Formel B is the award winning Restaurant of the Year 2007 by Bent Christensen’s Den Danske Spiseguide. This Danish guide is the most thorough and handy guide of what to eat and where when dining out in Denmark.
The guide is also awarding the Best Lunch Place, Best Dessert, Best Eat & Sleep, Best Chef, Best Waiter, Best Sommelier, Best Wine List and Best Digestives for 2007 which are followed here below.
I love the autumn. The colourful trees in bright yellow and powerful red coats, the blue water peeping out between the naked branches at the far end of my garden, the brown leaf on the lawn of my cottage. The autumn is my favourite season, the scents so earthy of moist decay, the red squirrel collecting acorns for its winter storeroom at the feet of the old oak in middle of the garden, the mild damp smell of nuts and mushrooms. Cold mornings, regretting not wearing my gloves cycling to work; to be greeted by the most stunning sun rises colouring the sky decorated with clouds. That is something. After my splendid evening at noma in early August, I was floating. But after a fortnight, withdrawals set in. I was feeling love-sick and had to do something about it. I was ill and I needed medication.
For years I’ve been hearing about these wonderful and famous restaurants always abroad and too far away to really explore them. Then, all of a sudden there is a star in my own back garden. Lucky me. Thank you Yin, for reminding me!
To experience noma’s magical cuisine made of the products I see when I go for a walk on the beach on the North coast of Zealand or in the woods – that’s so inspiring. The fact the Danish herbs can take part in such a stunning dining adventure is amazing, and in a way it makes me proud.
Anyway, although I tried to stay away from noma’s website, on 18th of August I couldn’t resist any longer and booked my table for a lunch about two months later. Really wanted to go sooner but couldn’t fit it into my busy schedule.
Noma in the Autumn. I have experienced noma in the spring and summer, and I now wanted to see what the fruits of the fall would bring me.
Tuesday, 9th of October was the day, my day. On my way to the restaurant I couldn’t help myself smiling. I felt like a little child at Christmas’ eve so full of sparkling expectations and impatience. Then seeing the high flagpoles of noma’s neighbouring North Atlantic House made me so glad. Noticing the tiny noma door sign further away made my heart jump once and speed up a bit. I was so excited that I could barely open the door to restaurant, partly because it’s very heavy, but also because I knew that at the very instant of entering, the much appreciated and happily looking forward to it would end immediately.
The Snack
With a glass of the good N.V. Agrapart champagne of grapes from nine different parcels and the usual snack of herbs dip, skin and groats crisps, I was ready to go.
Smoked and pickled quail’s egg
Like at my August visit, I got the delicious pickled and smoked quail’s egg, but this day it arrived in a dotted eggshell designed especially for noma, and it fitting nicely the warm colours and nature-sentiment of the place. For some reason the funny softness and moistness of the sticky egg combined with the smoke reminded me of the Italian Scamorza cheese. Again this little egg was very enjoyable and perfectly salted.
The Appetizer
The clear and fresh appetizer of Löjrom with milk skin, iced horseradish, herbs, rye bread crisps spiced up with apple vinegar and oil from cold pressed rapes made a fantastic starter. When taking a bit of everything I got this divinity in my mouth, the cool and pronounced horseradish and the sweet milk and salty roes. I did not at all sense the skinniness of it. It was all pleasure and I felt good about being finally back at my favourite place in Copenhagen.
King crabs and ashed leeks
The wonderful King crabs. How can I describe this? Well, it was delicious in a gentle way. It was like a lover’s passionate touch on the cheek, the little gesture that tells you everything. This was everything. The tasty poached crab meat side by side with the leeks was a very good match, and the black ashes broke the total roseate, idyllic picture of it and added a bit of character. The smell of the toasted bread crumbs still warm and comprising salt suited nicely the sea fruits of crab and the mussel emulsion, which I think the white sauce was at the bottom. A lovely dish.
Mackerel and dried gooseberries, walnuts and anise
Warning! Turn down the sound on your machine before you watch the video. Unfortunately this clip is the only visual image I have of the dish, as I was so seduced by the dancing smoke swirling mysteriously over the fish that I forgot to photograph it.
