Noma: The Best Restaurant in the World…Sort of

If you are into food, there are a few restaurants around the world that you probably consider “bucket list” or “grail” restaurants. Always tough to get a reservation. One such place is Noma in Copenhagen. In my younger days, I would of put a lot of effort into landing a table. Waking up early (or staying up late) when the next round of tables are released, doing tons of research on the place, using every technological advantage available to try to get an RSVP and so on. However, these days, after countless Michelin starred places and other once in a lifetime food experiences, the allure of such places has largely faded. Sure, I still get excited before a good meal, but I’m less willing to put in the time and effort to get a table. However, my wife WAS willing to put in the effort and did all the requisite things necessary to get us the best shot at landing a table at Noma – in Kyoto.

Noma, is based in Copenhagen and has been awarded Best Restaurant in the World on numerous occasion, and has 3 Michelin stars. The chef, Rene Redzepi, is known for his contributions to Nordic cuisine, and foraging. Anyway, every year, the restaurant will pack up and do pop ups in various locations around the world. That’s what brings us to Kyoto. Included in our package was an overnight stay at the Ace hotel in Kyoto. More on that in a later post. On to the meal.

The seating we obtained was for lunch. I guess in order to maximize space, they will seat you with strangers. In our case, we were seated with two brothers. Its a lottery, but we were lucky and they were good company. I think some people would be turned off with spending so much time and $ to travel to Kyoto, and then be seated with complete strangers. For me, it was not preferred, but it wasn’t a big deal.

The meal started with the steamed king crab. It was presented under a bed of leaves you had to brush aside to reveal the crab. It also had a flower on the side to be used as a “paint brush” to put the sauce on the crab.

When you need two videos and 3 pics to showcase the very first course, you know its going to be a special meal. The dish was delicious and fun.

Next was “jellied crab head”:

Ikura and bushi:

ginko nuts and pinecone olives:

sea snail and grilled koji

marinated wasabi

black rice

myoga (Japanese ginger) in amazake sauce

grilled abalone mushrooms

broth

wild deer “hot pot”

Sweet “oyster”. This was really cool:

Chestnuts with caviar:

Peanuts and Mexican chocolate:

Overall, this was an incredible experience. We also did the pairings which were unique and good. Service was very good as expected. The food was delicious and presentation was great. I wished there was more protein but that wasn’t a big deal. My biggest complaint about this experience? The lack of interaction with the chef. I had asked twice if we could take a pic and the server said they would ask but never followed up with me. I think that 99.9% of the people at Noma Kyoto took the time, and effort, at considerable expense to attend the meal. The least the chef could do would be to greet each table and take a pic. There was no kitchen tour or any sort of interaction with the kitchen staff. I found this to be extremely disappointing.

Anyway, I consider this to be an experience and that’s why I would not go back to any other Noma pop up or the restaurant itself. However, if you were able to score a reservation, I would recommend you to go. Check it off your list. Its not the best meal I’ve ever head, but I’m still glad I went. I think places like this are victims of their owns success. The expectation become so high, based on the place’s reputation, it becomes hard to meet them.

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