A few weeks ago a good friend of mine invited me to the restaurant Mielcke & Hurtigkarl where I had never dined before.
The restaurant is situated in the separate garden “Haveselskabets Have” in Frederiksberg Garden. “Haveselskabets Have” is famous for its beautiful flowers and many roses of numerous kinds. It’s as romantic as a love story. In fact, many newly weds go there for having their wedding photos taken.
A lovely champagne
Appetizer 1
Appetizer 2
The food at Mielcke & Hurtigkarl was such a pleasant surprise to me. Many restaurants in Copenhagen are inspired by the new and trendy Nordic cuisine, so for once I was happy to be served a type of kitchen I won’t find anywhere else in town.
2005 MACON-VILLAGE QUINTAINE, Pierrette et Marc Guillemot
KINGCRAB Yuzu and cucumber jelly, lid of rye bread, fresh cream, sea-buckthorn sorbet, peal from saltet Menton lemons.
2007 Muscadet Sevre et Maine ‘Granite’, Domaine de l’Ecu, Loire
GREEN ASPARAGUS “Local vegetables right now” This week’s emerging flowers, greens and herbs, the illusion of soil and a cream made from spelt
Hurtigkarl is quite famous for all his travels around the world and this shows in his style of cooking. Not in an obvious way, though, but refined and just like if all these impressions had been stored in his memory, and all of a sudden a little something from another part of the world popped up and thus shows in the look of a dish or in the taste.
2006 CONDRIEU, Domaine Georges Vernay
POWAN Smoked just prior to serving, lukewarm slices of apple, radish and cucumber, rhubarb jelly.
We were served the daily menu and I got to try it with all the wines pairings. I liked the wines and found them cleverly matched with the flavours of the food. Some of them were wonderful with distinct a scent, full taste and marvelous balance.
2007 ANGLORE “Chemin de la brune”, Eric Pfifferling
TURBOT Seared on the plancha and finished in a beurre monté, with danish strawberries and rhubarbs and Lardo di Colonnata
I didn’t appreciate the strawberry which was garnish for the turbot. It was too sweet to my taste and made me think of dessert rather than a fish course. The rest were fantastic, sharp and innovative, especially the desserts. It was art, there’s no doubt about that.
2004 PETALOS, A. Palacios, Bierzo, Mencia
RACK OF BEEF Purée of celeriac with baked garlic, pickled onions from Chris Elbo, sauce with smoked foie gras. White asparagus and wild garlic.
The service was delightful with charm and relaxed friendliness from all the staff, very warm. It made me feel welcome and in the end I was reluctant to leave.
WATERMELON
2004 ALSACE – Andre Kientzler, Auxerrois
BONFIRE
2007 RHEINGAU, George Breuer, Riesling Auslese.
The restaurant was full the evening I visited and the certain amount of buzz in the one big dinning room made us move our chairs closer to each other to hear each other through the noise. About the chairs, with their curved back rests at the top and the pure white color their design fit the romantic style of the restaurant. Unfortunately, after a few hours they become a bit uncomfortable and a bit too hard for a sensitive bottom.
“Best creative match Copa Jerez 2009” JEREZ, Cream, Bodegas Valdivia Pedro Ximenes.
SHERRY CASK
But really, the strawberry that didn’t match the turbot that well and my two remarks about the room, that’s the only things that wasn’t stunning this evening. Yes, the impression I got of Mielcke & Hurtigkarl stayed with me for days. It was almost like I could still sense the food and taste the wines. Thinking back, I was really moved that night. I have to go back and experience Mielcke & Hurtigkarl again!
Thank you for such a lovely experience!
Chuck – I don’t think Mielcke & Hurtigkarl and Geranium are really comparable. Somehow all Jan Hurtigkarl’s great experience is evident taste wise where there is more curiosity with Rasmus/Søren’s style of cooking. Well, it’s just my view, of course 😉
Laurent – I tried the L’Anglore at noma the first time and I really liked it for what it was, I must say. And, what a lovely evening last Weds.! 😀 I will post it, but have a few other I’d like to write up before that. 😉 I hope you try MH next week. What day of the week are you in town?
Alex – Thank you so much! The Condrieu was certainly amongst the greatest wine of the evening and I really enjoyed it. Of course for that price you can’t just pour the greatest wines but in my opinion the sommelier made excellent choices in terms of how to select both cheaper and more expensive wines. Are you coming to noma and the German wine tasting on 19th August?
Food Snop – Yep. It’s worth it!
Thanks very much guys!
worth a visit, for sure 😛
Wow, nice report as always. One thing I love about your posts is that you never forget to emphasize the wines too. Would have liked to try that Condrieu! Regards, Alex
This is the one i was waiting for.
Great review as usual. The wine selection is quite funny but interesting.
L’Anglore is a small organic winery from Rhone, the guy (Eric Pfifferling) makes wonderful reds – i discovered them 3 years ago and can’t live without now. Reds are wonderful bbut his Tavel (rosé) is simply the best rosé ever.
Petalos del Bierzo is also in my wine cellar (as Breuer of course, but this is more usual). Delicious spanish red discovered at L’air Du temps a couple of months ago : cheap wine (around 15 euros the bottle on internet) but very good value.
Well, i’ll try to go there tomorrow evening as i’m back in town (or next weeks if fully booked).
Can’t still believe Geranium is closed, sad for them, hard times. Need to look to another place for August 4 now.
Can you send me the pics of KiinKiin in coming days ? And do you remember the menu we got ? – don’t have the details at all 🙁
Cheers
Laurent
That looks quite good – almost like a better Geranium. I will have to try that the next time I visit Noma!