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Introduction
Noma is a restaurant unlike any other I have ever dined at. Chef René Redzepi is a giant in the world of gastronomy, someone who turned the world's dining scene upside down with his philosophy of hyperlocal, seasonal ingredients, and extensive use of techniques such as foraging and fermentation.
After garnering many accolades, and achieving recognition as the world's number one restaurant, Redzepi closed Noma in 2016. After a 2 year hiatus, Noma opened again in 2018 in a new location, with a new concept, and was promptly crowned No.1 in the world once again. I dined at Noma 2.0, which is what the new restaurant is often known, last month, when I was in Copenhagen for work. It was, in many ways, a meal of a lifetime.
I dined as a single diner, at a shared table with 3 others. There is always an element of luck when dining at a communal table, but given Noma's reputation, you can pretty much be assured of interesting company. As it turned out, I had 3 of the most fun and engaging dining companions one could ever imagine. Noma's tables are always booked out months in advance. How did I snag a reservation? And what were my impressions of my meal? I'll get to that later in this TR...
I flew to Copenhagen, and back, direct on Singapore Airlines' A350 service SQ352/351 in Economy. Both flights were chock-full. With masks no longer required for pax, these flights seemed almost normal -- almost because the cabin crew still wore masks (A good policy, given how many pax cabin crew have to interact with). Also, SQ's service format has not yet been fully restored to pre-COVID levels. For example, there were still no hot towels handed out.
My meal at Noma took place on the last day of my trip. Prior to that I spent a few days at an industry conference at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. In between meetings and work, I had a bit of time to explore Copenhagen, mostly on foot, but also utilising their excellent public transport network. Copenhagen is a compact city. It is quite possible to see many of the city's attractions just by running around the city for an hour or 2. I managed a couple of good runs during the week.
I visited Nyhavn, with its picturesque and colourful waterfront buildings, set along one of Copenhagen's many canals.
In the middle of Copenhagen, there is a theme park, Tivoli Gardens, that many believe were the inspiration for Walt Disney to create his Disney theme parks that are much loved today. Tivoli, which opened in 1843, remains a popular attraction. While it is not on the scale of a Disney World or Universal Studios, it has a unique charm all its own.
While I didn't allocate time to visit Tivoli on this trip, one of my business hospitality events included a ticket for entry into the park. I didn't pass up the chance to head inside briefly, to soak in a little of the atmosphere, and try a few of the rides and games in the park. After all, Anthony Bourdain and René Redzepi did the same when they filmed their Parts Unknown episode there in 2013. I could not resist the opportunity to follow in their footsteps...
TR Index
1. Changi Airport T3
2. Lounge: New T3 SilverKris F Lounge
3. Departure out of T2
4. Flight: SQ352 SIN-CPH in A350 Y
5. Hotel: Moxy Copenhagen
6. Run: Copenhagen, Kastellet, The Little Mermaid
7. Dinner: Nyhavns Fćrgekro
8. Attractions / Meal: Round Tower and Hot Dogs
9. Bar: Anarkist Bar @ Tivoli Gardens
10. Attraction: Tivoli Gardens
11. Bar: Duck and Cover
12. Dinner: Halifax Burger Restaurant
13. Hotel: Marriott Copenhagen
14. Run: Marriott to Kastellet
15. Lunch: Noma
16. Airport: Copenhagen Airport
17. Lounge: SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen
18. Flight: SQ351 CPH-SIN in A350 Y
19. Final Reflections
Noma is a restaurant unlike any other I have ever dined at. Chef René Redzepi is a giant in the world of gastronomy, someone who turned the world's dining scene upside down with his philosophy of hyperlocal, seasonal ingredients, and extensive use of techniques such as foraging and fermentation.
After garnering many accolades, and achieving recognition as the world's number one restaurant, Redzepi closed Noma in 2016. After a 2 year hiatus, Noma opened again in 2018 in a new location, with a new concept, and was promptly crowned No.1 in the world once again. I dined at Noma 2.0, which is what the new restaurant is often known, last month, when I was in Copenhagen for work. It was, in many ways, a meal of a lifetime.
I dined as a single diner, at a shared table with 3 others. There is always an element of luck when dining at a communal table, but given Noma's reputation, you can pretty much be assured of interesting company. As it turned out, I had 3 of the most fun and engaging dining companions one could ever imagine. Noma's tables are always booked out months in advance. How did I snag a reservation? And what were my impressions of my meal? I'll get to that later in this TR...
I flew to Copenhagen, and back, direct on Singapore Airlines' A350 service SQ352/351 in Economy. Both flights were chock-full. With masks no longer required for pax, these flights seemed almost normal -- almost because the cabin crew still wore masks (A good policy, given how many pax cabin crew have to interact with). Also, SQ's service format has not yet been fully restored to pre-COVID levels. For example, there were still no hot towels handed out.
My meal at Noma took place on the last day of my trip. Prior to that I spent a few days at an industry conference at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. In between meetings and work, I had a bit of time to explore Copenhagen, mostly on foot, but also utilising their excellent public transport network. Copenhagen is a compact city. It is quite possible to see many of the city's attractions just by running around the city for an hour or 2. I managed a couple of good runs during the week.
I visited Nyhavn, with its picturesque and colourful waterfront buildings, set along one of Copenhagen's many canals.
In the middle of Copenhagen, there is a theme park, Tivoli Gardens, that many believe were the inspiration for Walt Disney to create his Disney theme parks that are much loved today. Tivoli, which opened in 1843, remains a popular attraction. While it is not on the scale of a Disney World or Universal Studios, it has a unique charm all its own.
While I didn't allocate time to visit Tivoli on this trip, one of my business hospitality events included a ticket for entry into the park. I didn't pass up the chance to head inside briefly, to soak in a little of the atmosphere, and try a few of the rides and games in the park. After all, Anthony Bourdain and René Redzepi did the same when they filmed their Parts Unknown episode there in 2013. I could not resist the opportunity to follow in their footsteps...
TR Index
1. Changi Airport T3
2. Lounge: New T3 SilverKris F Lounge
3. Departure out of T2
4. Flight: SQ352 SIN-CPH in A350 Y
5. Hotel: Moxy Copenhagen
6. Run: Copenhagen, Kastellet, The Little Mermaid
7. Dinner: Nyhavns Fćrgekro
8. Attractions / Meal: Round Tower and Hot Dogs
9. Bar: Anarkist Bar @ Tivoli Gardens
10. Attraction: Tivoli Gardens
11. Bar: Duck and Cover
12. Dinner: Halifax Burger Restaurant
13. Hotel: Marriott Copenhagen
14. Run: Marriott to Kastellet
15. Lunch: Noma
16. Airport: Copenhagen Airport
17. Lounge: SAS Gold Lounge Copenhagen
18. Flight: SQ351 CPH-SIN in A350 Y
19. Final Reflections
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