Anyway, raw mackerel of highest quality with a fennel and dill soup spiced with walnuts, anise and nitrogen cooled gooseberries. I don’t think that I have ever gotten such delicious mackerel fish before, and the green soup was very fresh in taste. It was a very good course and a nice and surprising experience, but somehow it lacked something, and I’m not sure what – sweetness perhaps.
Mushroom and birch wine bouillon, egg yolk and chickweed
The look of this dish very much presented the tastiness of it. The mushrooms were of different textures, all very earthy and full in taste. The flavour of the birch wine bouillon somewhat resembled that of malt, but the soup had a lighter feeling to it. The egg yolk in the middle of the plate was softly poached, to keep it from messing up the nice look of the soup. The yolk added substance, the cracker added salt and the fresh herbs provided perspective. I’m a huge mushroom fan and this course was great – back on track.
The wine I had was a German 2005 Spätburgunder, I forgot the producer, sorry. The nose was fresh and fruity and had hints of kerosine and the taste was cool and a little bit closed at the beginning. After a while it offered warm pepper and a lot of fruit to the palate, I loved the clear Pinot Noir taste of it. The after-taste was shortish, but after some time in the glass more fruit evolved and the kerosine disappeared. Lau (head waiter I think) had suggested a fruity wine for the bouillon and I couldn’t agree more – this fruit bomb was a brilliant match and extended the whole experience. Bravo!
Ox-tails and verbena, apples and Jerusalem artichokes
I’ve had ox-tails many times before and especially as a kid. My mum would cook the tail cut in big and smaller pieces, and I ate it holding the bone between my thumb and index finger, sucking the tender meat and sometimes almost choking on the jelly-like ox fat. Although my mum is a great cook, this noma ox-tails were at least a hundred times better. White paper thin apple slices alternated by thick bites of Jerusalem artichokes, and next to them a boneless meat heap full of pure ox taste. The meat was covered by a delicate apples jelly, an intense and rich ox stock accompanied it and green verbena leaves were sprinkled about. The scent of the dish was heavenly, sweet and flowery. The verbena is a very particular herb, very perfumed and with such impression of flavours. It’s sweet like apples, and aromatic like garden balm with acidic notes.
The brilliance of the this main course also lied in the pairing of the Jerusalem artichokes and the ox meat with the apples and verbena herb. The sweetness was controlled by the sour. If anything was ever perfect, it has to be this dish, so cleverly imagined, a valley of paradisiac beauty. The highlight.
With a 2000 Henri Bonneau, Chateneuf du Pape it couldn’t be more delightful. The wine is entirely (?) composed by Grenache grapes, soft as silk, and fruity with a very delicious palate. It was full flavoured and had a very, very long after-taste. A great wine to go with the wonderful ox-tails.
Skyr sorbet, elderflower mousse, macaroons and wood sorrel
The next dish wasn’t either part of the menu, and what a sweet surprise it was. The beautiful and pink look of it was underlining the femininity of noma’s cuisine. The taste of it was so marvellous that I felt totally bashful. I still remember the lovely flavour of the sweet and perfumed elderflower mousse, which was balanced with the fruity citrus-flavoured skyr sorbet and the fresh sorrel. It was a perfect dessert to my taste and wondered if I could get my local ice-cream shop to fabricate such a fantastic sorbet.
Goat cheese and tarragon, blackberry segments
The main dessert looked kinda funny. It consisted of goat cheese ice-cream pointing directly at me, and rolled in frozen blackberry granules. Tarragon dust supported it as well as a blackberry juice. The flavours were perfectly balancing each other and really the strengths of the dish, a very interesting concept, but not really sweet. Mixing all the ingredients made the taste very good, although I don’t fancy goat cheese that much. I wondered whether some molecular prescription has instructed that tarragon eliminates the woollen goat milk’s annotations, because it truly hid the goat-ish taste of it. And I was happy that the white dust was so generously dozed. I imagine that to a goat cheese lover the dessert would have been heavenly.
