Nordic flavors come to city from Danish chef
Print Edition
THE flavor of Noma, a restaurant in Copenhagen that is said to have the longest waiting list in the world, will come within reach when its former head chef moves to Shanghai this month.
Martin Bentzen will make the move to be the executive chef at Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen.
Noma, a pioneer of new Nordic cuisine, is known for its reinterpreting Denmark’s local produce such as pork, seafood, root vegetables and berries in a post-modern way. It stole the crown previously held by el Bulli in 2010 when it won the Best Restaurant Guide’s top restaurant in the world, and has retained the award for four years.
The Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen, which relocated to the Bund in April 2013, carved out its name when it opened on Jiangying Road in Huangpu District seven years ago. It brings world cuisine together with a wide selection of fine wines. It won the 2014 Wine List of Year Award last month from the China Sommelier Association.
Its new site, with bold reds on the walls contrasting with the white table cloths, is highlighted by its underground vaulted cellar, one of the most enviable in town, featuring rows of fine and rare wines, from Bordeaux first growths such as Chateau Lafite to big bottles of Romanee Conte, from old vintage Chateau D Y’quen to cult wines.
Chef Bentzen, a 32-year-old Dane, specializes in making dishes shine through their simplicity. His new menu combines the heritage of Noma with a local touch. The light, clean and subtle flavors easily go with the restaurant’s wines.
He precisely uses the acidity. For example, his “tuna dumplings,” actually urchin wrapped in tuna, is served with tomato consommé, balancing the fatness of the fish; his “magret duck” is complemented by his adding rehydrated beets and pickled apple, which makes slightly dull duck meat lively.
His collision of European and Asian ingredients creates beautiful sparks. His Fine de Claire oyster is flavored by pungent ginger and herbs, stimulating a new dimension of flavor in oyster beside salinity, sweet and nutty.
The signature dessert, white chocolate, is served in a ball shape, which is filled with Sichuan pepper ice-cream — much more sophisticated than normal flavors. The ball melts when the server tops it with yuzu syrup.
For diners who prefer the more familiar, the French onion soup, highlighted by using gruyere cheese and soy-glazed pork, is recommended. Or they can order the Wagyu short rib, which is slowly cooked to ensure a golden brown crispy outside and pink tender juicy inside, and served with truffle sauce, a finishing touch.
Welcome snacks are free and a must-try, showing a sense of playfulness, represented by its thin-to-transparent chips dried from potatoes. Their free dinner rolls are homemade, highlighted by the butter bread, soft and spongy, with an intense, sweet, milky fragrance.
They have five balcony tables, which need to be booked in advance, where diners can enjoy the view of the Huangpu River and Lujiazui skyline.
Cost: 500 yuan per person
Address: 2/F, 22 Zhongshan Rd E2
Tel: 6318-0057
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