Copenhagen’s thriving culinary scene has attracted dozens of avant-garde chefs and given the city a reputation as the epicenter of “the new Nordic cuisine” movement.
I checked out one of Copenhagen’s top dining venues, the comfortably chic Marchal in the newly restored Hotel d’Angleterre, where celebrity chef Ronny Emborg, who has worked under the renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adria at El Bulli, custom-designed a five-course meal for my visit. The experience was nothing short of sublime.
Brown crab with tomato seeds and cream soured with rosehip vinegar and dusted with freshly grated burnt garlic started the journey, which moved into a dish of poached poussin sprinkled with ash made from the bird’s skin and served with morel cream sauce. The finale was licorice ice cream and frozen herbs.
Marchal is available for group dining, complete with custom-designed menus by Emborg, and he is also available to speak to groups and give culinary presentations.
Emborg just released The Wizard’s Cookbook, chock-full of bold recipes that make his cutting-edge techniques approachable for the adventurous everyday cook. The book makes a great gift for attendees.
For more info, visit www.ronnyemborg.com.
Meetings Focus: Describe the philosophy behind your cuisine.
Ronny Emborg: We try to play with all senses when we cook. To us, it is extremely important that the feeling the food creates in the mouth varies and stirs emotion. The very idea of the dish is easier to achieve once crisp meets soft, juicy follows crunchy and chewy plays with tender. The goal of our kitchen is to touch as many senses as possible. Taste, color, smell and visual—everything counts. As a ground rule, we use at least three different flavors in each dish.
MF: How are you pushing the boundaries in the culinary world?
RE: We try to find new ingredients, techniques, exciting new flavor combinations and new ways to organize ourselves.
MF: What are some of your favorite food and drink experiences in Copenhagen?
RE: Noma, Mikkeler Bar, Rubys, Tolbod Bodega and Balthazar Champagne Bar.
