Two of Copenhagen’s best restaurants, MR by Mads Refslund and Paustian by Bo Bech have both closed this June and July 11th, 2010 unfortunately. However both restaurant owners claim that they are going to re-open at new locations. Bo will re-open this Autumn somewhere in the area around Kongens Nytorv, he says at his website. Mads is still looking for the premises for his new restaurant. Stay stuned…
Tag Archive for 'MR'
NOTE: This restaurant has close down!
The fifth restaurant for us to visit was MR. We arrived quite late, not sure what the time was at that point. All the guests had left and we were therefore the only party in the restaurant, which was great as it gave a private and more relaxed feeling to it.
Oysters and Sake
Mads Refslund welcomed us and first served some skinny dipping oysters – oyster bathing in warm sake. I liked this marriage of first the cleansing taste of the sake with the burning sense of the alcohol, and then the after-taste full of sea-water with a slight mineral flavour to it. The experience of the two different tastes are separated, and I find that interesting.
Scallops with spinach, smoked egg yolk and bone marrow
Then he brought a basket full of hens’ eggs, covered by a big glass bowl. When he lifted off the cover, smoke infused the room and thrilled my nostrils and I love that, the scent of smoke. These eggs had been smoked for 48-ish hours or something like that. Mads broke the shells and poured one egg yolk on to each plate of spinach, bone marrow and scallops. It was a somewhat rich dish because of the bone marrow, but the acidity in the spinach balanced it. Very good.
Langoustine, seaweed…
Then followed a langoustine course with seaweed which I liked a lot, but I don’t remember much more about it, sorry to say.
2007 Domain Jean & Gilles Lafouge, Meursault Les Meix Chabaux – Very enjoyable
Too soon the taxi driver rang me up and told me he was waiting for us ready to drive us up north to Søllerød Kro – the last stop on our tour around the Copenhagen eateries.
Dear Mads & co, thanks for your kind hospitality!
NOTE: This restaurant has close down!
Great news: Tuesday 30th of June Mads Refslund and Restaurant MR reopened with a new focus on seafood and vegetables and I am so delighted. The reason is that since Mads had closed the restaurant on the 1st of April this year, rumors have had it that he was planning a reopening, but I never saw the concrete evidence. Last week I eventually decided to contact Mads directly and I was happy to hear that they had opened on Tuesday and welcomed the first guests.
With the new concept of solely seafood and vegetables Mads Refslund wants to break with old fashioned Danish traditions of drowning the fish with loads of butter and creamy sauces. Instead, Mads is utilizing the natural flavors that already flows in the ocean and grows in our forests and fields.
MR keeps the one Michelin star because the head chef, Mads Refslund and the restaurant manager Dennis Rasmussen are still managing the restaurant.
Many of Copenhagen’s top-restaurants are closed for holidays during the month of July but Restaurant MR along with The Paul and Herman at Tivoli are still open.
Best of luck, Mads & co.!
NOTE: This restaurant has close down!
Actually it’s the third time I visit MR. First time was in 2006, the most recent was in 2007 and so now on 25 August was my third visit, this time having the whole restaurant to myself. Well, not entirely to myself. I had the pleasure of being the guest of Wandering Epicures’ Linda and Michael. I originally thought of suggesting Herman at Tivoli‘s old Nimb palace serving new interpretations of classical, or old-fashioned if you want, Danish dishes and I figured that would be interesting for Linda and Michael. Also, I knew that the two already had bookings at Geranium and noma.
But unfortunately Herman was unavailable that night, so I suggested MR because of Mads Refslund’s clever and creative cuisine and the style of his somewhat Victorian style restaurant.
My intention was to arrive early and in time to calm down after my cycling to the restaurant, pause for a little while and mentally prepare myself for the gastonomical adventure and for meeting new friends. But because of a long day at work I only got a couple of minutes and a sip of mineral water before Linda and Michael entered the door to the lounge room precisely on time. It’s always a special moment when meeting foodie friends from the blogging world in real life.
We went upstairs and enjoyed a lovely glass of champagne. I’ve had this a few times before: Pascal Doquet Grand Cru, Blanc de Blanc from Le Mesnil sur Oger which was very delicious and full in flavour.
Radishes with dip and…
Heart salad and crab snack
Salmon and caviare
The amuse of delicately smoked salmon was better than the salmon-appetizer I got last year. The fish had a dry-ish surface, which I liked a lot and the black caviare on the top gave a sophistcated touch and more flavour to the high-quality salmon.
