FOOD
CHEW ON THIS
More than a decade after Noma’s
opening, Copenhagen is
still the capital of mind-blowing
culinary experiences.
But have restaurants that aim
to provoke gone too far?
By Jeff Gordinier30 October 2019_Esquire
I have visited thousands of restaurants in my life-
time, but over the summer I got an early peek at
the strangest one I’ve ever seen. This happened in
Copenhagen. The Danish city has been a vortex of
culinary innovation for about 15 years now, thanks
to the ripple effect of chef René Redzepi’s Noma. But
nothing could have prepared me for Alchemist.
I met 28-year-old chef Rasmus Munk outside what
appeared to be a warehouse. We stepped inside and
beheld a Roy Lichtenstein–style tableau of New York
City street scenes from graffiti artist Lady Aiko. ThenTHIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON FOIE FOAM
At Copenhagen’s Alchemist, dishes like “Food for
Thought” (foie gras topped with aerated foie gras foam)
are meant to make you, uh, think. It’s made
from the livers of geese that haven’t been force-fed.the Big Bite