Geranium Restaurant (Bocuse D'Or Winning Chef), Copenhagen, Denmark

It was with great expectations that we arrived at Geranium Restaurant. The chef and co-owner, Rasmus Kofoed had just won the the Bocuse D'or. However, Michelin granted Noma, another Copenhagen restaurant, 2 stars and the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best granted Noma #1 resto in the world status. Geranium only has a single "rising star" in the Michelin guide, not an official one star. The decor of this spacious restaurant is classically beautiful in a spare Scandinavian way.

Our first presentation was carrot and seabuckthorn. A crispy thin candied carrot shell filled with seabuckthorn foam. And then, many small dishes followed, with great attention to detail.

Beetroot and apple vinegar topped with cottage cheese.

Lumpfish roe and horseradish mayonnaise (on left).

Tomato foam, Danish ham gelee, lemon thyme flowers and clarified tomato essence. The conception of this dish was inspired but the tomato essence was too tart and overwhelmed the other flavours. Tomatoes in season would have been more mellow and perhaps sweeter. A great chef should be aware of this. Granted chef Kofed was not in the kitchen this day. 

Branches made from Danish cheese, with ramson (wild garlic leaves).

Crispy pork ear with vinegar and parsley on top.

Danish oyster and chopped cauliflower, cauliflower sauce, melted smoked cream cheese. Cauliflower and oyster are a good combination but the dish lacked any "wow".

Tapioca, garden sorrel, dill, king crab, apple juice,and cucumber topped with frozen crab juice. A tasty but overly complicated dish that just did not "sing".

King crab, tapioca, apple juice, dill, sorrel, cucumber topped with frozen crab juice. A tasty but overly complicated dish that just lacked any "wow". 

"Grain in two servings". Bread and butter. What can I say? Good but not great bread with very good but not great tasting butter. At this restaurant, everything should be great!

Crumbled Danish "hay cheese" with red, pearl and spring onions, watercress, crumbled bread (ie like fresh bread crumbs) and a sauce made of melted "hay cheese".  This was a good dish. The cheese and onion flavours and the texture of the crumbled bread were all highly complementary.

Slightly smoked potatoes with borage, crispy peas and a powder made of smoked grape seed oil, then after presentation, topped with a potato puree. This was a good dish with nice textures, but again, not a "wow". The flavours were a bit bland and the dish could have done with less sauce. The 3 photos below show how this dish was presented.

At this point of the meal, I began reflecting on the similarity of presentation of many of the dishes feeling a bit overwhelmed with the preponderance of whites incorporated in the presentations.


Monkfish with elements of the ocean. Monkfish, quail egg, squid ink flakes, a mussel, mussel gel, a variety of bits of seaweed from the beach and ocean, with some mussel sauce. I really enjoyed this dish.

The next 4 photos were how this course was presented. Bouillon made from lamb's breast was poured over wild foraged flowers, leaves and herbs. A very subtle soothing and nicely flavoured dish.

We were then presented with a "palate cleanser", a sea foam apple gel made from biodynamic apples, a lovely and innovative, refresher for our palates.



Then, braised veal tail with slices of Jerusalem artichokes,  Jerusalem artichoke puree and black truffle with crispy "puffed" pork lard was presented. The 2 photos below show the presentation.

A sauce made with brown butter, wild forest mushrooms and thyme, was added to the veal tail course. This was a very good dish, the sauce pleasantly rich tasting,

Frozen carrot juice. chervil stalks and preserved (pickled) elderflowers with white chocolate and  a "sparkling" elderflower sauce. The 2 photos below show the presentation.

This was a great dish, refreshing and considered by all, the perfect dessert and considered perhaps the best dish of the meal.

"Milk in mysterious ways": Biodynamic sweet milk yogurt, caramelized milk, sponge cake with milk protein, dehydrated milk ice cream, "milky way" shell with milk, clarified buttermilk whey with vanilla. This was a very good, thoughtfully creative dish

On reflection, after the conclusion of the meal, I had a sense of disappointment considering the praises this chef has received. There was an overwhelming perception of bleak whiteness of so many dishes. The minimalism of so many of the dishes compounded this feeling. Despite the serious consideration of each dish by the chef, some dishes just did not sing. It should be pointed out that the much praised chef was not working the night we attended, however, considering the caliber of this restaurant, that should not have been a necessity. Although many of my friends and acquaintances have often heard me say, one cannot eat atmosphere, from a purely aesthetic point of view, considering the furniture, the lighting and tableware, this restaurant has one of the most pleasing aesthetics of the many high caliber restaurants I have attended over the years.

