Love Bites at Noma: Part One

Love Bites recently had a very exciting thing happen; I was invited to take a reservation at Noma, one of the most talked about, curiously fascinating restaurants of the last few years.  Noma is located in Copenhagen, Denmark and has been the number one restaurant in the world for three years running (2010-2012) out of eight years of being on 'The List' (http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/noma/). It is currently ranked number 2 in 2013 on this list to restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain (meeh never heard of it!). 

When booking my trip to Copenhagen in November 2013 as a gift to my good friend Katie for her 30th birthday I decided to see if there were any reservations left for Noma for the weekend in January we were going. Of course there wasn't but there was an option to put ones name down on the waiting list. 'What have I got to lose?' I thought, so name and contact number went down and was soon to be forgotten.  On Tuesday 7th January the week that we were going to Copenhagen, I received a phone call from a strange number. I do not know what posessed me to answer it as I am not one to usually answer random calls or blocked numbers, so the fact that I was at work, getting a call from a strange number and deciding to answer it was against all my normal proceedings in such situations.  I answered and heard a foreign voice unveiling that they were calling from Noma.... and my eyes grew to the size of oranges! The lady on the end of the line advised a table had become availabe and as I was on the waiting list she wanted to know if I wanted to take the booking. Oh my days!!!! Was this actually  happening?!! This was totally unexpected and I started freaking out... I didn't know how much the restaurant would be, both Katie and I were feeling very poor after the festive season, and I needed to check with Adam and Katie if they were keen before I  volunteer us for a foodie adventure but also potentially a bankrupt situation. I frantically asked the caller a few questions, found out the cost of the meal (1,600 Danish Krone each for 20 courses) - not bad I thought however having no idea what the Danish Krone was to the Pound she quickly advised about £180 there or about. Not wanting to lose the reservation I asked her to send me the confirmation but that I needed to check with my other diners to see if they would be available. I immediately ran down to Katie's desk and proceeded to tell her the tale of the recent event, I was so excited I was shaking. My whole body felt giddy with excitement and my nerve endings were tingly. This was for real. Katie was keen, Adam was keen and due to a bit of financial shuffling the reservation was officially confirmed. Love Bites was going to Noma!

We discussed items of food we were not inclined to eat during the taxi ride on the way to the restaurant, my items being insects, and fish heads, Katie's being liver, and Adam was down for whatever. After seeing a documentary last year of Noma creating its first pop-up restaurant at Claridges Hotel over the Olympic period in London, I had some idea of what to expect from the restaurant itself. I had an inkling insects would be involved (eeek!), and lots of fresh earthy type dishes, not my usual choice of food but hey this was a once in a lifetime experience so I was going to be eating what ever was on my plate or 20 plates! 

We were driven through the city centre and across one of the bridges to Christenholm, where Noma is located on the wharf in a warehouse type building, far away from prying eyes and providing the ideal base for creating foodie masterpieces.

After getting the obligatory photo for Love Bites outside the restaurant we were welcomed at the front door not just by the Maitre'd but also by a handful of chefs which was rather exciting. They were full of smiles with hands behind their backs as our layers were taken and we were guided to our table. On entering the restaurant I was intriuged by the environment. The decor had a very earthy, rustic feel to it with its grey wooden beams,  light grey wooden panelled floors, concrete walls and black wooden tables and chairs. Some chairs were draped with an animal fur throw and simple candles and foliage in plain white vases decorated the tables. The decor was simple, but inviting and to some extent warming, the colour scheme neutral and calming creating an intriguingly suave atmosphere.

There felt like there was a hive of activity between the diners, and the chefs / waiters. I say this as the chefs themselves would bring out each dish and present it to you with a nice air of enthusiasm and intrigue to what they were serving you. The kitchen was situated at the entrance to the restaurant in between the actual restaurant and the wine bar in the following room. You could watch the chefs prepare the final step of the meals to be served which made quite a fascinating but fun experience and a  more informal atmosphere which is nice. We were informed by the Maitre'd that there is also another kitchen above the visable restaurant in which a whole other dozen of chefs are doing the pre-preparing of the food (moreso the bits they don't think we need to see!) which was equally fascinating.

Back at our table, after engulfing the surroundings and buzz, the Maitre'd began by informing us on how the evening would play out; we would be dining on 20 courses throughout the evening, a selection of dishes for appetisers would be served at quite a fast pace and at a more slower speed the  main events would be unveiled. With that our Noma experience began....

Stay tuned for Part Two of Love Bites Noma experience with a gallery of pictures in the following post.

Decor images thanks to http://spacecph.dk/project/noma/