Relæ - Copenhagen

During my recent trip to Sweden and Denmark, I had the good fortune to eat at Restaurant Relæ. Started by former Noma employees, Relæ is an unfussy restaurant in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen serving really good food, with no pretense.

Vegetables with Bagna Cauda

Lightly-salted biodynamic cucumbers and fennel were served with bagna cauda, which was new to me - it's a warm, frothy dip featuring anchovies. Crisp, refreshing vegetables with an addictive dip, an awesome way to start our meal.

Pickled Mackerel with Cauliflower and Lemon

Delicately pickled mackerel was served over a smear of lemon puree, which I would guess included both the pith and peel, for a tart, slightly bitter offset. Shaved cauliflower and cauliflower puree provided a mildly-flavored textural contrast.

Onion with Tapioca

Half an onion which was roasted to almost a char on its face, then steamed until tender, served with elderberry tapioca pearl sauce and a roasted onion puree. The elderberries provided an almost balsamic-like quality to the sauce. I've never been served an onion like this before, and I really liked it.

Chicken with Baby Corn and Bottarga

I have a hard time eating baby corn without immediately picturing Tom Hanks in Big. Once I got past that, I rather enjoyed the dish. The disks of baby corn were sweet and crunchy, the bottarga adding depth and bursts of salt. The slices of chicken breast underneath were cooked sous vide and perfectly fine - I just have a hard time getting excited about even the best chicken breast. Sous vide heart (10 minutes at 65 degrees - I asked) was fantastic, and the salty, crispy chips of skin that rested over the dish were great.

Baby Squashes with Fresh Hazelnuts

Baby summer squashes with pickled squash blossoms and fresh, raw hazelnuts, was my friend's vegetarian swap-out main course. The pickled squash blossoms were fun, but in the end, I didn't love this. The zucchini he was served at Oaxen Krog a few nights prior was stunning and crave-worthy - this dish made me glad I wasn't a vegetarian.

Apple, Apple, Fennel

Wow! This was this dessert's first night on the menu, and I thought it was stunning success. Apple mouse, bits of freeze-dried apples, and poached apple slices underneath fennel frond granita. Really one of the best desserts I've had in a long time.

Relæ is reasonably priced (by Scandinavian standards) and absolutely well worth the visit. There's strong focus on unique, but clean flavor combinations that let the quality of the ingredients shine through. The atmosphere was unstuffy and comfortable, featuring local artwork and a neighborhood restaurant feel.

-Dan

Awesome pics. I've been curious about Noma, and it's refreshing to know that the talent is branching out into more populist formats. You're right, though, about the prices in Scandinavia. Amazingly, outrageously, expensive. Pricing is offset if you snag a Scandinavian Air deal in winter. (I paid $333 RT/tax incl. one year with an option of a $99 add-on flight to London, Paris, etc.) Keeping in mind that Copenhagen has a maritime climate, and thus is relatively temperate in winter . . . hmmm. . .

If you can snag a reservation at Noma, I'd be more than happy to make another trip to Copenhagen. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get one - I don't know how far out they're booked, but I only had a couple weeks lead time (I'm not the greatest of planners), which was apparently not nearly enough.

-Dan