Yesterday, Noma has been, for the third time in a row, chosen as the best restaurant in the world.

I guess that just means that I yet again have to enjoy a first class 24 dish menu … once I happen to find the money :|

… is the name of the restaurant that has been rated “The World’s Best” both in 2010 and 2011, located in the Copenhagen Harbour.

In addition it is the restaurant that Heike and me got invited to by my family for both our 30th birthdays. And after finally getting a table and a three months waiting time we finally had our evening yesterday. Actually we happend to have a night! I reserved the table for 19h30 and we left the place at about 0h30 in the night.

And what should I say it was certainly an extraordinary experience!

We had in total 24 dishes and nine different juices (as we decided to go for the non-alcoholic menu). Eleven starters along with a red apple juice like nothing we’ve ever tasted, before we were even asked for our choice of menu and drinks for the night. The actual twelve-course menu spread from “Fallen Apple” over “Onions and thyme” and “The hen and the egg” to “Walnut and berries”.  An in case you wonder about my math … we got an extra dish as we expressed slight dislike towards one of the dishes :)

In general, I have to say that not just in variety of food and ideas, but also in our personal like/dislike in taste we had a wide spread. Most of the dishes were extremely surprising and great, but as usual one doesn’t like everything. That’s the good thing about having a lot of dishes …

As a final judgement I guess I have to say that it has been a once in a life-time evening … meaning that I am very happy we did it, but I am not sure if I would spend that kinda money again.

The eleven starters

• Malt flatbread and juniper (it was actually already in our table flower pot from the beginning)
• Nasturtium and snail (a snail in an eatable flower)
• (fried moss served on a moss plate)
• Leek and seaweed butter (fried leek root stuffed with seaweed)
• Blue mussel (blue mussels served with a dressing in an eatable shell)
• Crispy pork and black current
• Fjord shrimp and browned butter (to be eaten on ice and alive)
• Rye bread, chicken skin, peas and lovage (kind of a toast with fried chicken skin)
• Pickled and smoked quails egg
• Radish, soil and grass (selection of radish in a cream bread crumb dressing looking like soil)
• Toast, herbs, smoked cod roe and vinegar

I just came back from this year’s MAD Foodcamp Copenhagen, the festival for more crazy food.

Interesting little fair kinda thing, with lots of little stands presenting various kinds of food and drinks. Unfortunately the weather was kinda crazy as well and strangely enough the organisers seemingly haven’t prepared for that (here in Copenhagen???).

Anyway I had some woodruff- potato-English-cream-nitrogen ice cream; made my own self made Danish bon fire wok dish; and ate a few more appetisers.

Unfortunately the amount of information one could get at some of the stands was close to zero …
so it’s a really nice idea, that still could be improved a lot and possibly really nice on a sunny day :(

This year we got a special treat as birthday present from my parents, my sister and her boyfriend … we are going to the world’s best restaurant, Noma. The restaurent situated at Copenhagen harbour has been voted best for two years in a row now.

Hmm… I am soo much looking forward!

And I just got a confirmation for a table in September!!!

To be slightly more specific: Smokey Joe got a place on our balcony, replacing its predecessor Electric Joe.
And to be fully specific: the new Joe is our new portable charcoal BBQ, from now on doing the grilling job on the balcony (in the new apartment we are actually allowed to use it there) and in the parks.
Hmm … I am looking forward to some serious BBQing with this guy …

Smokey Joe is a registered trademark of Weber (also source of the image).