We all opted for the seasonal menu offering seven courses. Michael chose the wines, a Condrieu (100% Viognier) and a Spinetta Bionzo Barbera d’Asti Superiore. The Condrieu was very flowery and sweet on the nose and very fruity in taste and very nice overall. The Spinetta was great. It was decanted, quite cold but I like that. It had a fantasic tannin that was powerful but not too much compared to the amount of fruit. After some air it evolved with a warmness and a more full palate with a long finish. I loved this wine.
At the Copenhagen Cooking event Mads Refslund had the day before scored first prize for his starter of Burnt Field, and of course I was dying to try it. So I was thrilled that the kitchen was kind enough to swap it with mais and foie gras which was the intended first dish of the menu.
Burnt Field
It arrived with a glass cover and when removing it a wonderful smell of smoke infused the room. I must say that this truffle and smoke marriage was new to me but it was indeed good as well as suprising. The vegetables were cooked al-dente but a bit too raw to my taste, and they requirred too much cheewing. But the flavours were lovely and the summer truffle had a fine taste and dry texture that proves quality. I understood why this dish had won first place.
Smoked hen’s egg and asparagus
The dish being prepared at our table
Smoked hen’s egg and the last asparagus of the season with portatoes and peas
I don’t know why but this thing puzzled me a bit. Like the first dish the smoke became the vegetables in a nice way and eggs hardly ever do harm. As far as I remember these eggs had been smoked for something like two days. The asparagus were very good and the sweet peas matched the slight bitterness of the asparagus. But the dish seemed somehow incomplete to me. It lacked sharpness and distinction.
Pickled mackerel, water melon and small tomatoes
Ah, this was the highlight for me. I’m quite fond of water melon, love the taste but hate the seeds and I’ve never (as far as I remember) really had water melon at any fancy restaurante before. And in combination with this gorgeous quality mackerel it was fabulous and surprising and a match I’d never think of.
Crayfish and sweetbreads, Red currants with dill and fava beans
This dish wasn’t completely balanced unfortunately. I found the berries a bit too sourish for the sweetbreads and crayfish. I wasn’t crazy about the fava beans either so this dish was the least interesting one for me of this meal.
Chicken with lettuce, parsley and arugula
Next was the main course of chicken with coxcomb. It wasn’t as innovative or daring as the previous dishes but in fact it was nice and the ingredients were balanced and harmonious as well as tasty. That however didn’t count for the coxcomb. Apart from the sauce and the marinade it didn’t offer any flavour and the texture was like that of squid. I liked it, though, for the fun of it.
Beets & Yoghurt, Cherries and woodruff
The outer shell was made of beet’s ice without any milk or cream, and the inside was the yogurt with the aromatic cherries that matched the companions very well. A refreshing and beatiful cleanser.
Strawberries, Goat’s milk and Martini rosso
The Martini Rosso of the second dessert wasn’t very pronouced. Actually, I wasn’t able to identify the flavour but the strawberries were wondeful and the Martini had in my opinion the same affect as salt – it pulled out more of the delicious fruit flavour. Goat’s milk is not my favourite thing, in fact I’m not really able to eat it anymore. I did taste it though and apart from the goat’s taste it was delicate.
Linda and Michael
After my cup of espresso we were kindly guided to see the other dining rooms as well as the kitchen and that’s always a great thing to me.
This was a fine dinner and offering gorgeous products such as caviare and truffles – even without adding extra cost. When I compare this meal with my previous visits this one wasn’t as surprising as the past ones.
Somehow meeting Linda and Michael overshadowed the food this evening. But I think that’s the way it should be.
Thank you, Linda and Michael – hope to see you again!
NOTE: This restaurant has close down!
The food at MR is delectable and surprising in a light new Danish cuisine way. I had dinner there on 15 May 2007 and I just loved it. The food, every dish was delicious, well balanced and I missed nothing.
I like MR first of all for the food, the delicious-ness of each dish. But it’s not just that; it’s the entire experience of dining there. From the moment of entering the posh and vintage styled lounge with the old chubby wood stow, the soft Billy Holiday from the speakers, smart low arm chairs by the round tables, the long curtains reaching the floor, the Rya rugs, which by the way reminded me of a similar one I had in my own little girlish room at my mum’s. Moreover, in the back a long bar counter with red or purple lights that hints at a luxurious club. Luxurious in the Danish and unpretentious, slightly grunge-ish way, and so is the soft lightened loo with lots of room and my favourite perfume.