The sweetness which wasn’t pronounced in this dessert was surely found in the wine. A 2005 Domaine Richard Leroy, Noëls de Montbenault, Coteaux du Layon Faye D’Anjou, France with a delightful golden colour and a sweet palate but with body too, making it very enjoyable. It added an extra dimension to the course – I mean frequently the wine is a food support, but here it had it’s own identity and that was remarkably nice and unique about it.
A cup of coffee
Flødebolle
You know that I have a sweet tooth, and I’m specially keen on flødeboller. Oh, how much I had hoped for it to re-join the coffee. It was absolutely delicious and with a very fresh-made mousse, which is the key to a good flødebolle. Note the stone under the pink beetroot amuse: It was very cold and prevented the chocolate from immediately starting to melt. In fact, it was just like it had spent all day long in the fridge just waiting for me. Yum yum!
I was lunching alone on this occasion, completely enjoying everything about it; watching the view of the room, and I admit, the other guests in the room to see how they were liking it. I just loved being there, and the peace of it entirely on my own, being back, tasting the wonderful food, feeling surprised and seduced once again.
I must mention again the picturesque beauty of each dish, which were presented before me. I always enjoy the food more when all my senses are being stimulated.
I had a wonderful time not least because of the hospitality of the staff, who totally spoilt me. Laurent speaks of serenity and the fact that it seemed like they were risking their life on each dish coming out of the kitchen. He is right! And I’d like to add that it’s the way that every single person working there is passionate about the place, cherish it, they care – otherwise they wouldn’t be there.
Going back to noma is for me like coming home, the service friendly but still adequately distinct, the atmosphere cosy but still elegant. I love the staff’s humour and wit.
Serenity, pureness and honesty. Big words I know. Well not too big for what noma is capable of.
Thank you, Rene.
And thank you, Lau.
I’m still in love! Very much.
Ps. Already booked again for next month. Couldn’t help it.
The Italian trattoria style restaurant FAMO 51 has become one of my favourite low end dining places. Simple, variant, creative and above all deliciously good food. I have written about FAMO 51 before at my blog but not shown any pictures of the food I eat there.
A couple of days ago the restaurant was hosting an informal family reunion of mine and we all enjoyed the following dishes.
We shared a Bellavista Franciacorta Spumante which to my regrets is poured into a bowl glass and not a champagne glass which would better retain the fine and fickled bubbles.
As always, a good hiding of various antipasti flying in at high speed from the kitchen. Cheeses (no photo as I generally don’t find cheese very photogenic), Parma ham – the best in Denmark, sausages, marinated or grilled vegetables.
Parma ham and coppa sausage
A mixture of grilled and marinated vegetables
Porchetta
Chicken with raisins and pine nuts
Polenta with red onions and fried panchetta
Porchetta is a boneless roasted pork stuffed with herbs cooked slowly and here served with a few drops of olive oil and Parmasan cheese. The herbs add an intense and wonderful flavour to the pork meat.
The polenta came with red onions and fried panchetta cut very thin. I’m not sure why but in find that dried meat is most delectable, when it’s cut as thin as possible. It’s more delicate and elegant that way. A bit like truffles, there’s no reason to chop thick slices, I mean the flavour is not doubled in any way. Furthermore, the thin slices make the enjoyment last longer. This panchetta was so lovely, salted in the best way and perfectly crispy without being too hard or elastic.
Ravioli with aubergines, onions and tomatoes
Pasta with rabbit ragout
This evening the two pasta dishes were somehow better than the pasta dishes I’ve got here in the past. I love aubergines and the mild and slight subtle taste was fine. However, the ragout of rabbit was the highlight of my evening. Wow. Salt, hidden sweetness of vegetables combined with the meat, exactly like I’ve had it in the North East part of Italy and I recollected images from my nice occasions in that region, I feel very close to in my heart.
Stuffed quail
The main course comprised a quail stuffed which was good too, tender and tasty, but not unique like some of the other dishes that night.
