Geranium – A Lovely Late Summer’s Oasis

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.

The Danish version is available her.

My mom and dad are sweet. They know me. They know exactly what kind of birthday present I would appreciate the most. Good food eaten out.

For my birthday my mom had printed out in colours the main page of Geranium’s website and written ‘Lunch with mom’ on it. I was astounded. Was I really to experience the highly appreciated restaurant of Geranium? I hadn’t expected this kind of present. We chose the 20th of September for executing this mom-daughter event.

Geranium opened in April this year in a beautiful old house in Kogens Have. A little house with a soul and a history, herringbone pattern parquet flooring and white barred windows, people passing from time to time on foot and on cycling wheels. The very kind Søren Ledet, one of the two chefs (partnering Rasmus Kofoed), told me that the original house was built in 1623 for the purpose of Christian IV of Denmark to refresh himself when strolling around the park of Rosenborg Castle. It burnt down in one of the fires in Copenhagen during the 18th hundreds and was rebuilt around 1770. There has always been some kind of pub or food and drink there, so people could get refreshments when walking round the park.

Appetizer

The amuse bouche was a delicious king crab with a cauliflower cream, elderflower berries and rose leaves. The smell of these roses had a very powerful perfume and they instantly reminded me of the hip bushes I pass by when I walk by the fiord side, where my weekend cottage is.
The acidity and the flavour of the elderflower berries were a very good match to the sweet crab fish, and the slight toothy and acrid cabbage made it just perfect. A nice start for this gastronautic adventure. The sip of white very nice 2005 Viré-Clessé (sorry forgot the name of the producer) made me relax and I leaned back in the soft and comfortable leather covered chair designed by the Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, my favourite architect of all.

What a lot of space to describe only the appetizer. Well, the thing is I had read many top reviews about Restaurant Geranium, which set very high expectations to this first visit of mine. On the other hand, I tried not to be too exited because of the experience that Allan had with visiting noma. What I least wanted, was to be disappointed, because how on earth could I allow myself to feel let down, when I was privileged to even dine at a place like Geranium. I mean to experience the level of cooking and the food quality, not to mention the creativity and the cleverness of it. This was good food no doubt about that.
Anyway, I tried to go neutral. When I entered the little house in the middle of Kronprinsessegade, I restored everything I new about Geranium. Need I say I was excited?

The setting of the room, the wine and the appetizer, it all took off my nervousness. This was going to be good! I felt relieved.

Scallops
2005, Viré-Clessé, Bourgogne, Frankrig

Scallops with mayo, beet root, wood sorrel, a blackberry, fresh hazel nuts and a liquid based on langoustines. Very delicious and the match of scallops versus hazel nuts was brilliant and so good. The mayo, I believe the dish would have been perfect even without it.

Monk fish, onions and pumpkin, wild dill with pumpkin soup
2002 Domaine Zind Humbrech, Heimburg, Alsace, Frankrig

The waiter brought in the huge plate with tiny wholes in the middle comprising monk fish, wild dill, onions (blanched or cooked) and small pumpkin squares. Then she filled up the whole with a hot pumpkin soup. A very delicious, sweet and very rich soup that nearly overdosed the delicate flavour of the fish, which in my opinion could have used a bit of extra salt. Perhaps the salt may had made the monk fish’s mark more clear towards the pumpkin. A lovely dish.

I was mad about the the Humbrecht. Scent of kerosene, sweet mimosas, an intense and very perfumed fruit flavour balanced by a nice acidity and fabulous composition. A great companion to the pumpkin.

Marsh lamb with Jerusalem artichokes, cabbage leaves, lamb kidney and potatoes chioffonade
2005 Trapet Père et Fils, Marsannay, Bourgogne, Frankrig

I have to say this, honestly, this fillet piece of lamb is the very best and most tasty lamb I have ever had in my entire life. I had no idea that such meat could be this tasty and really rich in flavour. So delicious, so good and cooked perfect, almost rare in the middle. If you ever come near Marsh lamb you have to try it!

The vegetables accompanying were very good too. I love, love Jerusalem artichokes, so I was happy and although I’m not the biggest fan of offals, it did make sense with the kidney on this plate. With the intense, characteristical iron taste and bitter flavours it added substance and perspectives to the dish. But really that meat of lamb, dazzling!

The red wine that accompanied was a young Burgundy full of potential, light but rich on tannin and had a nice palate and a pleasurable after-taste. Scents, again, of kerosene slightly noted in the taste also. I liked it very much and adored leaning my nose into the glass to inhale the glorious Pinot Noir fruit.

Danish cheeses
2004, Domaine de Bablut, Coteaux de L’Aubance, Frankrig og en
P.X. Piedra Luenga, Spanien

The four cheeses were all from Denmark and served with pickled green tomatoes and a wine set of the light Bablut for the white cheese and the dark P.X. for the blue cheese, the best of the four and quite dry and flake-ish in texture. A good choice to match it with the sweet and thick like a syrup P.X, but the Bablut was a little subservient to the pronounced flavours with the cheese.

White chocolate, blueberries and liquorice
2006, Rudolf Trossen, Madonna Auslese, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Tyskland

A Wonderfully colourful dessert of pink, violet, yellow and orange greeted with the colouring of the wine label. Fresh and dried blueberries, blueberries sorbet, white chocolate cream at the bottom, mint leaves and liquorice. A stunning dessert where the liquorice was balanced so the notes appeared subtlely and with a delay like the way that chilli does it.

Look at the photo and see how the knife is able to stand with the sharp cut side balanced against the table cloth, this is brilliant design by the Swede Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe created only 10 years ago and produced by the Danish craftsmanship company George Jensen. A quilte heavy cutlery, but lovely to eat with.

The staffs were sweet and had a very good sense of humour and I liked that. As to the change of serviettes, my fad, the used serviette was removed every time we went to the loo, but twice we happened to experience not to get a new one. I didn’t mentioned it the second time, as it was while I was drinking my coffee, and my mom was kind to lend me hers.

I must say that the design and the interior decoration at Geranium is fabulous, the light paleness of the colouring and the reflections of them kicking this delicacy: grey table cloths and window blinds, the only powerful colouring of gaily green lamps matching the colour of the house sign above the entrance reading the restaurant name, the strong looking black chairs, it’s fantastic. I love Geranium not only for the food, but also for the focus on the Danish design.

Thank you, Søren, for a lovely lunch!