It does something to me, to sit brimful of expecting excitement, to drink sparkling champagne, waiting a few moments, delaying a bit before stepping up to the first floor where the two dining rooms are and the good food is waiting for me. It’s exotic. Although the weather in Copenhagen is rainy and cold. It makes me feel like I’m in some imaginary world for a while, a journey, a dream, and I feel very fortunate that I can do this, eating out at such fantastic restaurants. This is the sentiment that all excellent restaurants should provide, because such a journey costs the same as a package holiday to Greece – in Danish Kroner anyway.
L’amuse bouche of potatoes and salmon
The menu this evening:
Tartar, lump fish roes and smoke
Scallops, broad beans and hen’s egg
Morels, chicken and langoustines
Marsh lamb with new vegetables in textures
Pistachio ice-cream
Olive oil sorbet, pistachio in various forms and lemon
My friend is a highly wine wise guy, so naturally I preferred that he would select the bottle of wine:
2002 Nuit-Saint-Georges, Nicolas Potel. What a powerful nose, wonderful fruit, extreme fragrance of cherries, and yet the taste was so different, still powerful but not of the berries and grapes i noted in the scent. I was astounded that such fruity nose wasn’t reflected in the flavour. But I loved the wine anyway, very long after-taste, complexity and firm body, much tannin. After a hour it had opened more and the taste I sensed was warmer and wider. Flipping my tongue round a bit, I detected tannin on the back side of my teeth, which I have never noticed with any wine before. I didn’t know much about Burgundy wines (or any other French ones for that matter) but only a couple of years ago my friend invited me into this new world of fantastic wines. Burgundy. And I am very grateful for that.
The waiter suggested a glass of an Alsatian Riesling to accompany the first couple of light dishes, which my friend accepted. Nose of apples, elder flower and citrous, a balanced flavour which was nicely dry and had an indication of sweetness.
In short about the food, the amuse was good, a little piece of potato with a nice salmon slice, strawberry foam and what put everything together a herb called vetch, I think. The scallops were fried to perfection, tasted so wonderful and mild, gently with the beans and the hen’s egg. Did I tell you how I love scallops? And morels, I love them too. Morels have a so intense, earthy and full flavour that it’s like they trick something in my brain and give me a kick. The morels were accompanied by chicken and langoustines. The combination of those three was elegant, because the shell fish added some sweet and bitterness which matched the voluminous taste of the mushrooms.
The menu told us the veal tartar would comprised smoke. This was true, but I’d never imagined how they’d planned to provide the smoke right at our table. The young and adorable waitress presented our plates which were covered with two glass domes with a hole at the top. She explained what she did and removed the glass, lighted two small haystacks, put them on the top of the herbs and the glass domes back on. A light smoky scent diffused the room. The light burnt out and she removed the glass and the little hays with a pair of tweezers and served our food. A real entertainment and the veal and lump fish roes tasted liked they had only kissed the elusive fumes. A very elegant dish.
The lamb was tender with perfectly cooked asparagus, reduced sauce and with tiny pieces of liquorice sprinkled about. I liked it a lot, but probably I liked the two desserts even more. I have a weakness for pistachio, so much that I once got sick after having eaten bunches. That didn’t cure me; I’m still very keen on them. The ice-cream was great and the composite dish with the pistachios in various forms like popped, mashed, and in cake was fabulous. I could identify both the olive oil in the sorbet and some lemon. Yes, the lemon really suited this serving and put the whole thing together. In particular, I fancied the lemon triangle at the corner of the green buttered pistachio pasta. It was extremely sweet, sour and bitter all in one and tickled my tongue like nothing else. Really fantastic.
One thing, though, which I didn’t like, was at a point when one of the waiters was explaining us what was on my plate and pointed out each element with his pinkie. He was holding it so close to my food that I was afraid he might touch it. I couldn’t concentrate on his explanation because a thousand thoughts speeded through my brain: “Oh my goodness, he’s touching my food. What do I do? Ask him to provide me with a new serving? Ignore it? Will I be able to taste the touch?” He didn’t, though, contact any of the ingredients. Lucky me.
Oh, did you count how many of the courses had foam on the plate? I like foam with food when it’s full of flavour and adds something to it like a piece of a firm ingredient would. But if it doesn’t do that it’s only millinery and that I think is a waist. Excellent food is where each single element on the plate serves a purpose, proportions the balance, and leaves the diner with a feeling of completeness. I don’t think that the strawberry foam with the amuse did that, nor did the foam at the pistachio ice-cream. Four out of six dishes presented foam, and I found that a bit exaggerated.
Anyways, I had a wonderful evening and I will certainly come back to foaming, Michelin * MR when I feel like floating again. Thank you.
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