Earlier this week Marcia and I met up with a Brazilian couple in Copenhagen for lunch at NOMA during its final month at the current location, where it has been since opening in 2003. At the end of the year they move to new premises and, in the meantime, the entire staff of ninety + people (including some family) is moving to Mexico, where there will be a local version for a few months.
The evening before we had a splendid dinner at Kadeau (CPH), a recommendation which we have Kirk to thank for.
The two restaurants have several things in common: extensive wine lists dedicated to natural wines, including a ton of hipster rarities; employee reception committees at the door to welcome guests; extremely attentive service, wherein each dish is introduced, sometimes incomprehensibly, by a wait person with a different accent; beautifully appointed interiors of elegant and minimal modern Danish design; and extremely inventive seasonal tasting menus, of which nearly every condiment is made from scratch in the kitchen or “r&d room”, mostly low in starches and red meat, and dedicated to local produce and seafood, all outstandingly fresh, when not alive minutes before.
At Kadeau we had the better wine experience, truly inebriating, and at NOMA the better food experience, bordering on the transcendental.
At Kadeau, after listening to the impressive wine pairing suggestions, we gladly delivered our fate to the sommelier. Like most enlightened exemplars of his species, he was delighted to have appreciative customers and brought us so many servings, often refilling the same wines, that by the end of the evening we were on the brink of collapse, and would have been done for had the food not been so spare and healthy.
A dozen hours later at NOMA, livers still reeling, we found the suggested pairings not as inspiring as the ones at Kadeau, so opted for a single white and single red; this did not prevent James, our equally appreciative Australian sommelier, from comping us with interesting glasses of this and that. After lunch, we were given a tour of the kitchen and office, and had a nice chat with superstar chef René Redzepi, who posed for the inevitable photo op. After NOMA, we chilled by visiting Copenhagen’s amazing Louisiana Museum, hugely recommended, but outside the scope of this summary reportage.
Food-wise, I imagine something similar happens to all of us when awareness suddenly pops that the whole is somehow magically adding up to more than the sum of the parts - a kind of joyous somersault in the cerebellum - and the pleasure centers start dancing their little jig of joy. At Kadeau, this jig happened a few times. At NOMA, it happened with almost every dish, creating a tide of growing awe that gradually converted the sum of the jigs into an olympic victory march. We have never before enjoyed a meal this much, along every conceivable front.
The wines from Kadeau:
NV (2011) Vincent Charlot Champagne La Fruit de Ma Passion Extra Brut 12.7%
Pinot Meunier 65%, Pinot Noir 20%, Chardonnay 15%. Less than 5g/l dosage. No malo (boo). Quite delicious, despite a slightly bitter finish.
NV Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgüeux Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 12.0%
My third bottle of this. Attractive florals, but a bit disappointing in the follow through.
2015 Marc Pesnot Muscadet La Bohème 12.0%
100% Melon de Bourgogne. One of the most amazing noses of recent times. Went gaga for it. Too bad acidity is somewhat lacking.
2012 Le Coste Vino Bianco Lazio 13.0%
Classic long maceration white flavor, quite delicious and gastronomic.
2011 Domaine du Collier Saumur Blanc 13.0%
Yum, but a bit on the oaky side.
2014 Domaine de la Tournelle (Evelyne et Pascal Clairet) Fleur de Savagnin Arbois (abv not noted)
Ouillé. Delicious.
2001 Domaine Saint Nicolas (Thierry Michon) La Grande Pièce Fiefs Vendéens 12.0%
What, 2001 by the glass? This tasted remarkably fresh, as if made yesterday. Had to make sure of the vintage several times. Delicious.
2015 Camillo Donati Malvasia Dolce Emilia-Romagna 5.0%
Delicious (sorry, little discernment after a certain point).
2014 Domaine de L’Octavin Dorabella 10.7%
Poulsard. Too far gone by this point, but I remember it as very nice.
The wines from NOMA:
2013 Christian Tschida Non-Tradition 12.5%
Grüner Veltliner. A bit viscous, when I needed zip and minerality; but fine material.
2007 Cyril Le Moing Grolle Noire 12.0%
Impressive structure, but a bit too piercing for continuing pleasure.
(year not noted) J.F. Chene La Coulée d’Ambrosia L’O2 Vigne 14.5%
Tasted like baby vin jaune but it’s Chenin aged under flor. Lovely.
2011 Sébastien Riffault Sancerre Tardif Auksenis 16.0%
Botrytized Sauvignon Blanc. Another surprise, delicious, not at all unctuous or cloying.
The menu at Kadeau:
The menu at NOMA:
