried our expectations would be too high, but the entire experience, from the moment we were dropped off at the restaurant at 5pm to when we left after 10pm was impeccable.
path between greenhouse and the restaurant.
restaurant entrance decorated for seafood season.
preview of what we’d be eating.
crab soup.
i’ll mostly let the photos speak for themselves, but everything was absolutely delicious. what we gushed about afterwards was the service. it wasn’t stuffy, formal, high-end service, but beautifully orchestrated, meet-the-customer-where-they-are, warm and welcoming. it was like watching a ballet at times.
stone crab and salted hazelnuts.
blue mussel eye.
scallop steak.
the scallop steak was one of the most memorable dishes of the night. when it arrived at the table, they explained that the scallop was still alive when the previous course arrived at our table. it was so fresh that while the scallop itself was no longer alive, the electric impulses were still active, so it moved and reacted to being prodded. only the slightest bit disconcerting, but tasted heavenly.
shrimp and seaweed salad.
cured lumpfish roe and ramsons.
apple with oyster.
squid cooked with koji spores.
poppy seed shakers for squid.
i was enamored all the thought that went into the presentation of each dish. from the crab shells used as a drinking vessel for the first dish, to poppy seeds shaken straight from their pods, to carved shells as skewers for the sea snail.
sea snail skewer.
view into the open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant.
cod roe waffle.
fjæsing soufflé.
eclair with fish roe.
whole cooked langoustine.
quince amazake and oyster salt.
sugar kelp sandwich.
sweet mushroom pie.
cake to celebrate our anniversary.
whisky; gin & tonic.
even though our reservation was so early, they only did one seating for the entire evening, so we never felt rushed, even with full wine pairings and additional drinks at the end of the night. they even gave us a quick detour through the back of the restaurant as we wrapped things up. i’m so glad we were able to finally make this happen. we’ve had so many amazing meals together, but this was definitely and by far the best yet.
empty dining room.
staff meeting while we were exiting.
storage.
signatures.
Refshalevej 96, 1432 København K, Denmark