Two different red wines accompanied the food, a 2003 Marsaglia, Complotto, Langhe Rosso, Piemonte (Nebbiolo and Barbera on Tonneaux barrels) and a 2004 Sesti, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany (100% Sangiovese, organic and on oak for 12 months). The Complotto was dark red in colour and very fruity, cherries, in both nose and palate and with an adequate amount of tannin to balance it. The Rosso was lighter in colour with a slight orange note, a lovely warm and vivid feeling and taste with a delicate and weak fruit flavour – oh, how this pleased my palate. The Complotto was too fruity and too squashy in my opinion, but I was outvoted – the rest of the table favoured the juicy one.
Tiramisu and cheese cake
We were unable to choose between the Tiramisu and the cheese cake and so got a combination of them both. But I should have made up my mind for only the lovely homemade Tiramisu as it was levels better than the cake. The cake was anonymous and I didn’t finish it. The yellow texture on the side was pineapple marinated with a liquor of some kind – very good.
FAMO 51 is stable and a marvellous place with personality. The food is always perfectly balanced, delicious and nicely compopsed by numerous dishes providing a wholesome meal of very fine quality products. I too love the relaxed style of it and that Fabbio (I’ve never met Morten Kaltoft) always greets his guests.
Fridays are shell fish night both at FAMO and FAMO 51 and is also highly recommendable.
Going back to my family dinner, we were the last ones leaving the place that night, and what was a bit odd about it was that the waitresses were much more into finalizing the nights accounting business than saying good bye to us. Very unlike Fabbio, and made me miss him. Anyway, we still had a splendid evening!
A stunning view, posh interior, excellent food, fine service – a fantastic experience.
Sounds of horse shoes on cobblestones, a murmur of Italian business men dressed in black and brown suits, gesticulating when talking loud on the phone, Dutch, German, Chinese, American voices and even Danish, the splashing water from the fountains I pass by on my way round the ancient and amazing eternal city of beloved Rome, full of history and atmosphere. This is Rome. I am back. Wide and narrow houses polished in orange, pink, white, yellow, light blue or rose colours, the front decorated with the eyes to the world, windows with brown shutters to cover, the Piazza della Rotonda, my very favourite spot in this capital, resting my tired and worn out feet for a little while, steeling a moment to sit an enjoy a cold and refreshing soda, the sun shining from a clear and azure blue sky, a few white puffy clouds drifting and changing the picture, and, above all, the stunning view of the magnificent Pantheon.
How much I had looked forward to this event. Months. Reading reviews (Gastroville)but finding it very hard to imagine what it would be like. My very first three Michelin stars experience. I booked the table at La Pergola, at the roof garden of the Cavalieri Hilton hotel, back in February. They were not used to such early bookings and requested that I would confirm the reservation one month prior and two days before the big night. Circumstances would that I had to move my booking one day and when doing that I specifically asked for a window table, but as the restaurant was already quite booked and therefore could not honour my request. They also told me that they did reserve me a window table when I first booked. To my surprise, I eventually did get window table and was thrilled about that.
In the taxi on my way to La Pergola sitting with an ear-to-ear frog’s smile on my happy face and brimful excited, I saw the most beautiful sun set, an orange-yellow golden painted sky, a combination of mist, city smog, jets’ vapour tails and a volatile cloudiness smearing out the bright colours, in the front black silhouettes of the pine trees. A magnificent view and start of a great evening. I mentioned the beauty of the sunset to the football match listening driver (Inter was playing against Roma) who not too enthusiastically concurred with me and added: You’re romantic, huh? I suppose, I am.
The cocktail waiter was great. Had the other staffs been just like him I would have been in heaven. What was so fantastic about him was that he was communicative to a very large extend. I arrived early before my three friends and decided to have a drink at the top floor balcony. Yes, the panorama from up there is really amazing; this evening even rewarded me with the most stunning almost but not completely full moon. The waiter recommended me a cocktail. I’m no cocktail fan. However, he managed to talk me into trying one because this place creates cocktails like no other places, according to my waiting friend. OK, let’s give it a shot, I thought. What I eventually found myself enjoying was an orange-pink champagne cocktail of ingredients I don’t recall but with pinot noir champagne and a decorative cocktail stick darting a twisted slice of green lime and a blue-white heartsease flower. Bitterness and champagne – exactly like I had requested.
