MANILA, Philippines — Epicureans around the world have set their eyes and taste buds on this new haven.
No, sir. It is not in Spain or Tokyo or Paris. Say, goodbye, for now to El Bulli, Nuvo, and to the three 3-star restaurants owned by French chef Alain Ducasse.
Then where is this new revered dining place? It is in Copenhagen, Denmark, and it is called Noma. It opened only in 2003.
This Nordic haven is owned by a young Danish chef named Rene Redzepi, and he is only 34 years old.
“The man runs the best restaurant in the world,” commends TIME magazine of March 26, 2012.
In the world of Epicureans, if a restaurant is rated No. 1, it follows that its chef achieves the same ranking.
Top chefs around the world concede Noma is the best and the finest dining enclave on this planet today. And yet only a handful have ever dined there.
The few who have been privileged to sit at a table and savor its imaginative but ingeniously Danish cuisine are the pillars of international dining connoisseurs’ league, and, of course, the moneyed set.
TIME says Noma occupies the top spot on the world’s 50 best restaurants list published every year by the respected international RESTAURANT magazine.
Again, what makes it the hallowed dining establishment in the world today?
The answer is simple: Noma serves only foods that are truly Nordic, which means the raw food, ingredients, and anything else that is goes into the casserole are essentially Danish. The exceptional talent of chef Redzepi seals in the internationally acclaimed cuisine.
Ironically, it was only in 2003 that Danes realized their cuisine is exceptionally delicious and it did not take long for the rest of the world to agree. That year Noma opened for business.
On the trivia side, I was curious what the US news weekly mentioned in its cover story of Noma and Redzepi. Two Nordic dishes are similar to what some regional Filipino restaurants serve.
For example, Noma has Danish ants and cured bear meat; our Pinoy restos offer the breakfast fare beef tapa, while a few – notably, the Cabalen chain – serve the crispy Capangpangan camaru or those chirping ricefield crickets.
Today Noma’s tables are fully booked three months in advance. That means any gourmand anywhere in the world whose pockets are bulging with cash, and desirous of dining at the Copenhagen establishment can start making reservations now for a table in August.
source: mb.com.ph
