1. food and drink
2. gastronomy

Bent Christensen
T H E S U B L I M E 25
selected from the world’s 50 best restaurants
De sublime 25 - udvalgt fra ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’
INTRODUCTION
The book includes descriptions, photos, menus
The San Pellegrino list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, published annually since 2003 by the
and illustrations from visits to no fewer than 25
British Restaurant Magazine, represents a number of different styles and expressions that make up
of the world’s best restaurants acc. World 50
“The world’s best restaurants”. By definition these wideranging restaurants therefore potentially
Best Restaurants rankings 2014.
represent categories that differ completely from the three‑star establishments named by the red
Michelin Guide, the competitor to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
The World’s 50 Best list is today the modern
We are speaking two completely different worlds here.
guide of today’s most “hot” restaurants whether
they are classical in its form or shelves the more
As a jury member of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for five years I have had the privilege of
avant-garde. Some offers an indulgence that
contributing – albeit modestly – to the annual list. It is with great curiosity and enthusiasm I have
besides flavor also create visual experiences of
noticed the elasticity of format and criteria that make the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants
the æstestiske, the artistic, the overwhelming
more vibrant and more representative of the trends of our time than other notable restaurant guides.
cross-border...
My fascination with this field is part of the driving force behind this book.
Bent Christensen
NUMBER OF PAGES: 256
FORMAT: 24X34 CM
The text of the book is both Danish and English
ISBN 978-87-995621-3-8
EXTRACT #1
NOMA
STRANDGADE 93
1401 COPENHAGEN K
DENMARK
www.noma.dk
MERE END ET MÅLTID
MORE THAN JUST A MEAL
De fleste, der interesserer sig blot lidt for mad og restauranter,
Most people with only a scant knowledge of gourmet food and
er ikke i tvivl om, at Noma hører til i avantgarden, men mange
restaurants are in no doubt that Noma is one of the restaurants
er ikke på forhånd helt klar på, at også det, der sker udenfor
at the pinnacle of culinary endeavour but many do not realise
køkkenregionen, er i excellent topklasse. Betjeningen, servi-
that what is going on outside the kitchen is also absolutely top
ceringen af gæsterne sker i et helt særlig uformelt men dog
notch. The way guests are served is very informal, yet also very
professionelt og ganske usædvanligt tempo, der bedst kan
professional and at an unusually fast pace. A comparison that
sammenlignes med Barcelonas form for at spille fodbold.
comes to mind is watching FC Barcelona’s style of football.
Præcise pasninger, ingen afleveringsfejl.
Precise footwork, never a muffed pass.
Den aften, vi var forbi, var der 75 kokke, souschefer, volon-
On the evening we were there, there were 75 chefs, sous chefs,
tører, restaurantchef, sommelierer vores agerende, mange
volunteers, the executive chef, sommeliers, our personal
på gulvet og endnu flere på første sal, hvor U2 slappede af
attendant waiter, many other waiters at our floor level and
i VIP-rummet, ved siden af testkøkkenet.
many more on the floor above where U2 were relaxing in
the VIP room next to the test kitchen.
FORSKNING I LABORATORIET PÅ FØRSTESALEN
Testkøkkenet er dedikeret gastronomisk forskning. Forsk-
RESEARCH LABORATORY UPSTAIRS
ningen foregår netop nærmest i døgndrift. De forskellige
The test kitchen is dedicated to culinary research. And it is
aktører, mange fra fjerne kontinenter, er så at sige ikke til
ongoing, almost 24/7. The people working there, many of them
at drive herfra. De har desuden kolleger, der arbejder simul-
from distant continents, do not seem to want to rest. And they
tant i Nomas andet madlaboratorium placeret ombord i
have other colleagues simultaneously working in Noma’s
en nærliggende båd.
other test laboratory a short distance away: a boat in the harbour.
Begge steder afprøves ideer, provokationer og tendenser, og
New ideas, provocations and trends are tested in both places
i mange udførelser, hvor kun et minimum af dem i virkelig-
and in many different versions. Only a few of them actually
heden når frem til at komme på menuen.
make it on to the menu.
At foretage en sammenligning med Nomas mad og andre
Comparing Noma’s dishes with those of other elite restau-
eliterestauranters er en yderst kompliceret opgave. Det er
rants is like comparing apples with pears. The dishes are so
så innovativt at selv ordet innovativt ikke dækker.
innovative that the word ‘innovative’ is not enough.
Det er også æstestisk på en helt særegen måde, som måske
They are also so aesthetic in a particular way − this is perhaps
i virkeligheden er det, der kommer til at være det nordiske
what will characterise Nordic cuisine in the future. Added to
køkkens fremtidige særkende. Dertil kommer, at Nomas
this is the fact that execution of Noma’s cuisine is as perfec-
køkken er det mest perfektionistiske i udførelser, som kan
tionist as you can find anywhere at the moment. It is on a par
opleves i disse år. Sammenligneligt med tidligere erindringer
with my memories from the time of el Bulli or the excellence I
fra el Bullis periode eller dem som jeg glæder mig over ved
experience every time it is my joy to visit the Mugaritz, the Can
hvert besøg på Mugaritz, Can Roca og The Fat Duck. For ikke
Roca, and The Fat Duck. Not of course to mention Per Se and
at glemme Per Se og The French Laundry, der absolut også
The French Laundry, which never fail to move me.
bevæger mig.
But the aesthetics and perfectionism of the Noma restau-
Nomas æstetik og perfektionisme er imidlertid i et specielt
rant are in a firmament of their own – only one colleague runs
univers, hvor de alene har en kollega at forholde sig til - og ja,
parallel to the Noma – and yes, I’m speaking of the Geranium
det er Geranium og Rasmus Kofoed, jeg mener.
and Rasmus Kofoed.