Frederikshoj Restaurant, Aarhus, Denmark

Aarhus is Denmark's second largest city. Drawn there by a business meeting, I was taken to what is considered that city's best restaurant. It did not disappoint. Clearly, the chef, Wassim Hallal, was influenced by both the Nordic food trends as well as the very current Spanish innovations in cuisine.


We enjoyed aperitifs with "snacks" in the lounge.

Our first course, after being seated, was lumpfish roe with finely chopped cucumber and fresh cheese that was smoked. It was presented under glass, enveloped by wood smoke.

Almas caviar with avocado and thinly sliced radish topped with bread ash.

Shrimp boiled in seawater, oysters, bits of air dried cauliflower and fresh steamed cauliflower and dill.

Sole with tomato, tomato foam and bread. The composition was topped with a thin piece of transparent gel made from tomato juice. 

Cold foie gras with marinated sliced pear, pear gelee, malt powder, croutons and hazelnuts.

Seared foie gras with marinated julienned pear, gelee of pear in malt, toasted bread cubes and hazelnuts.

Sweetbread, crispy browned potatoes and watercress sprouts..

Confit of Bresse pigeon leg and breast which is topped with crispy "popped" pig skin ( a Danish tradition) with beet root in different forms, celery and puree of celery.

Vanilla, chocolate, caramel, lemon. The ochre coloured ball is paper thin caramel "candy" filled with caramel ice cream. The white wafers are meringue. The dark coloured "snake" is chocolate toffee. Scattered about the plate are crumbles and pieces of chocolate cake, puree of lemon and milk and caramel cream. A complex but satisfying conclusion.

Smorrebrod, Open Faced Sandwiches in Copenhagen

Smorrebrod is a very traditional Danish lunch, open faced sandwiches, with artfully arranged elements, typically on thinly sliced, buttered, dark, dense rye bread. These sandwiches are usually enjoyed with cold Danish beer and schnapps, a strong aqua vita (hence aquavit) which could be made with herbs, roots, seeds or fruits and is at least 40% alcohol. I developed cravings for these wonderful works of art when I was very young, while watching a Danish employee of my father's eat his lunch (he never shared...so I just ogled and craved!).

Dinner at Toldbod Bodega

Toldbod Bodega is one of the oldest restaurants in Copenhagen, serves very traditional Danish food and is one of the few restos open on a Sunday. 


Three varieties of pickled herring on buttered dark rye bread with chopped red onion, fresh dill, cherry tomato and lettuce.

Another traditional dish of smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, sliced lemon, chilled asparagus with lettuce on thinly sliced, buttered, dark rye bread.

Matjes herring with dill, curried house made mayonnaise, sliced red onions, cherry tomato capers, and lettuce.

Schnitzel with sauteed potatoes, peas, fresh pickled anchovies and freshly grated horseradish.

Told and Snaps

This is a place to come for lunch.

Barely marinated, but wonderfully raw textured, pickled, Icelandic herring with dill, red onions, and half a hard boiled egg on traditional, buttered, thinly sliced, Danish dark rye bread.

Bacon, sliced potato, chopped chives, seasonal fresh lumpfish roe, cress, thickened yogurt spread all on buttered, thinly sliced Danish dark rye bread.

Fresh cold Greenland shrimps with thick house made mayonnaise, chilled asparagus, cherry tomato, dill and lemon on buttered white bread.

The traditional presentation of beef tartar with chopped red onions, grated fresh horseradish, pickled onions, capers and a raw egg yolk on thinly sliced, buttered, Danish dark rye bread.

Aamann's

This spot is considered a creative place to experience a modern take on smorrebrod.


The 2 photos below show 2 separate orders with some overlap. The shrimp and egg sandwich below, on the right is replaced by the egg salad sandwich on the right in the photo below it.

The egg salad is on buttered, dark Danish rye topped with sliced celery and snipped chives.

Roast beef on buttered Danish rye topped with fried onions, freshly grated horseradish and curry flavoured remoulade sauce.

Beef tartar on buttered Danish rye topped with mayonnaise, capers, potato chips, pickles and sliced pickled red onions.

Chilled shrimps and quartered boiled eggs with chopped fresh herbs, mayonnaise on dark Danish rye bread.