The Nordic kitchen on the worldmap

The Nordic kitchen on the world map

The idea behind the Nordic kitchen was from the beginning to get Denmark and the other northern countries on the gastronomic world map. Things that are on the gastronomic world map are the most interesting food/dishes and restaurants around the world. 

It was all started by the Danish cook and baker Claus Meyer, who had been a famous tv cook in Denmark for 

some years from 1991-99 with ‘’Meyers kitchen’’ and again from 2007 with ‘’Food in the north – taste of Denmark’’.   

Claus Meyer has a very long list of experiences from the professional kitchen. He has written a lot of books about special ingredients, cooking and so on. Furthermore he has received a lot of prizes for his commitment. To mention some of them there is for example: the vegetable prize, the fruit grower of the year - for the establishment of Fruit from Lilleø, winner of the canteen prize for the year 2010 etc. He is specialized in several different kinds of cooking but his main project in these days, is the Nordic Kitchen which was attended to be something totally new. Something that the world haven´t seen so far. 

This is where the history of NOMA begins. In November 2003 a partnership between two men (Claus Meyer and René Redzepi) became a well-known restaurant all over the world, when they together created new Nordic food in the kitchen of NOMA.

On behalf of Claus Meyer NOMA was created, so that the world could see all the delicious ingredients that we have in the north. And people could try a new type of cooking, with different and also some atypical ingredients that they were not used to eat. One of the visions that Claus Meyer had, was to keep and/or cultivate our food articles and also to change or improve the way we produce them.

In the year of 2010 NOMA got the prize as the world’s best restaurant – this was not the main purpose for the partners but suddenly all the hard work seemed like it was all worth it. 

Restaurant GERANIUM and their head-chef Rasmus Kofoed

Restaurant GERANIUM

Geraniums mission is to create a light and dynamic kitchen where they involve all senses and enriches the individual person with finer cuisine. Geranium is a two starred Michelin restaurant located on the 8th floor of the Danish national stadium, Parken, in Copenhagen, with a view over the  tree- and rooftops of the city. 

The restaurant has an open kitchen where you can follow the preparation of your food from your seat in the restaurant and enjoy the pleasure of an expensive glas of wine while you wait. The location reflects their vision of gastronomic diversity and their desire to explore the differences between the urban and natural environment. In the last couple of years Geranium has won different awards for their finer couisine and their ability to run an international exclusive restaurant. 
Geranium is an expensive restaurant but it is worth it. You will surely be surprised during a dinner at Geranium. They intend to give you a sensory experience from the moment you enter the room with surprising elements and new flavours. When you arrive you receive an envelope with some of the ingredients you will meet later on in the experience, but they are only hints to enhance your appetite. 

The head-chef of Geranium Rasmus Kofoed started his career as an apprentice in hotel d'Angleterre, one of the finest hotels in Denmark and in Copenhagen. He has worked at the two starred restaurant Scholteshof in Belgium and many other restaurants in Copenhagen until he opened Geranium in Kongens have in 2007 together with Søren Ledet, but despite of a Michelin star the restaurant had to close in 2009. But in 2010 they re-opened Geranium in Parken in Copenhagen and they have already achieved two Michelin stars in just two years. Rasmus Kofoed has participated in VM for chefs several times and won both silver and bronze medals. In 2010 he won a gold medal in EM and in 2011 he won a gold medal in the prestigious Bocuse D'or.  
Now his name is known in most parts of the world and he is a role model to new and younger chefs who want to be  just as talented and famous as Rasmus.

Restaurant Noma and the chef René Redzépi

Restaurant Noma

Strandgade 93

1401 Copenhagen  

Denmark

Restaurant Noma has been the best restaurant in the world for three years straight (2010, 2011 and 2012), and in 2013 they got second place. The restaurant can be found in the capitol of Denmark - Copenhagen, and is one out of two restaurants in the whole country with two Michelin stars. The name of the restaurant means "Nordic Food", and they give you the oppertunity to try out delicious recepies from the nordic kitchen.

Their ingredients comes mainly from Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands and Denmark. The restaurant is very popular, so if you want a table on Noma, you have to book a table in advance.

Noma offers you a menu of 20 different plates, and they have a huge winecard with many different kinds from different countries. 

Because of the quality of the food, and the popularity of the restaurant, you would have to pay a little more, than usual - but will be worth the gastronomic experience.

Noma has an internship program, wich gives young cooks the oppertunity to discover the gastronomic world of the nordic kitchen. The interns at Noma, work alongside the kitchen's regular staff, in three months. They get the opportunity to intergrate to the restaurants daily operations - wich also includes havesting at the farms. Furthermore the interns participate in creating new dishes and attend lectures by the Nordic Food Lab (an organization wich investigate deliciousness and the raw ingredients of the northern part of the world). 