160
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
RANKING 2014: 1
‘‘
Visiting Noma is so much more than merely being served a good meal. It’s a place where one’s senses are bombarded again
and again in incredibly fast progression. Sight vies with taste. Your hearing − and your attention – are constantly and intensely
busy trying to make sense of the Babylonian linguistics around you, while enjoying the most pleasurable olfactory sensations.
Chef René is everywhere, greeting guests – formally, with a hug or a peck on the cheek depending on degree of familiarity.
‘‘
NOMA
161
Everybody else in the team glides quickly – alone or coordinated in groups at the appropriate moment – between guests,
tables and colleagues. They move at a pace, like the ants we will be enjoying later once did in their natural surroundings.
EXTRACT #2
DEKORATION MED SUGERØR
DRINKING THE TABLE DECORATION
Vi måtte desværre efter denne champagne/kaviar-depu-
But even great moments have to end: we prised ourselves
tation løsrive os og gå til bords, hvor vi fortsatte vort vellevned
away from our champagne and caviar bonanza and proceed-
og lod appetizers glæde såvel øje som mund. Et blad af
ed to our dining table where our luxurious evening continued
østers-urt, en mundfuld kongekrabbe på passionsfrugt og
with appetisers that delighted both eye and palate. A little
palme-hjerte, en lille blåmusling med usædvanligt selskab af
oysterleaf, a mouthful of king crab on a bed of passion fruit
chorizo, safran og oregano og en knivmusling i asiatisk
and heart of palm, a dainty blue mussel, unusually garnished
kimonoforklædning, soja, daikon og shizo.
with chorizo, saffron and oregano, and a razor clam enveloped
Allerede da vi satte os ved bordet, kunne vi glæde os over en
in an Asian “kimono” of soy sauce, daikon and shizo.
usædvanlig borddekoration, der viste sig at være hugget i is.
Even as we arrived at our table we had appreciated an unusual
Nu var tiden kommet, hvor isen skulle indgå som en del af
table decoration – it was an ice sculpture. Now the time had
aftenens kulinariske oplevelse. Indholdet blev nydt gennem
come for it to divulge its contents and contribute to the
sugerør, og en frisk afkølet rødbedejuice tilsmagt med hibis-
flavours of the evening. We enjoyed it through a straw: chilled
cus og lakrids afsløredes. Måltidet igennem blev vi i et frisk
fresh beetroot juice seasoned with hibiscus and liquorice.
tempo guidet rundt i et smagsunivers, der havde noter fra
The servings of the meal had – in quick succession − guided us
næsten alle verdensdele. Vi var i det sicilianske (caponata),
through a range of flavours with reference to many parts of the
det japanske (tofu) og det franske univers (trøffel-kartoffel-
world: Sicily (caponata), Japan (tofu), France (truffle and potato
suppe), det ungarske (gullasch) foruden naturligvis det amerikanske
fra Californien til New Hampshire.
DET RENE SKØNMALERI
Vi glædede os usigeligt til signaturdesserten, som kan siges at befinde
sig i grænselandet mellem kunst og
gastronomi. Vi havde som mange før
soup), Hungary (goulash) – in addition to
Chicago-restauranten
Alinea byder på velsmurt
kokke-håndværk, isnende
overraskelse
og verdenskøkken.
Chicago restaurant Alinea
offers clockwork culinary
craftsmanship, icy surprises
and world-class cuisine.
os ladet You Tube-videoklippet fra
a range of American flavours, of course,
from California to New Hampshire.
PICTURE PERFECT
It was with great expectation that we
awaited the Alinea’s signature dessert,
which straddles the traditional delimitations between art and gastronomy.
Like so many other people we had
Alinea begejstre os, men nu var øjeblikket kommet til at se,
watched the Alinea YouTube video with great interest – now
hvorledes bordets dug og service blev fjernet og erstattet af
the moment had come for the table to be cleared and the
en helt anden overflade, et vandtæt ‘klæde’ der fungerede
tablecloth replaced with a waterproof base. The scene was
som dække. Herpå begyndte dessertmesteren med stærke
set for the master pastry chef to start wielding his art, trans-
bevægelser at bruge sine remedier, som maleren overfører
ferring his edible components to the ‘canvas’ with a flourish
sine farver fra paletten til lærredet. Det blev et skønmaleri,
like a painter transferring colours from his palette, resulting
abstrakt i sit udtryk, der blev åbenbaret på bordet foran os,
in a beautiful abstract painting directly on the table in front
med chokolade, grøntsagskombi, nødder, bær, honning og
of us, with chocolate, a vege-
diverse essenser. Vi havde set det på You Tube, men at
honey and various essences. Watching it on YouTube is one
opleve kunstværket blive skabt lige foran vore øjne var virkelig
thing but having this work of art created right in front of us
en meget sanselig oplevelse.
was a very sensuous experience.
Vi sluttede aftenen med en snak omkring Alineas søster-
Towards the end of the evening we discussed Alinea’s sister
restaurant, Next, der er mindst lige så vanskelig at opnå en
restaurant, Next, where table bookings are at least as difficult
bordreservation til som netop Alinea. Det lykkedes os at
to get as for the Alinea itself. We managed to make our inter-
markere vores interesse for at besøge Next så tydeligt, at vi
est in visiting Next very clear, and lo and behold, the next day
dagen efter kunne opleve Nexts veganske menu, et måltid
we ate our way through the Next’s vegan menu, an experience
der i sin karakter gav mig et endnu større gastronomisk ‘gok
which blew my senses away even more than our evening at
i sanserne’ end Alinea, der bare serverede det, som jeg for-
Alinea, where we were served what we expected to be served
ventede - det fremragende i gastronomisk eliteklasse, men
– excellent elite gastronomy. Next served totally different,
ikke så dogmeagtigt som Next. Aldrig før har jeg spist et
dogma-style gastronomy. Never before have I eaten a meal
måltid, hvor jeg så ofte måtte erkende, at jeg ikke vidste, hvil-
where time and time again I had to acknowledge that I didn’t
ken råvare jeg nød, kun at alle retter smagte ‘f....... fantastic’.
know what I was eating, only that every serving was fantastic.”
table combo, nuts, berries,
18
19
‘‘
...Here we were met by the restaurant manager, who immediately asked whether we would like to begin our
ALINEA
CHICAGO, USA
visit in the kitchen.