Sorry to say that there are no photos of mine from this evening. I forgot to bring my battery charger at home and although I spent half of my Saturday trying to get one, I didn’t succeed. My thanks to Steve for the lovely view and appetizers’ images I’m spicy-ing this review with.
The Menu:
Raw tuna on amaranth grain with dehydrated pea purée Cylinder of scampi with olive oil powder and tapioca vinaigrette
Artichoke ravioli with red shrimps and grey-mullet roe Crispy red mullet with autumn herbs
Amberjack cooked in garlic-flavoured olive oil
on cannelloni beans with salt cod snow Duck liver escalope with toasted hazelnut purée
with Amaretto puff and fig marmalade
Pigeon breast with corn powder and black potatoes A fine selection of cheese from the trolley
Grand dessert
The dishes were all very good, sharp I would say, absolutely distinct and polished. The first three and the foie gras with the nicely matching hazelnuts were the ones that appealed most to me, the dessert too, of course. The amuse bouches were fantastic, the intense and bitter-flavoured grey-mullet roes were brilliant with the pasta dish, and I adored the sweet taste of the langoustines balanced with the restrained acidic juice of the tapioca. The red mullet was wrapped in a thin paste of some kind and fried; this was the crispy-ness, and it resembled a spring roll in look as in taste. Very good and kindly also given to my friend, who had chosen to go a la carte with only three courses. It’s astounding what frost can do to food, experiencing the white frozen cod with a lovely and full flavour was another highlight. The pigeon was the least interesting dish, but that may have only been because of the amount of gastronomical impressions. An overdose. I was close to risking a suffering from food hangover the next day.
They were not kidding. The grand dessert is enormous. Before the first sweet dish they even presented a pre-dessert of white apple sorbet in a brown soup, which I’ve forgotten what was. With it we also got a silver shrine for two to share containing 12 drawers with two petit fours in each one. I started regretting wearing the tight black dress. We got nine different and small desserts served in three flights. I recall a soufflé, gratinated raspberries, a cocoa shot, almonds’ gelatine, a pineapple cake, crème brûlée I believe, and the winner: a cocktail glass of a lovely coffee ice-cream reminding me of Milan where a six years old Trine went down to the bar all by herself and asked for un gelato, one of the few words I knew in Italian, the brown plastic coffee cup with the delicious beige coloured ice-cream.
A water menu. Okay, I admit that I do find it a bit ridicules, but that’s probably because I’m not refined enough and used to this entire cornucopia of it. When I read the menu offered water from the mountains of Denmark I could not help myself laughing. Quietly. Ironically, Denmark is flat as a pan cake. The highest point is 171 meters. I usually don’t say anything about prices on this blog but I have to state the fact that I do find it ridicules to offer a 155 € water bottle. I don’t even remember where the water came from and I wonder who would ever order it.
We had two bottles of wine a 2003, Martinelli, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria, Italy and 1999, Terre degli Svevi, Aglianico del Vulture Re Manfredi, Basilicata, Italy.
One thing that didn’t work out very well. We ran out of wine by the fourth or fifth course and asked for the wine book again. But this didn’t stop the kitchen from rolling out the next courses; dishes kept coming in like bowling balls popping up from the ball return rail. It seemed that the stone-faced wine waiter didn’t coordinate with the cooks.
About the wine. I chose the Sagrantino and I didn’t find as nice as I would have expected. It comprised a nice dryness but not enough fruit and body, unfortunately. I liked the Aglianico much better: rocks and restrained fruit, a full body, even cheaper. Why is it that my wine-lover friend is always outdoing me on wine knowledge? The expert on Italian wines was supposed to be me!
When Mr. Heinz Beck greeted us at our table I thanked him for a delicious meal and asked him to sign one of his cook books for me to bring home to Copenhagen to be a hearty recollection of my fancy night. Unfortunately, they were out of English versions and had forgot that I had said an Italian one would work for me as well. I was thus very pleased when the manager, I think he was, most kindly offered me to leave my email address for contacting me when the book would be in stock again by December. They are going to send me a copy with Mr. Beck’s signature in it, being a nice Christmas present for myself, hopefully. I really liked the hospitality at La Pergola, they have rules but it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. Especially I appreciated the service from the sweet hostess and from the bartender like I mentioned earlier.
After the coffee I had to order a grappa just to extend my first three stars night. The waiter brought me a 1999, Berta Grappa di Moscato. I usually find Muscat grappa too perfumed, but I was very keen on this one, actually.
When we were leaving the restaurant, each of us got a card listing the wine and exactly the courses we each had had – all the nine courses and the three a la carte dishes plus the kind extra red mullet plate for my friend who didn’t choose the set menu.
To be honest I loved the luxurious exclusiveness of it: the escort to the loo each time I went, the gold-plated cutlery, the little stool next to me for my bag elevating it for easy access, naturally the food of very high-quality products everything perfect, the fact that they changed the table decoration, smoother lightning, and brilliantly gave us all new serviettes before the dessert dishes arrived. The gentlemen all wearing jackets not allowed to cool themselves taking it of during the dinner. Yes, they do provide a jacket for you if you had forgotten one yourself. With this entire extravaganza I couldn’t help myself thinking about the Roman Holiday. I was Hepburn-ish a princess for one evening, lavishly coddled, wonderfully rapt and didn’t want the whole thing to end.
I really feel privileged about this experience and feel that it was worth it, it’s highly recommendable, and I would love to go back to visit La Pergola if I ever get the chance. Having said that, I imagine though that going back to Rome would be for the history, the archaeology and the sentiment of the city. Not for gourmet dining.
La Pergola’s view and the greeting moon in the horizon repeatedly in the sky, when I the next evening sat on the plane back to Copenhagen writing this, I delightfully lived through this fabulous night once more.
One thing is certain. This is not my last three Michelin stars experience!
Not many international guides cover Copenhagen in their restaurant guides. Even less go outside the capital of Denmark. In fact by early 2007, I only knew of the Michelin Guide. Thanks to Luxeat I now know more (thanks, A.!).
In a comment The “Gastronaut” questions lack of Michelin coverage of provincial Denmark and Scandinavia and why the great places outside Copenhagen don’t qualify for a Michelin star? I think that’s a very good question.
But we don’t have only to use that one for our references. There are many other resources like for example the many passionate food bloggers, of whom I have already mentioned a few and list more in my favourite blogs’ list.
Another great site is Steve Ploticki’s blog Opinionated About Dining, a guide to where to eat and why you should eat there, which I stumbled upon a few months ago.
Steve has collected information from friends and people who can be described as ‘Destination Diners’. These are people who travel for the purpose of eating in the world’s best restaurants. Their opinions are gathered in the guide ’50 Most Recommended Restaurants in North America and Europe’. You can get a copy of Steve’s guide by hitting the link on his page. Sadly noma or no other Danish restaurants are on that list but hopefully will be next year.
This year the survey is open for everybody to rate, and I urge you all to sign up and state your vote for your favourite restaurants over the globe, and indeed so Denmark’s fabulous restaurants will be represented in next year’s the guide too.
To honour my mom and dad I have decided to publish this post in both Danish and English – inspired by my blogger friends Laurent and recently discovered Julot who both post reviews in two different languages.
For fuldt at takke min mor og far har jeg valgt at skrive en dansk udgave af min Geranium-oplevelse.
Jeg har nogle søde forældre. De kender mig. Rigtigt godt endda, for de vidste præcis hvilken gave der ville glæde mig allermest: God mad på en lækker restaurant.
Til min fødselsdag havde min mor printet forsiden af Geraniums website ud I farver og skrevet på papiret “Frokost med mor”. Vi valgte datoen den 20. september til vores lille mor-datter udflugt. Tænk at jeg virkeligt skulle spise på denne allerhøjest værdsatte Geranium. Det var en uventet gave.
