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Copenhagen and the noma legacy
6.7.2022
Author: Giuseppe Liverino
Photo: Restaurant MOTA
From comfort food to fine dining, Copenhagen is the city with the largest number of gastro offshoots of famed restaurant noma and Danish chef René Redzepi, who helped launch the pioneering New Nordic Cuisine in the'00s and changed the face of the Nordics' food scene forever.
With noma (short for “nordisk mad” that is Nordic food) a uniquely Nordic food legacy was born. One that is still in full vigour on the Copenhagen gastro scene, and which kickstarted a re-invention of gastronomy to fit local latitudes. It had foodies from across the world go mad about the Copenhagen food scene - as they still do to this day.
Today Copenhagen has become a gastro-destination like never seen before and noma’s worldwide success helped foster a new generation of dedicated and innovative alumni. Alumni who without hesitation have embraced and cultivated the manifesto of the New Nordic cuisine. And alumni who local and seasonal as well as foraging and fermentation, are lifelike watchwords. As a result, the food scene in Copenhagen boasts more eateries, bars, breweries and bakeries than ever before and is thriving in the legacy of noma and its peers.
Daniel Rasmussen
Restaurant Barr
Website / Press photos
Going back in time to discover the future of Nordic gastronomy and beer, Restaurant Barr is an old Irish word for crops, and Old Norse for barley, one of the foundations of beer. Founded by chef Thorsten Schmidt in 2017 and located in the former premises of noma on Christianshavn's waterfront, this venue offers new takes on the region’s cold-country cooking and classic dishes like Danish frikadeller. Local distilleries also give their contributions to the menu e.g. the Barr beer made in collaboration with Amager Bryghus.
Bæst
Bæst
Website / Press photos
At Bæst, which literally means "beast", ambitions of creating an authentic Italian restaurant are set aside to create a unique Italian-style Copenhagen restaurant, where great Italian produce, such as extra virgin olive oil and sun-ripened tomatoes, co-star along with the best local produce sourced from talented organic farmers in Denmark. The venue is founded by Christian Puglisi in 2014, former sous chef at noma, and includes a next-door dairy-producing mozzarella cheese for what is said to be one of the best pizzas in the world.
Kødbyens Fiskebar
Fiskebaren
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Fiskebaren is all about fresh, healthy, and delicious fish and seafood and good wines. The venue has a Bib Gourmand in Guide Michelin Nordic Cities 2019 and comes with traces of the old meat halls, due to its location in Copenhagen’s hip meatpacking district. Eat at the bar, relax in the sofas, or dine at the tables or, weather permitting, eat outside. Anders Selmer, former restaurant manager and sommelier at noma and founder/co-owner of Fiskebaren, has since 2019 created a noteworthy wine list and excellent drinks menu to go.
Michael Gardenia
Hart Bakery
Website / Press photos
Former head baker at Tartine and noma Richard Hart opened in 2018 Hart Bakery in collaboration with noma's co-owner René Redzepi. The bakery has since become one of Copenhagen’s most popular and innovative bakeries and has expanded with locations in Holmen, Refshaleøen, The Meatpacking District, Vesterbro, Østerbro and Nørrebro.
Alexander Barbu
Restaurant Iluka
Website / Press photos
In 2018, Australian chef Beau Clugston opened Restaurant Iluka in downtown Copenhagen. He brings along many years of experience from the international restaurant scene, working with the likes of Gordon Ramsay in London, and René Redzepi at noma, where he also ran noma's test kitchen and planned noma's popup in Australia in 2016. Iluka means “near the sea” and focuses on all the ocean has to offer without too many disturbing details. An almost minimalistic take on seafood allows fish and shellfish to be the absolute stars with beautiful fresh dishes and fish from some of the best suppliers in the world.
Per-Anders Jörgensen
Restaurant JATAK
Website / Press photos
The much-hyped Restaurant JATAK opened in Nørrebro in January 2022, and the restaurant has instantly become a popular dining venue. Especially after noma-founder René Redzepi published a video of its wobbly egg tart and recommended that his one million followers book a table there. JATAK is founded by Canadian-born chef Jonathan Tam. Inspired by his roots, he grew up with Chinese and Vietnamese flavours, and his journey toward Nordic cuisine began in 2007 when Tam started as an intern at Noma and later became chef de partie for three years. Here, he met the chef Christian Puglisi, and after a few years at Noma, he went with Puglisi to work at Restaurant Relæ, where he stayed for over a decade, becoming the head chef until its closure in 2020. At JATAK he combines Asian flavours with Nordic techniques and ingredients, and about six months after opening, the restaurant received its first Michelin star in July 2022.