He didn’t have to ask us twice! In a flash, the three of us were seated at a beautifully laid table in the ‘engine
room’ of the restaurant, i.e. its kitchen, being served champagne and caviar in generous quantities. All the
while we were watching the restaurant’s 20 or so chefs quickly and efficiently carrying out their clockwork
‘‘
RANKING 2014: 9
culinary crafts- manship around us. It was all somehow very unreal - and very pleasurable.
By no means an every‑day experience.
EXTRACT #3
FORENEDE BØNDER OG KOKKE
FARMERS AND CHEFS COMBINE EFFORTS
Gennem århundreder havde Peru gennemgået en kolonisering og total opsplitning, hvor bønder blev betragtet som anden-
For centuries Peru was colonised, and there was a sharp demarcation between its social strata – peasants were regarded as
rangs mennesker. Det var nødvendigt og på tide med en genforening og alliance mellem kokke og bønder for at sikre et stabilt
second-rate people. It was time to create an alliance between chefs and farmers to secure stable supplies in spite of the
leveringsflow i den til tider vanskelige infrastruktur, hvor dyrkningsområder er beliggende i bjerge, jungle, ved Amazonfloden
country’s complex infrastructure connecting towns and cities with farming areas in the mountains, in the jungle, on the banks
og højtliggende vådområder.
of the Amazon river and in its high-altitude wetlands.
På dagen, da vi besøgte Astrid y Gastón, var hele området omkring restaurant og indgang fyldt med liv. Folk var samlet på
On the day we visited Astrid&Gastón the area in front of the restaurant was teeming with life. People were milling about in
gaden foran den brede indgang. Det virkede ikke som et tilfælde, mere som et udtryk for hvor hektisk et kvarter restauranten
front of the wide restaurant entrance. We got the impression this was nothing out of the ordinary. This urban area always seems
ligger i. Det var tydeligt, at de mange håbefulde besøgende, som forsøgte at få bord hos Astrid y Gastón, havde skabt et stabilt
to be very busy. Clearly, the many hopeful diners attempting to get a table at Astrid&Gastón were contributing to a stable
forretningsgrundlag for de omkringliggende mindre restauranter og cevicheriaer.
business environment for the surrounding small restaurants and cevicherias.
Umiddelbart indenfor bekræftedes det, hvor populær en restauration Astrid y Gastón er. Som var det Hard Rock Café, er der
Once inside, another indication of how popular Astrid&Gastón is: Like merchandise for sale in a Hard Rock Café, you could
her mulighed for at købe forskelligt AyG merchandise. Dette undlod vi dog og beholdt den nålestribede spillerdragt på.
buy various A&G items. We refrained from doing that, choosing to maintain our professional approach. On our way to the
På tærsklen til de bonede gulve blev vi igen mødt af et andet af Gastóns koncepter, en hektisk bar med ceviche og tapas.
dining area we came across another of Gastón’s concepts, a hectic bar from which you could buy drinks, ceviche and tapas.
Vi undlod at spise, men nød en cocktail af fornem karat bygget over en lokal fortolkning af den latinamerikanske og grappa-
We didn’t eat anything at this point but enjoyed a beautifully composed cocktail, a local variation of the Latin- American
lignende klassiker Pisco Sour.
and grappa-like classic Pisco Sour.
28
29
‘‘
For centuries Peru was colonised, and there was a sharp demarcation between its social strata – peasants were regarded as second‑
ASTRID Y GASTÓN
LIMA, PERU
rate people. It was time to create an alliance between chefs and farmers to secure stable supplies in spite of the country’s complex
infrastructure connecting towns and cities with farming areas in the mountains, in the jungle, on the banks of the Amazon river
and in its high‑altitude wetlands. On the day we visited Astrid&Gastón the area in front of the restaurant was teeming with life.
People were milling about in front of the wide restaurant entrance. We got the impression this was nothing out of the ordinary.
‘‘
RANKING 2014: 18
This urban area always seems to be very busy. Clearly, the many hopeful diners attempting to get a table at Astrid&Gastón were
contributing to a stable business environment for the surrounding small restaurants and cevicherias.
EXTRACT #4
NAT URE ON A PL ATE − ELEGANCE AND SENSUOUSNESS
Naturen på bordet på 8. sal i Parkens nordvestlige tårn
The elegance and sensuality of the natural produce served at
overvælder med sine elegante og sanselige udtryk.
Geranium’s premises on the eighth floor of “Parken’s” north-
Ikke alene er serveringerne nærmest forførende. De præ-
west tower − overlooking Copenhagen’s large, recreational
senteres også for gæsterne i en ekstremt raffineret og
“Fælledpark” − is totally overwhelming. Parken is the national
præcis iscenesættelse. Hvad enten de serveres på bræt,
stadium for football matches.
på tallerken eller i skål, er fornemmelsen, at pincetten må
Not only are the servings enchanting, almost seductive. They
være dette køkkens mest anvendte redskab.
are also staged and presented to guests with the utmost
Hvert et blad, hver en kvist, hver en blomst eller frø er placeret
sophistication and precision. Whether served on a board, a
med kirurgisk præcision.
plate or in a dish, you get the impression that every compo-
Om det raffinerede kan siges, at øjet og munden samar-
nent must have been arranged with a careful pair of tweezers.
bejder. Hver en kvist her er spiselig, om den så er lavet på
Every leaf, every sprig, every flower and seed has been added
ost eller på en reduktion af saft, ekstrakt af en grøntsag
with surgical precision.
som små, grønne kugler med dild som ophav - eller
The visual and the flavourful merge into perfect sophistication:
den tørre tot mos. Det er designet fingermad,
Every sprig is edible, be it made from cheese or from a juice
ophøjet natur.
reduction, a dill weed extract made into tiny green spheres
Konceptet går igen i desserterne, hvor
blommer, æbler og svesker kan op-
− or a little dried moss. This is designer finger food − nature at
a sublime level.
leves i mere eller mindre luftige
The concept is repeated in the desserts, where plums, apples
former - og af og til ledsaget
and prunes come in more or less airy disguises – sometimes
af essens af mørkt øl.
paired with the essence of dark draught beer.
