What's on the Menu at the World's Best Restaurant? Noma in 26 Plates

On Monday, April 30, 2012, restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark snagged the top spot on the S. Pellegrino list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for the third year in a row.

So what's the secret to culinary world domination?

I visited Noma on Friday, May 4th, less than one week later, to find out. In twenty-six plates this is what a meal looks like at the world's best restaurant.

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Comments

[AuntLoonie]

07:29 AM on 05/16/2012

Where is the pheasant pheromone frappe?

[mbeliba]

02:50 AM on 05/16/2012

I would suggest to the Americans who post negative comments to stick to what they know best......burgers and hipster restaurants...Please do the world a favor and do not bring your bad taste to the table....

[BartRoberts]

12:36 PM on 05/16/2012

No need to bring the bad taste. It's already there. Molecular gastronomy is silly and best left to those easily impressed. Its methods are best left in the molecular biology lab, where they were developed.

We need to redo "The Emperor's New Clothes" for the foodies. We'll call it "The Emperor's turbot foam in aspic of calf toe jam."

[mbeliba]

01:11 PM on 05/16/2012

That was a good one! Thumbs up!

[boydlemon]

02:24 PM on 05/15/2012

I agree with John, the first commenter. What this type of restaurant is all about is creativity and art. They are creating more than just a dining experience. Personally, I think it's wonderful (if you can afford it).

Boyd Lemon-Author of "Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages," the author’s journey to understand his role in the destruction of his three marriages; “Eat, Walk, Write: An American Senior’s Year of Adventure in Paris and Tuscany;” and “Unexpected Love and Other Stories. Information, reviews and excerpts: http://www.BoydLemon-Writer.com.
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[JOHN CARDELLA]

11:36 AM on 05/15/2012

I think a lot on this thread are missing the point of a restaurant like this. I would compare it to Haute Couture fashion shows where somewhat outrageous fashions are shown. It shows what is possible if you take something to an extreme. By the time it gets to the normal department stores and mass marketing is done, the design is toned down a bit for normal consumption but certain elements remain. It's the same here, Noma is showing what can be accomplished with local foods and foraged herbs and other ingredients. You may not like it but it's meant to help you think outside the box. I would like to think it makes people think twice about foods that are shipped hundreds of miles and wasting all types of resources when good or even great foods are possible using local ingredients.

[excrusade]

02:31 AM on 05/15/2012

"The World's Best Restaurant" voted by who? Psychopaths? This was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in terms of food, if one can even call it that. I could go around my yard and design similar meals and call it rich and intriguing, lol. I could gather sticks and pine needles, maybe throw some pulled roadkill on top? And I have dined at fancy restaurants and have no problem paying top dollar, I just like my food to be edible, nutritious and not be staring back at me.

[nebro]

12:52 AM on 05/15/2012

OoooKaaay, I'll eat it if I don't have to look at it. I've been to a few very fine dining establishments and tried some weird stuff. Liked a lot of it actually. But I draw the line at food that looks like it was gathered on a survivalist trek. And, if I'm paying that much for a meal, please don't serve it to me on a rock. Can we look at the slides for the restaurant that came in second, please?

[relaford]

03:28 AM on 05/15/2012

The live shrimp got me. I don't want to have to kill my food at the table, thank you!

[odaat52]

12:42 AM on 05/15/2012

There is exactly one item in that list that I would even consider eating. Otherwise, not on your nelly! And I seriously doubt I would want to pay even the baseline for a meal there, much less adding in drinks/wine.

I'm not into fast food, ever. But I'm also not into mystery food, or constructions that supposedly have a food product as their base but bear not even a remote resemblance to that product when they get put on my plate. Or in my centerpiece, as it were.

[msdbklyn]

12:13 AM on 05/15/2012

As a French trained professional chef for the past 40+ years your editors need to wise up and pay more attention. Though your description of the No.5 photo describes a topping of chopped arugula what is actually shown in that No.5 photo is a seemingly delicious topping of finely chopped scallion, just the tasty green part. Save your arugula for something else with fabulous Danish blue cheese, it's totally tasty whenever it's matched with bright, fresh arugula.

And editors, pay better attention next time. Eat well...

[relaford]

03:31 AM on 05/15/2012

What was identified as thyme isn't like any thyme I've ever seen. It looked more like mint to me.

[MargretheHR]

11:44 PM on 05/16/2012

The herb in picture number 19 is actually Cuckoo Flower, Cardamine pratensis (both leaves and flowers), an early spring flower that grows in meadows and along streams. Sometimes used in lieu of watercress.

[Elyse Pasquale]

05:26 PM on 05/21/2012

The menu NOMA provided me for this specific meal literally lists the dish as "Cookies and cheese, rocket and stems."

I may have mistaken "rocket" or eruca sativa (arugula), with "wild rocket" diplotaxis tenuifolia, an herb from the mustard family found in parts of Europe and Western Asia.

The flavor of the herbs had strong overtones of coriander. It may also be possible that they used just the stems of arugula/eruca sativa.

[Mike Tsarnas]

12:07 AM on 05/15/2012

Calling that the best restaurant in the world is like calling "red" the best color in the world.

[Hollywooddeed]

11:34 PM on 05/14/2012

Just because you can eat it doesn't mean you should.

[suemj]

11:33 PM on 05/14/2012

Doesn't look very appetizing or filling to me, with some dishes looking downright nasty! No thanks, I'll pass, and hang on to my !,000 dollars!

[George Spalding]

10:04 PM on 05/14/2012

To think of all of the animals (and plants) that died just to make one grossed-out meal for the ultra-rich makes me sick.

[wolvespj]

12:59 AM on 05/15/2012

cant afford it, dont eat it.

[emily3931]

01:19 AM on 05/15/2012

What do you suggest we eat then? Dirt after it's been rid of all living organisms?

[Louise Ehlers]

09:46 PM on 05/14/2012

Hi Folks,
If you want a feed is a King Crab maybe all you can eat. Bring a pair of sissors you can open at half the time on the West coast. Exactly where all the deals are, I am not possitive. But you could feel like you died and went to heaven

[NJHISTTCHR]

09:35 PM on 05/14/2012

And you pay an arm and a leg for the most digusting food combinations I have ever heard of (or seen), thank you.

[cburkett888]

08:53 PM on 05/14/2012

Oh Man, I'm dissappointed. All along I have been believing "McDonalds" on Center Street was the best in the world. Have you tried a double cheeseburger off the dollar menu?

[excrusade]

02:34 AM on 05/15/2012

I would eat at McDonalds or any other trashy chain restaurant as quickly as I would eat the nonsense shown to be served at this restaurant; they are at opposite ends of a very large spectrum.