Geranium, der åbnede i april i år, ligger meget smukt på kanten af Kongens Have I et lille hus med sildebensparket og sprossede hvide vinduer, der vender ud mod haven og som folk passerer forbi til fods og på cykel. Den meget venlige Søren Ledet, der er partner og den ene køkkenchef i etablissementet (Rasmus Kofoed er den anden) fortalte os, at det originale hus blev bygget i 1623 af Christian 4. så han på sine slentreture rundt i Rosenborg Slotshave kunne få sig en lille forfriskning, når han trængte til det. Huset nedbrændte i en af brandene, som hærgede København i 1800-tallet og blev herefter genopbygget omkring 1770. Der har altid været en eller anden form for beværtning i huset.
Appetizer
Appetizer’en var en lille herlighed af kongekrabbe med en blomkålscreme, hyldebær og hybenrosenblade. Duften af disse blade sendte mine tanker til gåture langs vandet ved mit sommerhus, hvor frodige hybenbuske frister med deres modne orange og røde bær og sødlige parfume.
Syrligheden I de små hyldebær passede fint sammen med det søde krabbekød, og den let bitre samt tandfaste kål balancerede appetitvækkeren til perfektion. En fornem start på denne gastronautiske rejse og med et nip af en dejlig 2005 Viré-Clessé, som jeg desværre har glemt producenten på, kunne jeg læne mig tilbage i stolen, blød af læderbetrækket og tegnet af Arne Jacobsen, min favoritarkitekt, og blot hengive mig.
Sikken meget plads at bruge til at beskrive blot en lille mundhapser. Sagen er, at jeg havde læst en god håndfuld henførte og skamrosende anmeldelser (Allans for eksempel) af stedet, som naturligvis havde givet mig høje forventninger. Jeg frygtede dog, at Geranium ikke kunne leve op til disse forventninger ligesom Allan oplevede det, da han besøgte noma. Jeg ønskede mindst af alt at blive skuffet, fordi hvordan kan man overhovedet tillade sig at blive skuffet, når man får mulighed for at blive bespist og begavet af en restaurant som denne, der præsterer så høj køkkenjonglering, topkvalitetsprodukter og ja – you name it. Nej vel?
Da jeg gik ind af døren i Kronprinsessegade havde jeg derfor forsøgt at glemme alt hvad jeg hørt, set og læst om Geranium. Jeg var edderspændt.
Det smukke lokale, blomsterne og olielampen på bordet, lyset, vinen, appetitvækkeren og I det hele taget stemningen i rummet gjorde at jeg kunne slappe helt af og indstille alle mine sanser på oplevelseskanalen: Krabbehapseren var fremragende. Jeg var sikker på, at dette ville blive godt!
Første ret: Kammuslinger
2005, Viré-Clessé, Bourgogne, Frankrig
Kammuslinger med mayo, rødbede, skovsyre, friske hasselnødder, et brombær og en lille sovs på jomfruhummer. Meget lækkert og sammensætningen af nødder og kammuslinger var eminent. Sødme og fyldighed i en skøn forening. Hvad angår mayonnaisen, så ville retten have været perfekt også uden den.
Havtaske med løg, græskar, krondild og græskarsuppe
2002 Domaine Zind Humbrech, Heimburg, Alsace, Frankrig
Tjeneren kom med to store tallerkener med hver et lille hul I midten som præsenterede et par havtaskestykker, løg (blancheret eller let svitset) samt små græskartern. Dernæst fyldte hun hullet med den gule græskarsuppe. Endnu en delikat servering, suppen var meget fyldig og intens i smagen og næsten på kanten til at bedøve den delikate fisk, som manglede en lille smule salt. Måske ville lidt salt, som ikke var at finde på bordet, forstærke havtaskens smag og dermed markere den klarere overfor græskarsuppen.
Humbrecht’en var jeg helt vild med. Duft af petroleum og sødmefyldte mimoser, intens og parfumeret frugtsmag balanceret af syre og struktur. Et fint selskab til græskaret.