100
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
RANKING 2014: 42
‘‘
Not only are the servings enchanting, almost seductive. They are also staged and presented to guests with the utmost
sophistication and precision. Whether served on a board, a plate or in a dish, you get the impression that every
component must have been arranged with a careful pair of tweezers.
Every leaf, every sprig, every flower and seed has been added with surgical precision. The visual and the flavourful
‘‘
GERANIUM
101
merge into perfect sophistication: Every sprig is edible, be it made from cheese or from a juice reduction, a dill weed
extract made into tiny green spheres − or a little dried moss. This is designer finger food − nature at a sublime level.
EXTRACT #5
THREE BROTHERS, THREE MICHELIN STARS, A SPANISH TEMPLE TO GASTRONOM Y
Tag et fly til Barcelona og fortsæt med eksprestoget fra
Jump on a plane to Barcelona and continue on the AVE train
Sants‑stationen til Girona. Togturen tager 37 minutter og
from Barcelona Sants to Girona. The train takes 37 minutes and
fører til byen Girona med sæde for det gastronomiske
delivers you to Girona which is where you find the temple to
tempel El Celler de Can Roca, der i 2013 blev stemt ind på
gastronomy that is El Celler de Can Roca, which in 2013 was
førstepladsen i San Pellegrino og Acqua Panna’s the World’s
awarded first place in the San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna list
50 best‑restaurantguide. Restauranten er naturligvis også
of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Naturally, the restaurant
tildelt tre stjerner i Guide Michelin Espana
has also been awarded three stars in the Guide Michelin
Det lyder måske overdrevent at kalde en restaurant et tempel,
España.
men for mig er El Celler de Can Roca vitterligt et tempel. Jeg
You might think I am going too far by referring to a restaurant
har kendt til det i mange år, men besøgte det dog for første
as a temple but for me El Celler de Can Roca really is a temple.
gang så sent som i 2012.
I have known of the restaurant for many years but did not
Can Roca er et sted, som jeg har brugt mange timer på at
actually visit it until 2012.
researche ved at læse gastronomiske magasiner, se TV‑ud‑
I have spent many hours researching El Celler de Can Roca via
sendelser og ikke mindst lytte til de folk, der har berettet om
reviews in gastronomy magazines, TV programmes and, not
deres besøgsoplevelser her. Historien om de tre Roca‑
least, listening to people who have actually experienced it. The
brødre, Joan, Josep og Jordi, i rollerne som henholdsvis
story of the three Roca brothers, Joan, Josep and Jordi – chef,
chef, sommelier/maitre d’ og dessertchef er en lang eska‑
sommelier / maitre d’ and pastry chef respectively – is the story
lerende rejse, der begyndte den dag, da dengang 24‑årige
of a long journey of development that began in 1995 when the
Joan modtog den første Michelinstjerne i 1995, nummer to
then 24‑year‑old Joan was awarded his first Michelin star. The
fulgte i 2002 og endelig tre i 2009. Mennesker udenfor
second star followed in 2002, and the third in 2009.
branchen har ofte og af forskellige grunde en forestilling om
People outside the culinary sector for a variety of reasons are
eller frygt for at besøge finere restauranter. I min verden er
often apprehensive in some way about visiting “fine‑dining”
det meget enkelt at forholde sig til sådanne ”fine dining”‑
restaurants. In my world it is uncomplicated. Just lean back,
restauranter. Man skal blot læne sig tilbage, betragte og tage
watch everything that is going on, and enjoy what is on offer in
imod, hvad der tilbydes af mad, drikke, service og omhu.
the form of food, drink, service and kind consideration. Bask in
Man befinder sig i et nydelsens univers.
the sensuous enjoyment.
50
GERONA, SPAIN
RANKING 2014: 2
‘‘
I must say my visit to the Rocas at El Celler de Can Roca in every way lived up to all aspects of my expectations: 27 servings
and 13 different wines in 11 different glasses.
The Rocas and their teams delivered a tour de force in terms of flavourfulness within every discipline. They dare to be
edgy; they are serene and have the courage of their convictions. From my first visit I remember how the sommelier as the
‘‘
EL CELLER
DE CAN ROCA
51
most natural thing in the world selected a natural light red wine to go with the first serving on the menu, and then served
slightly sweeter white wines with the next dishes followed by dry whites. It was a very special “wine journey”.
EXTRACT #6
FL AVOURS OF THE PAST
Heston Blumenthal åbnede sin første restaurant The Fat
Heston Blumenthal opened his first restaurant, The Fat Duck,
Duck i 1995 i Bray i Berkshire, og med den restaurant
in 1995 in Bray in Berkshire and quickly became a living icon.
opnåede han ikonstatus i levende live. The Fat Ducks karma
He brought the legacy of The Fat Duck with him to the restau-
tog han med til sin London Knightsbridge-adresse på Hotel
rant at Hotel Mandarin Oriental by Hyde Park, now known as
Mandarin Oriental på kanten af Hyde Park, nu med navnet
“Dinner by Heston Blumenthal”. Here he brings gastronomic
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Her genopliver han gastro-
classics from the British Isles from as long ago as the 14th
nomi-klassikere fra de britiske øer helt tilbage fra det 14.
century back on the plate. Most of his creations are based on
århundrede. De fleste kreationer er dog baseret på det 17.,
dishes from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and they are
det 18. og det 19. århundrede, og de tiltrækker gæster fra
attracting diners from all over the world.
hele verden.
This in-depth perusal of old cookbooks led to many challenges.
Denne grundige research af gamle kogebøger kastede
It must have taken a lot of working out how to transpose the
masser af udfordringer af sig. Det må have været en uhyre
preparation of the various dishes from the original spits and
lang og lettere kompliceret vej at skifte køkkenfrembring-
open fireplaces and – later − log- and coal-fired stoves to
elser fra oprindeligt åbne ildsteder over brændefyrede kom-
present-day high-tech wonder ovens and stoves and other
furer til nutidens tekniske vidunderkomfurer, ovne og andre
technical innovations such as thermal mixers, sous-vide water
tekniske vidundere som thermomixer, sousvide og ”jeg skal
baths and other kinds of state-of-the-art, all-singing-all-
komme efter dig”-udstyr.
dancing culinary equipment.
Køkkenchefen på Dinner er tidligere The Fat Duck-anker-
The chef de cuisine at the Dinner is erstwhile Fat Duck anchor-
mand, executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. Men gæster,
man, executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. But guests who
der vælger at booke bord på Dinner by Heston Blumenthal,
choose to book a table at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal must
må parkere en eventuel forventning om et gensyn med Hes-
part with any expectations of re-living The Fat Duck experi-
tons The Fat Duck-oplevelser udenfor. Vi er i en helt anden
ence. We are now in a completely different world. Far away
verden. Væk fra det mere muntre, legesyge halvmolekylære
from the then playful, semi-molecular, futuristic cuisine in
futuristiske køkken i Bray. I stedet er køkkenet vendt på en
Bray. The Dinner’s cuisine represents a new direction, focusing
tallerken til den rene, uforfalskede velsmag og det i gedigne
on honest-to-goodness flavours, and sizeable portions to boot.
portioner. Stadig retrospektivt, men
tilpasset en avanceret og forventningsfuld nutidig søgen efter ren
nydelse. Man er aldrig i tvivl om,
hvad man gelejder i munden.
It is retrospective but caters for sophisticated – and expectant – palates
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal ved
Hyde Park sender gæsten tilbage
i fortidens uforfalskede velsmag,
men på nutidens komfurer.
looking for pure enjoyment. You are
never in doubt about what you are
putting into your mouth.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
by Hyde Park transports guests back
to the unadulterated palatability of the past
prepared on contemporary equipment
42
DINNER BY
HESTON
BLUMENTHAL
43
‘‘
...Heston’s Meat Fruit. I went for lunch at Dinner the other day. Of course, I had to have the courageously unappetisingly-named
‘Meat Fruit’, a chicken liver/foie gras parfait enrobed in a mandarin jelly, which has become the signature dish.
Once I had tried my first mouthful, all thoughts of carefully composed photographs went out the window. Quick, take the damn
picture so you can get on with eating more! It was one of those occasions on which clever formal dickery was more than matched
LONDON, UK
by sheer flavour. Man, that liver mousse tasted incredibly great. Exquisitely light, whipped to within an inch of its life, with punchy
RANKING 2014: 5
restaurant and service, were excellent too, but that meat fruit will stay with me for a long time to come.
‘‘
seasoning, and an acidic tangerine coating to cut through that artery-clagging fattiness. The rest of the meal, and indeed the
EXTRACT #7
RESTAUR ANT FÄVIK EN MAGASINE T IN JÄMTL AND IN THE FAR NORTH OF CENTR AL SWEDEN
CAN SE AT ONLY 16 GUESTS. BU T MAGNUS NILSSON SP OILS HIS GUESTS WITH DELICACIES SUCH AS
HOME‑CHURNED MOUNTAIN PAST URE BU T TER, THRUSH, AND ME AT FROM OLD DAIRY COWS.
FÄVIKEN MAGASINET
FÄVIKEN MAGASINET
– RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
– RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
Der er flere veje at vælge imellem, når ruten skal fastlægges
You have the choice of a couple of routes when you decide to
for et besøg på en af nutidens mest omtalte restauranter,
visit Fäviken Magasinet, one of the most discussed contempo-
Fäviken Magasinet. Restauranten omtales af mange grunde,
rary restaurants. It is talked about for many reasons, the most
hvoraf gastronomien selvfølgelig er den væsentligste, men
important one obviously being its gastronomy but its kitchen’s
de eminente præstationer i køkkenet bliver om muligt endnu
brilliant achievements become even more interesting due to the
mere interessante på grund af gourmetstedets isolerede
gourmet restaurant’s isolated geographical location. In Swe-
geografiske placering. Vi skal til udkants-Sverige. Langt ud i
den, at the back of beyond. Far into the wilderness in the central
ødemarken af dette langstrakte nordiske land, hvor der er
part of this elongated Nordic country, where towns are few and
langt mellem byerne, og hvor indbyggertallet pr. km er blandt
far between, and the population per kilometre is one of the most
de laveste i Europa.
sparse in Europe.
