Beyond Noma: why New Nordic cuisine is making Aarhus Denmark’s food capital
The trend features locally sourced ingredients and creative dishes, and it is spreading to Hong Kong
Dinners at Restaurant Hærværk can be mysterious, though never disappointing. After all, it’s quite difficult to disappoint with a seven-course menu that often features a smorgasbord of flavours with dishes like crispy halibut skin with fresh vegetables, poached egg cabbage Blanquette, horse bacon and waffles with chanterelles.
With a daily menu – unpublished and handed to the diners directly because of the constantly changing dishes based on the availability of local ingredients – a modish cured meat display staring at the diner through glass panes, cosy interiors and bistro type seating, Restaurant Hærværk is one of neo-Nordic gastronomy’s new successes.
It’s easy to mistake this for a hipster dining establishment somewhere in Copenhagen, but this is Aarhus, the second largest city of Denmark, once known only as a university town with a vibrant student population that fuelled its economy. But things are changing, and they are changing fast. Close on the heels of Aarhus celebrating its newly acquired European Capital for Culture status in 2017 – a year-long event marked with numerous festivities – the city is also quickly dusting off its university town image. Food is playing a huge part.
With a total of four one-star Michelin restaurants and more than 10 recommendations in the Via Michelin guidebook in a town as big as 91 square kilometres (in contrast, Hong Kong is 30 times bigger), the spotlight on neo-Nordic cuisine is shining bright on Aarhus’s athletic Danish shoulders. And chefs like Rune Sørensen at Hærværk are at the forefront.