Marsk lam med jordskokker, spidskål, lammenyre og kartoffel-chioffonade
2005 Trapet Père et Fils, Marsannay, Bourgogne, Frankrig
Jeg bliver nødt til at være helt ærlig og blot sige at dette stykke lammefilet er det bedste jeg har smagt. Nogensinde. Jeg var helt overrumplet og havde til dato aldrig forestillet mig at lammekød kunne være så smagfuldt, altså at smagen af kød kunne være så fyldig, så intens og så uhyre lækker og stegt til perfektion og næsten rå i midten. Hvis du nogensinde får chancen for at smage Marsk lam må du love mig at gøre det. Wauuw!
Grøntsagerne som akkompagnerede, var også dejlige. Jeg elsker jordskokker, så jeg var henrykt. Også selvom indmad ikke er min favoritspise, for nyren havde faktisk en berettigelse på denne tallerken. Den kraftige og karakteristiske jernagtige smag tilførte retten struktur og perspektiv og sørgede for at totaloplevelsen ikke blev for vammel af intensitet, sødme og fylde. Men det lam dér? Jeg må repetere: Vanvittig lækkert!
Rødvinen jeg fik til var en ung Bourgogne fuld af potentiale, let men rig på tannin, god fyldighed og duft som igen reklamerede petroleum, en elegant og varig eftersmag. Jeg kunne virkeligt god lide den og forsvandt nærmest mentalt af at stikke min næse I glasset og inhalere denne fantastiske Pinot Noir frugt.
Danske oste
2004, Domaine de Bablut, Coteaux de L’Aubance, Frankrig og en
P.X. Piedra Luenga, Spanien
De fire oste var alle danske og blev serveret med syltede grønne tomater, som fungerede fint til ligesom vinen, to slags, en sirupsagtig og lækker P.X.’ til blåskimmelosten, der var ret tør i konsistensen og den af dem jeg syntes bedst om. Den lyse Bablut havde det lidt svært med de smagfulde oste som næsten dominerede vinen.
Hvid chokolade, blåbær og lakrids
2006, Rudolf Trossen, Madonna Auslese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Tyskland
Skønne farver af pink, violet, blå, gul og orange som følges ad I vinens etikette og desserten kolorit. Friske og tørrede blåbær, blåbærsorbet, en creme af hvid chokolade, mynteblade og rålakrids, der blev revet henover tallerkenen. En meget smuk dessert, hvor lakridsen kun blev diskret antydet I eftersmagen, på same måde som chili der først træder frem efter nogle sekunder i munden. Vinen dertil overlod intet til fantasien.
Prøv en gang at se, hvorledes knivens blad balancerer med spidsen af bladet ned mod bordet. Dette er genialt designet af svenskeren Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe for bare 10 år siden og fabrikeret af George Jensen. Bestikket har tyngde og er dejligt at spise med og for mig var det en lille ekstra ting der løftede totaloplevelsen af denne frokost.
Betjeningen var kompetent, sød og fuld af god humor som jeg sætter stor pris på. Hos Geranium skiftes servietten, min kæphest, ved hvert toiletbesøg, men to gange fik vi ikke doneret en ny. Jeg nævnede det ikke anden gang, fordi jeg på det tidspunkt var nået til kaffen og min mor var sød nok til at lade mig låne et hjørne af sin.
Indretningen af restauranten og designet af stedet er vidunderligt. Lyset og brug af diskrete farver der reflekteres: grå duge og rullegardiner, den (eneste) kraftige grønne farve på Geranium-skiltet og de spraglede og grønne lamper, køligheden, de sorte stole og tunge duge i tre lag, som næsten rører gulvet. Rummet indgyder ro, og det er skønt blot at være tilstede. Geranium har en plads i mit hjerte ikke blot på grund af maden men også for at sætte fokus på dansk design.
Åh for resten, hvorfor fik vi ikke muligheden for at smage lidt geranium?
Parma ham and coppa sausage
A mixture of grilled and marinated vegetables
Porchetta
Chicken with raisins and pine nuts
Polenta with red onions and fried panchetta
Ravioli with aubergines, onions and tomatoes
Pasta with rabbit ragout
Stuffed quail
Tiramisu and cheese cake
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