NOMA EXPECTED TO REINVENT ITSELF
Tom Sietsema, food correspondent for Washington-based news organisation NOTUS, believes that Noma’s dedication to innovation and reinvention since its 2003 opening will help it weather the fallout – if its founder stays in the background.
“For years it’s been the number one restaurant in the world,” he said. “And that suddenly doesn’t just vanish. I think this is a rough time for the restaurant, but people are still curious about it. People will go just to see, ‘oh, is it really as bad or as good as people say it is,’ right? I expect it to remain in the conversation for years to come.”
Soto said the restaurant is almost fully booked for its first three months, up until the end of October. Guests will pay a set price of 4,500 Danish krone (about US$686) per head for the menu, with 2,000 krone (US$305) extra for wine pairing.
Soto said the restaurant conducted an internal audit, and there are “many systems in place” to make sure staff are happy and “can grow”.
“We’ve gone through a period of crisis,” he said. “This means we need to be much more attentive to each individual.”
MENU WILL CHANGE MONTHLY
Noma, a contraction of the Danish words for Nordic and food, opened in 2003 dedicated to “a simple desire to rediscover wild local ingredients by foraging and to follow the seasons”.
While previous offerings were shaped around three distinct seasons, the reopening will see chefs embrace constant change in the menu.