Another year is about to come to an end and my conclusion is clear: 2019 has been a splendid year of dining. Apart from a trip to Bali I have only been visiting countries within Europe (including Russia) but that does not mean that is has been difficult to find 15 dishes for this list. Actually, is has been extremely difficult to boil this down to no more than 15 dishes, but I had to draw the line somewhere. Not surprisingly, most of my restaurant visits have been within the Danish borders and there has been plenty of amazing dishes. Being the chairman of the Danish 360 Eat Guide jury has also meant that I have been visiting more restaurants in parts of Denmark that I unfortunately do not manage to visit that often. Without further ado, here is the list in random order:
You could also read: My top 20 dishes in 2018
Bistro PanPan in Copenhagen Zoo – the most wonderful hotdog with a red chili paste sausage, lobster meat and mayonnaise as well as different preparations of onion. Yes, a hotdog can be as good as any fine dining dish!
Read about Bistro PanPan (in Danish) here.
Ti Trin Ned, Fredericia (Denmark) – this dish based on cucumber, apples and lumpfish roe was the most light, elegant and refreshing way to begin a meal. I was amazed by how perfectly balanced this subtle, delicate dish was. Ti Trin Ned was one of the best new experiences for me this year.
Alchemist, Copenhagen. The world’s currently most hyped restaurant did not disappoint, and to me, this dish was the best of them all. A light, fluffy foam of egg yolk, truffle and comté had been encapsulated in a thin shell of egg yolk that exploded in the mouth when you bit into it – the best combination of egg, cheese and truffle i have ever had. Simply outstanding!
Restaurant 108: How often do you get an entire lobster tail as part of a tasting menu? Not often, but at 108 you do. The combination of the most juicy grilled lobster and perfectly sweet strawberries was just magical.
Read my latest review of 108 (in Danish) here.
Restaurant AOC, Copenhagen – baked onion, caramelised onion foam, beurre blanc and caviar – a simply outstanding dish served at two Michelin-starred AOC.
Jordnær, Copenhagen – gently cooked turbot wrapped in black truffle served with coriander and the most wonderful beurre blanc flavoured with yuzu kosho – Jordnær will, in my opinion, be the next Danish restaurant to make an international breakthrough.
Alouette, Copenhagen – this restaurant really impressed me with its focused cuisine based on few elements of the highest quality. This tartar of old dairy cow flavoured with its own grilled fat and topped with caviar was simply amazing. The amount of umami in this dish was hard to believe.
Marchal, Copenhagen – this dish made me very emotional – honest cooking at its finest. Turbot cooked whole with white wine and lots of herbs and served with a sauce made of its own liquids, mussel stock, brown butter and vanilla. Slices of raw Jerusalem artichoke and chestnut added texture while the bleak roe added an extra depth to the dish.
Syttende, Sønderborg (Denmark) – Sønderbord in Southern Denmark is not famous for fine dining but this is about to change. Celebrity chef Jesper Koch has created a fantastic restaurant based on local produce with a few additions of the finest products from around the world. This dish consisting of thinly sliced ribbons of apple and kohlrabi served with salted and dried egg yolk, a sauce made of “grilled” cream, parsley oil and caviar was unbelievably good. Freshness, complexity and harmony.
Daniel Berlin Krog, Skåne-Tranås, Sweden – I was so happy to go back to Daniel Berlin in Southern Sweden just to realise that is has become even better. This dish consisting of hardly grilled beetroot served with an emulsion of oxtail and a sauce made of black currant was a perfect example of Daniel Berlin’s ability to make magic out of humble ingredients like a beetroot.
Watch: Video portrait of Daniel Berlin
Frantzén, Stockholm – a magical dessert with rhubarb ice cream, raw rhubarb, rhubarb compote, caramelised pumpkin seeds and saffron sabayonne. A dessert in perfect balance between richness and sweetness.
Noma, Copenhagen – Yogurt mousse flavoured with cardamom served with a rich poppyseed paste-like sauce with a hint of liquorice root – my head exploded when I had this sensational combination of flavours. The best dessert at the new Noma so far.
Read my review of the Noma Game and Forest season menu right here
Restaurant 108 – kelp ice cream, freshly pressed hazelnut oil and caviar. Where to even begin?! Who would have thought that caviar is actually perfectly suited for desserts? At least Kristian Baumann of 108 did, and hence he made this exceptional dessert where the caviar really stands out together with the nutty flavours – go and try it on the a la carte menu!
Søllerød Kro, Holte (north of Copenhagen) – The summer of 2019 – when a certain dish can bring you back to a specific moment in life, you know that it is special. This dessert based on dried strawberries from this year’s summer marinated in their own reduced juices took me straight back to my childhood and the memories of picking strawberries at the island of Samsø with my grandmother. They were served with flakes of dried Nicoise olives and basil ice cream – a beautiful combination making a dish in perfect harmony. Bravo!
Jordnær, Copenhagen – can you make a dessert out of white truffle? Yes, you can! Chef Eric Vildgaard makes an ice cream of white truffle and roasted Piedmontese hazelnuts served with a hazelnut praliné. The dish is finished off with freshly sliced white truffle – one of the best truffle servings I have ever had.