De fleste ikke-svenskere vil nok vælge flyet til Stockholm og
Most non-Swedes will probably choose to fly to Stockholm and
skifte til destination Østersund. Herfra med taxa de sidste 8
transfer to a flight to Östersund. From there it is eight Swedish
svenske mil af hvilke, der går 10 på en kilometer. En anden
miles by taxi, i.e. 80 km, to the restaurant. You can also take the
mulighed er over byen Åre med toget. Men man kan også,
train, via the town of Åre. I chose a third option: flying to Trond-
som jeg gjorde, vælge at flyve til Trondheim og med ”rent-a-
heim in Norway, renting a car and driving 125 kilometres through
car” køre de ca. 125 km ad relativt utrafikerede veje gennem
beautiful scenery − on roads with hardly any traffic − to Åre, one of
smukke naturområder til Åre, et af Sveriges mest kendte
Sweden’s best-known ski resorts. And then continuing another
skisportssteder. Herfra er der få km til de senere års mest
few kilometres along the road to reach the most-discussed
omtalte svenske restaurant, hvor Magnus Nilsson præsen-
Swedish restaurant in recent years, where Magnus Nilsson pre-
terer et rustikt, landligt, terroirbaseret egnskøkken.
sents guests with a rural, rustic, terroir-based regional cuisine.
Vi befinder os omkring 530 km nord for Stockholm og ca.
We have arrived at a spot approx. 530 km north of Stockholm
150 km øst for Trondheim.
and 150 km east of Trondheim.
86
JÄRPEN, SWEDEN
‘‘
The most surprising produce of the evening was ”trast”. We were informed it was a thrush. (There it lay – naked
– on a plate, its long legs stretched out and its throat sort of bent forward ... enjoy!)
The thrush seemed so “raw”, that if it had not been plucked, it could almost have flown unaided into my mouth.
We also had the pleasure of tasting the famous – or infamous – dish, Marrow and beef heart. The marrow was
‘‘
FÄVIKEN
MAGASINET
87
removed from the bone – on a butcher’s bench right in front of us. This was mixed with beef heart cubes and
RANKING 2014: 19
dressed with dainty flowers, giving this somewhat solid dish a lighter expression.
EXTRACT #8
BR A ZILIAN GASTRONOM Y – THE INTELLIGENT WAY
Med et kig til Italien og Spanien forener
Helena Rizzo det moderne brasilianske
køkken med respekten for brasiliansk
tradition og for maniok-roden
Helena Rizzo takes modern Brazilian cuisine
forward while respecting Brazilian tradition,
with a nod to Italian and Spanish cuisine –
and not least the manioc.
São Paolo er megastorbyen med et enormt pulsslag. Selve
São Paolo is a gigantic metropolis with a strong, unmistakable
den brasilianske folkesjæl er her så overvældende i sin farve-
urban pulse. The Brazilian psyche here is so overwhelming in its
palet - i decibel som lavtgående jetfly - og i musikalitet, som
diversity – as high-volume as a low-flying jet – and so musical it
bevæger i mere end én forstand.
moves you in more than one sense.
Den del af byen, hvor Mani har haft sin adresse siden åbnin-
The restaurant Mani is located – and has been since it opened in
gen i 2006, hedder Jardim Paulistano og hører til den mere
2006 – in Jardim Paulistano, a relatively quiet and very charm-
charmerende og rolige del.
ing part of the city.
Mani er navngivet efter den lokale maniok-rod, ”mandioca”,
The Mani is named after the manioc root, “mandioca”, dear to
der har noget nær folkeejestatus og er central for meget lokal
the heart of the Brazilian people and a central ingredient in
madlavning. Kvinden bag Mani, Helena Rizzo, blev i 2014 til-
much of the local cooking. It is also widely known as cassava.
delt hædersprisen ”The Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female
The woman behind the Mani, Helena Rizzo, was named by
Chef” af komiteen bag World´s 50 Best Restaurants. Det
the World’s 50 Best Restaurants committee as “The Veuve
skete allerede året efter, at Mani for første gang trådte ind
Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef 2014”. This happened barely
på World 50 Best-listen. Første ranking position var som
12 months after the Mani made its first appearance on the
nr. 46. Hun er såvel i sit private som professionelle virke i
World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Its first ranking position was
partnerskab med Daniel Redondo, som hun mødte under et
at no. 46. Both privately and professionally her partner is Daniel
kokkeophold i Spanien.
Redondo whom she met when working as a chef in Spain.
De to står for et moderne køkken, der har rødder tilbage i
The pair represent a modern cuisine which is nonetheless rooted
traditionen og til hverdagens brasilianske madkultur. F.eks.
in tradition and in everyday Brazilian food culture. One example
Feijoada, som er en klassisk ret på bønner, men dog tillempet,
is feijoada, the Mani’s take on a classic Brazilian bean stew but
så den smagsmæssigt fjerner sig fra normal forventning til
with a flavour that lifts it way above everyday expectations of a
netop dagligdags bønner. Parret er også mærkbart inspire-
common-or-garden bean dish. Rizzo and Redondo are also
ret af Spanien og Italien. Begge var i deres yngre år bl.a. en
clearly inspired by Spanish and Italian cuisine. Both have worked
periode ansat på legendariske El Celler de Can Roca.
at legendary El Celler de Can Roca for a while early on in their
Det særkende, som mange finder i Manis køkken, er den over-
careers.
vældende, ja for nogle nærmest sensationelt velsmagende
One thing that is an extra special feature of the Mani’s cuisine
og kreative tasting-menu. Det gælder også desserterne.
is its fantastic – some would say sensationally flavourful and
Vi noterer bl.a. en spændende tatar af kammusling serveret i
creative – tasting menu. Its desserts, too.
jordnøddemælk maskeret med en tynd film af kardemomme-
Among other servings we particularly noted an interesting
karamel efterfulgt af lichifrugten fyldt med foie gras i selskab
scallop tartare served in peanut milk glazed with a thin film of
med en sauternes-gelé. cardamom caramel, followed by a lychee stuffed with foie gras
Rizzos køkkenpræstationer betager ikke alene visuelt og
and served with a sauternes jelly.
smager delikat. De fremstår på en særegen måde intel-
Not only are Rizzo’s culinary creations visually enticing and ex-
ligente.
quisitely flavourful. They seem particularly intelligently crafted.