René Redzépi

The head chef of Noma is René Redzépi, who is also co-owner. He has a lot of experience from other gourmet restaurants in different places of the world. He is one of the most recognized chefs in scandinavia, mainly because og his talent in the nordic kitchen. He is also ambassador for "Nordisk Ministerråds" program New Nordic Food, wich is a cooperation between the nordic countries to make the nordic food culture and ingredients more visibel.

In 2001, René Redzépi and restaurant Noma was portrayed in a Danish documentary, where the harsh tone in the kitchen caused quite a stir and debate.  

Restaurant Noma in Japan - 2015 

In 2015, Restaurant Noma and the whole staff, is moving to Japan for two months. The idea with this journey is to give the staff an opportunity to learn about the winter ingredients of Japan. The nordic ingredients will not be part of this jurney, but the goal is that this jurney will enrich the Noma restaurant and the future cooking when returning to Denmark. The whole idea started, when René Redzépi was invited to Japan five years ago, where the Japanese food culture took his breath away, and he was eager to learn more - ever since this jurney, he has had a dream about planning this trip, and now his dream will come true, when he and the whole staff is leaving their families and friends, to go to Japan. 

Grøften

Grøften is one of Tivolis oldest and most  traditional Restaurants the open in 1874. With its red-checked tablecloths and fairy lights brings the restaurant a nostalgic allotment atmosphere above and especially memories of childhood Tivoli tours of many.

 

It has always been, and still is, one of the best places in town to spot celebrities. Here comes everything from Christiansborg politicians to duck pond while rock stars who appreciate a sandwiches and a good time casserole. There is room for large and small companies.

 The original restaurant building has been extended with a large outdoor's serving area. The original section of the restaurant is called The Theatre Café. The outdoor's area has been divided into.

The menu keeps the Danish food tradition with scores of old classics, reminiscent of when the cloth was ironed colonial garden, and grandma was in the kitchen. Summer salad, shrimp sandwiches, stew, beef brisket, fried plaice, chicken with cucumber salad and lemon mousse. Grøften is the place where children can get egg and tomato sandwiches or a children's menu.

Cooking club has given them 3 out of 6 stars.

Prices are a bit expensive and you pay for entrance to Tivolie toget inside. But when you're inside, you might as well go for a walk around Tivolie.

Tivoli has a really nice garden with a lot of flowers and candles in the evening you can walk around and look. Before they close the ends with a festive fireworks that can certainly be recommended to watch.

Come from afar. Come on foot. Wherever you come from, there are the best opportunities to extend your Tivoli experience with a lovely overnight stay in one of the many hotels nearby. Want to stay in the heart of the magic, you can stay at the Tivoli own Nimb Hotel.

 

  

About Michelin and the restaurant Kadeau

Denmark has 17 Michelin stars all in all divided on 15 different restaurants - the two restaurants with two stars is Noma and Geranium. 

The people behind the Michelinguide only choose restaurants in the bigger cities in the different, so every restaurant is located in Copenhagen as example Era Ora, Restaurant AOC, Kokkeriet, Kadeau and so on.

The Michelinguide started back in 1900 and was a guide over where people could find fuel tanks and workshops on their way and a little about accommodations and eating places. First in 1930 the Michelinguide started to use stars to rate restaurants with.

Every year there comes a new Michelinguide, so the restaurants have to be updated and ready for the anonymous inspectors coming to taste the food.

They are now talking about making a guide over the Nordic countries where restaurants in the smaller cities also can get Michelinstars which will come in 2015. Many thinks that Denmark thereby will get more stars by restaurants located in Aarhus, Odense and other cities in Jylland and on Fyn.

A little about Kadeau

One of the restaurants in Denmark, who has a Michelinstar, is Kadeau. Kadeau is located both in Copenhagen and on Bornholm, but it is their restaurant in Copenhagen, which got the Michelinstar. Kadeau is owned by Nicolai, who is the chef, Rasmus and Magnus. 

The food made at Kadeau is inspired by Bornholm and they are using a lot of fresh ingredients from Bornholm in their cooking at the restaurant in Copenhagen as well. Kadeau on Bornholm is only open in summertime while the restaurant in Copenhagen is open all year long. One of the cooks at Kadeau won the price as "Cook of the year 2014" in a big contest held at Herning Messecenter.

Kadeau is an expensive restaurant to have dinner at, but the quality is excellent.