What does a dining critic do when traveling in Europe? In my case, I seek out examples of cuisines not readily available – or not available at the same level – in our community.
On this summer’s travels, two restaurant experiences stood out. One was a dinner at the first Indian restaurant ever to win a Michelin star. More about that next week.
But even more interesting was an evening spent exploring the so-called “new Nordic cuisine” at the most recent restaurant to be awarded a second Michelin star in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen has been a hot city for foodies ever since 2010, the year Noma was acclaimed the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine. Today, Copenhagen has 18 restaurants with Michelin stars – three of them with two stars.
The up-and-comer among the three (and the one some believe could become Scandinavia’s first Michelin three-star; Noma never made it) is AOC, an intimate restaurant set in the vaulted cellar of a historic 17th century mansion in the center of Copenhagen.
The main dining room seats 50 guests at very-well-spaced round tables – a quite informal yet very elegant atmosphere. The open kitchen is presided over by head chef Søren Selin, who together with owner and repeat winner of the Nordic sommelier championship, Aarø Mortensen, offers two daily tasting menus accompanied by Mortensen’s optional wine pairings.
As one might expect, these feasts are pretty pricey. The tasting menus consist of five courses ($150) or nine courses ($210), each preceded by a number of appetizers. The courses are accompanied by wine pairings (eight wines from Germany, France, Hungary and California) that run about an equal tab. (Non-wine lovers can opt for a ‘juice pairing’ for about $85.)
Meals, needless to say, tend to last three to four hours – or more.
AOC’s stated goal is to use what is wonderful from local Nordic nature to stimulate as many senses as possible – touch, sight, smell and taste. Michelin describes Selin’s dishes as “playful, original cooking with harmonious flavors and a Danish heart.”
Playful is hardly the word for some of these dishes. For one course, we were presented a clay pot and a hammer, which we had to use to shatter the pot to reach the perfectly cooked Danish potato inside.
For another, we were presented with turbot, wrapped in lard in a juniper bush tied with string, served on bed of pebbles – with only a scissors for cutlery. ‘Take the scissors and cut the string,” the waiter instructed. Then, he said, pick up the turbot with your fingers and dip it in the accompanying dish of cream made of turbot roe. Heavenly.
The only course we found more puzzling than appealing (perhaps because we are not up on our Norse mythology) was the appearance of two pigeon hearts served impaled on sticks – the classic stake through a heart.
I could go on recounting course after course. Some of the dishes were brought to our table by the young chefs who had prepared them under Chef Selen’s watchful eye – a nice touch that added to the drama of the evening.
From Danish oysters to mackerel to veal sweetbreads to the marvelous desserts, the amount of refinement and balancing of tastes that went into each dish was evident. Who would think of putting together burned Jerusalem artichoke, walnuts and sugar beet syrup as a dessert.
Many of the dishes evoked connections to fire, earth, stone, and water. And the wine pairings were awesome.
To spend an evening at AOC is to try new things — or new combinations of tastes, aromas, tactile sensations and textures – that you are unlikely to have experienced elsewhere. It cost a lot to dine at AOC, but every element of the evening was memorable.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