136
SÃO PAOLO, BRAZIL
RANKING 2014: 36
‘‘
We were also served one of Helena Rizzo’s signature dishes, egg “perfecto”. It consists of an egg perfectly cooked for two and
a half hours at exactly 63 degrees Celsius and is served with pupunha foam. Pupunha is the “heart” of a palm that grows
throughout tropical Latin America. The restaurant’s main courses were very diverse but we were tempted by the “catch of
the day”. The fish in question was served either fried with grilled sweet potatoes, fresh goat’s cheese and red onions – or
‘‘
MANI
137
slow‑baked with tucupi foam, which is also made with mandioca juice, and banana topped with the Mani’s own “mandioca
flour” and garnished with herbs and blooms. The slow‑cooked fish dish was one of the definite highlights of the day.
EXTRACT #9
GLÆDE FOR ØJET
PLEASING THE EYE
Også signaturretten ”Sin” blev os til del. ”Beetroot Tapioca”.
We were also served: the signatur dish “Sin”; “Beetroot Tapioca”;
‑ under indtagelsen af retten – at huske alle delelementer.
indulge in. It can be difficult for the diner to remember every
En visuelt flot servering på en efterligning af en iPad med
a visually impressive serving made to look like an iPad with
Det løser man her ved kontinuerligt at placere en lille be‑
ingredient while enjoying the serving. This problem has been
indbygget lysspil. Måske mere et ønske om at glæde øjet
moving lights. Perhaps the aim here was to please the eye
skrivelse af retterne hhv ledsagende vine trykt på tyndt papir
solved at Schloss Schauenstein by successively placing a
end maven.
rather than the palate.
i visitkortstørrelse. Papiret placeres i en lille holder på bordet
short description of each serving and / or wine pairing, print‑
Desserterne var baseret på elegante kreationer i mundrette
The desserts were elegant compositions in bite‑size versions,
ud for gæsten. Fiks idé og en fin hjælp for den nysgerrige.
ed on a small card in a holder on the table in front of the
versioner og med vægten lagt på farvespillet på tallerkenen.
the emphasis being on colour schemes on the plate. We
Konklusionen, som rodfæstes yderligere efter næste mor‑
guest. A clever idea and a great help for the curious gourmet.
Vi opdagede æbler, pærer, rosiner, solbær, lime, quark
discovered apples, pears, raisins, black currants, lime, quark
gens indtagelse af en eksorbitant fremragende morgen‑
My conclusion, confirmed by an exorbitant, wonderful break‑
souffle, vanilleis, kanelkiks, sorbet og marshmallows.
soufflé, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon biscuits, sorbet and
mad, er, at Schweiz har fået en suveræn arvtager til tidligere
fast the next morning, is that Switzerland has found a su‑
Min sjæl hvad vil du mer´?
marshmallows. It doesn’t come any better.
legendariske kokke som Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat og
preme successor to its legendary chefs of the past, such as
Endnu en fin detalje oplevede vi i aftenens forløb. Sædvan‑
There is one more detail I have to mention. It is customary
Gérard Rabaey.
Frédy Girardet, Philippe Rochat and Gérard Rabaey.
ligvis indeholder tjenernes indledende præsentationer af de
for waiters to tell you about the servings as they arrive,
Man kan følge Andreas Caminadas tanker, indfald og op‑
You can pursue Caminada’s thoughts, ideas and recipe
serverede kreationer en lang række råvareelementer, som
mentioning a long list of produce, which, combined and
skriftskort på kompositioner ved at abonnere på hans
cards with his compositions by subscribing to his six‑
har dannet den sanseoplevelse, som køkkenets elaborering
helped along by kitchen expertise and hard work, are the
meget flotte og velredigerede magasin, der bærer hans
monthly, very attractive and well edited, eponymous
har færdiggjort. Ofte kan man som spiser have svært ved
basis of the sensory experience, which you are about to
navn, og som udkommer to gange årligt.
gourmet magazine.
SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN
CH – 7414 FÜSTENAU
SCHWEIZ
www.schauenstein.ch
204
FÜSTENAU, SCHWEIZ
‘‘
You’ve got to ask the question: How has this restaurant so high in the Alps and so far from all other gastronomic landmarks
found its voice on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants?
Andreas Caminada’s CV, his ambitions, creativity and unstoppable drive towards innovation have been the driving force, the
first violin. But he still needs the orchestra and its individual musicians to play his music and gain resonance. After receiving
‘‘
SCHLOSS
SCHAUENSTEIN
205
his basic chef’s training locally, Andreas worked at food‑related jobs in Zürich and for some years in Vancouver, Canada,
RANKING 2014: 43
which he found very inspiring. At no point did he seriously contemplate settling away from his home region near Chur.
EXTRACT #10
TYSK KOKKE-FORBILLEDE
ROLE MODEL FOR GERMAN CHEFS
Vi fik også en god interviewsamtale med mesteren, Joachim
We were also afforded a pleasant interview with Joachim
Wissler selv, inden vores middag. Her fortalte han om sit
Wissler, the master himself, before dinner. He told us about his
arbejde og sin vision om at kombinere smagsmæssige
work and his vision of combining contrasting flavours – from
modsætninger – ind i mellem også med små spilopmæssige
time to time also with little mischievous twists to the selection
indslag i råvarevalget, skulle det senere vise sig. Og om det
of produce as we discovered. We talked about German cuisine
tyske køkken, som han føler internationalt er trådt mere i
which he feels has now come into its own internationally. Just
karakter. På samme måde – talte vi om - som Europa og
as – and we also discussed this – Europe and the rest of the
Verden har bemærket, at selve det store Tyskland også her
world have noticed how Germany now – barely 70 years after
knap 70 år efter Anden Verdenskrigs afslutning er begyndt at
the end of World War II – has started to make its opinions known
markere sine egne meninger på den internationale politiske
on the international political stage – and become a player to be
scene – og sætte dem igennem.
reckoned with.
