NOMA: HOW WE GOT IN

Reservations for Noma need to be made three months in advance via their online booking system. We wanted to go in late September so this meant we needed to make our reservation in June.

The booking system opened on a Monday at 10:00AM Denmark time. Denmark is 12 hours ahead of Hawaii so we had to get onto the website by 10:00PM on Sunday. I did a lot of research online about how the booking system works and how other people got in. How it works is you logon to the website just before the reservation time opens up. Instead of going directly to the website you will be given a number in queue anywhere from 1-20,000. This number is given at random.

Once the booking system opens up, the number you are given will start counting down. When that number hits zero you are able to enter the website and make your reservation. Getting through the website does not necessarily mean there will be bookings left; or that you will get the date and time of your preference. I had eight people helping me and we were using 10+ devices.

The lowest number in queue we had was in the 100's so we stuck with that one. As soon as we were able to get in, all of the earlier dates in September were taken. The soonest we could get was for Thursday, September 29th at 7:00pm. This worked out great for us. The reservation was made and I got a confirmation email. We didn't have to pay for anything until after the actual dinner service.

If you have dietary restrictions you need to email the restaurant and let them know so they can prepare a special menu. I have a shellfish allergy so my menu was mostly vegetarian.

---

Before being seated at Noma we went around the corner to have some coffee and tea at their sister restaurant, 108 Copenhagen. I anxiously clock watched while sipping on my cappuccino. 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes... "ok, it's time, let's go!"

The doors swing open into a rustic dining room and we are greeted by big smiles and beautiful eager people. They take our coats and lead us to our candlelit table with sheepskin covered dining chairs and a gorgeous view of the waterfront. We are given hot towels for our hands; the Sommelier pours us champagne. In two hours we would be given 15 courses including wine and juice pairings.

A beautiful view and some wine pairings: Resonance, Marie Courtin, Polisot - Cote des Bar/2015 Himmel auf Erden, Christian Tschida, Illmitz - Burgenland/2015 Blanc, Clos de Rouge Gorge, Latour de France - Roussillon. After each course is set in front of us, a chef explains what is it and how it was prepared.

Course 1: First apple of the new season

Course 2: Reeves plum with kelp skin, flatbread & ant paste, nasturtium stuffed with a black currant berry

Course 3: Radish pie

Course 4: Grilled baby corn and nasturtium leaves

Course 5: Natural Fermented bread of Oland wheat and hulless barley

Course 6: Dried tomatoes and fresh milk curd

Course 7: Turnip and cabbage

Course 8: Crisp cabbage and samphire

Course 9: Butternut squash and barley

Course 10: Grilled leak and egg yolk sauce

Course 11: Charred greens with a yeast paste

Course 12: Whole roasted wild duck

Juice pairings: red gooseberries/geranium, cabbage/lovage, elderflower/spearmint

Course 13: A dessert of sheep's milk and ant paste

Course 14: Black wood currant ice cream and roasted konini

Course 15: Moss cooked in chocolate, cep mushroom, egg liqueur

Got a tour of the kitchen, staff room, BBQ and fermentation lab after the dinner service. The chef holding the King Crab pictured below is from Norway. He said their work days begin at 7AM and end at 11PM. Their days off are Sunday and Monday. One chef is needed per guest in this 45 seat restaurant.

The Verdict: Noma was an extraordinary experience - a dream come true, really. The staff is hard-working, meticulous, serious and passionate about what they do. It's a restaurant with so much hype but yet when you dine there it feels so laid back and down to earth. Their service and attention to detail is amazing. The courses are perfectly spaced out. As soon as you're done with one, the table is immediately cleared. The next plate is already on its way. All of the wines and juices paired with the food can make you quite full.

The food tastes like nothing I've never had before. So much labor goes into each course and in each bite it's like you're being punched inside your mouth with intense flavor. I never knew the true meaning of "umami" until I ate at Noma. When people ask me to describe my dining experience there, I simply tell them that it can't be put into words. I can't compare Noma to anything else. It stands on its own.

#photo #europe #food #noma