Jesper Rais
Restaurant Jordnær
Website / Press photos
10km north of Copenhagen you’ll find the newest entry to the World's 50 Best 2022 list and two Michelin-starred Restaurant Jordnær inside the renovated Gentofte Hotel with a history dating back to the 16h century. The name of Restaurant Jordnær means ‘down to earth’ and their focus is on sustainability using local ingredients with an emphasis on fish and shellfish in their tasting menu. The head chef Eric Vildgaard has three years of experience from noma, where his brother Torsten Vildgaard also worked for a decade. In 2017 Eric Vildgaard founded Jordnær with his wife Tina, who oversees the service. 10 months after opening they received their first star, and in 2020 they received their second star, which they still hold to this day.
Daniel Rasmussen / Juju
Juju
Website / Press photos
The noma-trained and former chef at Restaurant 108 Kristian Baumann has, with his eatery Juju in Østerbro, taken a journey back to his birthplace, Korea, and combined it with the flavours from the new Nordic food from the noma kitchen. Juju combines traditional Korean flavours with more modern and local ingredients, which has resulted in a lunch and dinner menu with casual and fun dishes that are easy to share.
Michael Gardenia
Juno the Bakery
Website / Press photos
One of the most hyped bakeries in town, Juno the Bakery is known for its cardamom rolls and crispy sourdough bread sold in one of Østerbro's cosy residential streets. The bakery was created by the Swede Emil Glaser in 2017, a former pastry chef at noma, and his girlfriend Nina Schmie-gelow and is one of the most hyped bakeries in town, with constant long queues outside its premises in Århusgade and locals looking at the hard-working bakers through the window.
Filip Gielda
Kappo Andō
Website / Press photos
In the newly opened Kappo Andō or simply Andō in Østerbro, the previous noma waiter and sake expert Henrik Andō Levinson has teamed up with his wife; chef Akiko Andō Levinson and founder of sushi Anaba, Mads Battefeld, to pursue his love for the Japanese kitchen. The restaurant is inspired by the Japanese kappo kitchen style, combining the informal izakaya bar with the more formal kaiseki temple kitchen based on long ritual menus. With a strong focus on local ingredients and Japanese techniques, the restaurant serves seasonal seafood, vegetable dishes, and unique cuts of poultry and meat offered as an 11-serving or 15-serving set menu accompanied by a selection of natural wines, sake, and hot sake. It is possible to enjoy their food at regular tables or at their counter bar, where you overlook the kitchen preparing the food for you.
Neve Qaraday
Restaurant Koan
Website / Press photos
By the Copenhagen waterfront at Langeliniekaj, you will find the two Michelin-starred Korean-inspired Restaurant Koan. The restaurant was created by Kristian Baumann, who is trained at Noma and additionally owns the Korean eatery Juju at Østerbro. Koan reflects traditional Korean cooking techniques and flavours and combines them with ingredients of the Nordic season. For the expression of the tasting menu, Kristian Bauman has explored his South Korean roots and the different cuisines to be found there. It is food that has inspired Kristian on his journey, like the afternoon snack Kkwabaegi, a Korean type of bread. The team behind Koan has spent almost three years refining their expression, authenticity, traditional techniques, and dining concepts. For the wine, Kristian Bauman has collaborated with sommelier Lasse Peder Nielsen, who has put together two different wine menus, one non-alcoholic pairing and a pairing built around Korean Sool, which is a common term for Korean alcohol. To make the restaurant visit a holistic journey, the menu is served in art pieces created by a Korean potter, who have collected pottery fragments from China’s Qing Dynasty and mixed it with new porcelain.
Restaurant MOTA
Restaurant Mota
Website / Press photos
In November 2021, the former sous chef at Noma, Claus Henriksen, opened the doors to Restaurant MOTA in Anneberg Cultural Park. In July 2022, less than eight months after opening, the restaurant received its first Michelin star. Restaurant MOTA has been defined as one of the best-kept secrets in Denmark by local food critics, and in October 2022, one of the most important guides within the Danish food scene, Den Danske Spiseguide, awarded Restaurant MOTA "Restaurant of the Year" 2022. MOTA is located in the heart of Odsherred, a UNESCO-protected landscape only 1-hour away from Copenhagen. Here, Henriksen has continued his well-known style and focus on Nordic cuisine and locally sourced produce, which he became known for at Dragsholm Castle, where he was head chef for 13 years, also securing the restaurant a Michelin star. On the current menu at MOTA is local seaweed and vegetables, fish, and Danish wine by local producers such as Ørnberg Vin.
Michael Gardenia
POPL
Website / Press photos
Get the popular noma burger at POPL on Christianshavn by René Redzepi, chef, founder and co-owner of noma. A few of the people running POPL are also trained noma veterans, like Stuart Stalker, formerly the youngest sous chef at noma, who runs the kitchen as head chef and continues to serve the much-loved noma burgers over the counter at POPL. What started as a pop-up burger restaurant and bar in the summer of 2020 has seemingly come to stay! POPL has also recently opened its own bottle shop next door, serving natural wines from small producers like noma.
Marc Skafte-Vaabengaard
Propaganda
Website / Press photos
At Propaganda, you will find a South Korean-influenced kitchen run by the former intern at noma Youra Kim. The food is inspired by Youra Kim’s childhood in South Korea, where she tried a lot of different South Korean. Propaganda tries to deviate from the traditional and instead has a non-dramatic approach focusing on Korean-inspired fun food in collaboration with local Danish farmers. The restaurant embraces the casual late dinner and opening hours. Here it is possible to come after dinner for snacks and drinks, or it can be a place to eat before exploring Copenhagen nightlife. Being run in collaboration with Riccardo Macron, the man behind Barabba and former sommelier at Restaurant 108, the restaurant also houses a natural wine shop, which has one of the most unique selections in Copenhagen in all price ranges.
Anders Schønnemann
Restaurant Radio
Website / Press photos
Restaurant Radio, situated in 2011 next to the beautiful old broadcasting house and the city lakes, serves organic and Nordic food created by among others Jesper Kirketerp, a former sous chef of noma, and one of the founding fathers of the New Nordic Cuisine, Claus Meyer. The venue sources its vegetables just outside Copenhagen from organically cultivated fields offering over 80 different crops, its fruit from the island of Lilleø, some meat from hunters on nearby Lolland, and fish caught by local fishermen. For a fine taste of Nordic cuisine, Radio is, therefore, a restaurant beyond the usual.
Bæst
RUDO
Website / Press photos
From aperitif to after dinner, RUDO is a vermouth bar with an intimate and relaxed atmosphere located right above Bæst, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Like Bæst, RUDO is founded by former sous chef at noma Christian Puglisi in 2017, and besides vermouth, it serves cocktails, offers a very in-depth wine list, and snacks from charcuterie to truffle toast, accompanied by great tunes in the city’s hip Nørrebro hood.
Bibiána Valterová
Restaurant Sanchez
Website / Press photos
Located on Istedgade in the neighbourhood of Vesterbro, Restaurant Sanchez’s menu is constantly changing. Cocktails, Mexican craft beers, non-alcoholic aguas frescas, and natural wines are created by the chef behind it all, former desert chef at Noma, Rosio Sanchez. If you’re looking for more casual options Rosio Sanchez has since also opened the taco shop, Hija de Sanchez, located in both Torvehallerne and The Meatpacking District. In 2017, she followed with Hija de Sanchez Cantina in Nordhavn. At Hija de Sanchez they work with great love and respect for the traditions of the taco. Some of their main ingredients are imported from Mexico, supporting small local farmers, and making it a case of sustainable cooking too. The tacos have also been named the best street food Europe has to offer by the EasyJet Traveller magazine, judged by 73 food experts.
Vojtech Tesarek
Slurp ramen joint
Website
Slurp ramen joint opened in 2017 with the purpose of serving the best ramen in Scandinavia. It was originally started by Philip Inreiter, who came to Copenhagen to be a chef at noma. After some time at noma Philip travelled to Japan, where he found out that he needed to introduce Copenhagen to the warmth of ramen. At Slurp, the ramen is always made with handmade noodles, seasonal vegetables and home-cooked broth. Still, the kitchen constantly experiments with new flavours and toppings, making Japanese ramen in a European and Danish context. The joint is located in Nansensgade and has for a long time created long queues in the streets due to the ramen’s popularity.
Noma Alumni: Where Are They Now?
- Anders Selmer, co-founder and captain of Kødbyens Fiskebar, was previously Noma's restaurant chef and sommelier.
- Beau Clugston, who runs the restaurant Iluka, is a previous sous chef at Noma and has a past in Noma's test kitchen and planned Noma’s successful pop-up in Australia in 2016.
- Christian Puglisi, who runs Bæst, Rudo, and Mirabelle Spisería, was a previous sous chef at Noma.
- Emil Glaser, who started Juno the bakery, was the previous pastry chef at Noma.
- Claus Frederiksen, who started the restaurant Mota, was previously a sous chef at Noma.
- Eric Vildgaard, the head chef at Jordnær, has previously worked in the Noma kitchen for three years.
- Henrik Ando Levinson, the founder of Kappo Ando, was a previous waiter at Noma.
- Jesper Kirketerp, one of the creators of Radio, was a previous sous chef at Noma.
- Jonathan Tam, the founder of Jatak, was a previous intern and later chef de partie at Noma.
- Kristian Bauman, the founder of Koan and Juju, is trained at Noma.
- Mads Rye Magnusson, the man behind Mes and Meille, was a previous chef at Noma.
- Nicola Fanetti, the owner of Brace and Masseria, is a former intern at Noma.
- Philipp Inreiter, the founder of Slurp Ramen joint, was a previous chef at Noma.
- Richard Hart, the founder of Hart Bakery, was a previous baker at Noma.
- Rosio Sanchez, the founder of Hija de Sanchez, has a past as a pastry chef at Noma.
- Toni Toivanen, head chef at Popl, was a former chef de partie at Noma.
- Youra Kim, head chef at Propaganda, was a former intern at Propaganda.
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Photo: Jesper Rais
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