”De nye tyske topkokke har de seneste ti år fundet deres egne
Joachim Wissler explains: “German top chefs have found their
veje. De har løst sig fra deres franske forbilleder på samme
own way over the past 10 years. They have loosened their ties
måde, som det måske i højere grad er blevet bemærket i
to their earlier French role models in much the same way as
gastronomiens verden, at Det Nordiske Køkken også har,”
Nordic cuisine has, although the development of the latter has
forklarer Wissler. Selv er han naturligvis det måske vigtigste
perhaps attracted more attention in the world of gastronomy.”
forbillede for de fremstormende yngre landsmænd.
He himself is, of course, perhaps the most prominent role
Restaurant Vendôme skifter planmæssigt menukort efter
model for up-and-coming younger German chefs.
årstiderne - selvfølgelig efter meget grundigt forarbejde. Og
Restaurant Vendôme changes its menu according to the
blandt de aktuelle op til 16 serveringer er aldrig gengangere fra
seasons – obviously after very careful planning and testing.
tidligere, uanset rettens modtagelse, garanterer Joachim
“And there are never repeats among the current servings – up
Wissler:
to 16 of them – irrespective of how the individual dish has pre-
”Men vi har heldigvis heller aldrig oplevet kundereaktioner på
viously been received,” Joachim Wissler assures us.
en enkelt ret, der har givet anledning til overvejelser om at tage
“Fortunately we’ve never had guests react negatively to any
den af menukortet før tid. Kun har vi højest to-tre gange selv
dish in a way that has made us consider taking it off the menu
vurderet kvaliteten af de nødvendige råvarer så ustabil, at vi
before we planned to. Twice or three times we ourselves
har været nødt til at udskifte en ellers fastlagt servering med
have decided that the quality of a particular type of produce
en anden”, forklarer Wissler og fortsætter: ”Ingen er jo ufejl-
has been so unpredictable that we have replaced a serving
barlige, men jeg tror, at den meget grundige overvejelses- og
featured on the menu with another.”
forberedelsesproces, inden næste kvartals menusammen-
“Nobody is perfect but I believe that the very careful thought
sætning endeligt er besluttet, er med til at forhindre, at den
and preparation that go into planning the menu for the next
slags udskiftninger bliver nødvendige,” siger Wissler, 50 år,
three months help prevent the necessity of such replace-
og uddannet på sydtyske restauranter og leder af Vendôme
ments,” says 50-year-old Wissler, who learned his trade
siden 2000.
while working at various restaurants in southern Germany,
Wissler skaffede allerede stedets første Michelin-stjerne året
and became head chef at the Vendôme in 2000.
efter, den anden i 2002 og den tredje i 2004. Stjernerne er
Wissler won the restaurant its first Michelin star the following
siden fastholdt. Hvilket også understreger stedets meget høje
year, its second in 2002 and its third in 2004. It continues to
stabilitetsniveau. Sin egen første Michelinstjerne vandt Wissler
have three stars, underlining the restaurant’s very high, stable
allerede i 1995 som køkkenchef på et andet slot - Reinharts-
quality level. Wissler won his own personal Michelin star back in
hausen i Rheingau.
1995 when he was chef de cuisine at another German castle,
Omvendt forklarer han samtidig, at nye teknikker, som han ser
Reinhartshausen in the Rheingau.
i køkkenerne rundt om i verden, indimellem også er med til at
But still he explains how learning new techniques from other
gøre egne drømme om serveringer, realisable:
restaurant kitchens across the world can make the culinary
”Uden at teknikken nogensinde må blive et mål i sig selv i
dreams he wants to create possible.
mit køkken. Det handler ikke om, hvilken teknik vi bruger i
He adds: “Technique in itself must not become the be-all and
køkkenet, men hvad vi bruger den til,” understreger han.
end-all in my kitchen. It is not about what techniques we use but
about what we create using our techniques.”
234
BERGISCH GLADBACH, GERMANY
RANKING 2014: 12
‘‘
Mackerel with melon, river crayfish with crackling, and truffles with lemon are some of the original and tasty combinations
presented to us as part of a number of surprising, and sometimes provocative servings at the Vendôme. The waiters were, of
course, extremely competent and knowledgeable about both food and drink but also pleasantly unpretentious and welcoming. The tempo at which the dishes were served was pleasant, giving body and soul a chance to keep pace with what was
going on all through a wonderful, long evening of gastronomy at the very pinnacle of the art.
‘‘
VENDÔME
235
THE CONTRIBUTERS
Skribenter
Allan Poulsen
Poul Larsen
Thomas Haldrup
Bent Christensen
Mads Stenstrup
Søren Pedersen
Anders Qwist
The team who have visited and described the selected “Sublime 25”, are a
renowned wine importer Anders Qwist, who is also engaged in the gastronomic
diverse group. We include three highly trained and still active chefs, Søren
restaurant environment; and cheese affineur and supplier to the gastronomic
Pedersen (Norsminde Kro); from the Bagatelle, Oslo, we have both souschef
elite, Poul Larsen; journalist Mads Stenstrup with his unfailing gastronomic
Thomas Haldrup and Chef Allan Poulsen (2008 Chef of the Year (Denmark), in
nouse; and finally yours truly, restaurant reviewer and publisher of the annual
2011 the restaurant he ran (Henne Kirkeby Kro) was named “Restaurant of the
Danish restaurant guide, “Den danske Spiseguide”, as well as of the “66 Best
Year (Denmark)” and in 2012, “Restaurant of the Year - Nordic Countries”; the
Restaurants – Nordic Countries”.
PRICES
DKK 599,256 pages · Format: 24x34 cm
Text of the book both Danish and English
ISBN 978-87-995621-3-8
O RD E R I T H E RE
LIMITED EDITION
500 copies
individually numbered
and signed by author
DKK 749,O RD E R I T H E RE
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