108 - Copenhagen

One of the attractions of a short new year break to Denmark's capital city, Copenhagen (Kobenhavn) is the opportunity to experience their amazing culinary skills particularly with seafood. 

Nordic food has become fashionable in recent years featuring in several TV shows and reviews. Scientific Research at the University of Copenhagen has found traditional Scandinavian cuisine to be every bit as healthy as its Mediterranean counterpart with emphasis on locally sourced fresh produce and delicate preparation.

We started our tour at 108 which is sited in a former whale meat warehouse with floor-to-ceiling windows and water views; bare concrete and a semi-open kitchen giving it a cool Nordic style.

108 sprung from the world-renowned restaurant, Noma, whose Head Chef and recipient of 2 Michelin stars, Rene Redzepi, is often cited as the founder of the New Nordic Cuisine. The Chef at 108 is Kristian Baumann, once an apprentice of Redzepi, who now also boasts a Michelin star for his success at the restaurant.


Arriving on a cold wet evening we were warmly welcomed by the friendly and attentive staff who recommended a Gin & Tonic using this Scandinavian gin from Nordic Spirits Lab.  Infused with Aqvavit botanicals we were equally enthused by its great flavour - so much so that we purchased a couple of bottles at the airport to bring home. Akvavit traditionally contains coriander, angelica and lemon peel but it is the caraway and dill which really adds the the Nordic essence to this refreshing gin.


The menu offers plenty of pickled, cured and fermented ingredients on the 'no rules' menu, from which you pick as many dishes as you like. On recommendation from our table staff, all of whom were extremely well informed about the ingredients and preparation of every dish, we chose a selection of smaller plates and then one larger plate to share.  Every dish was beautifully crafted visually and each one contained its own flavoursome character.  Combined with their own freshly baked bread we were completely satisfied both in terms of appetite and flavours.

Glazed Pork with last year's Pickles

The Glazed Pork was 'melt-in-the-mouth' balanced with the acidity of the pickles. Last year's pickles are more mellow than fresh pickles and have a wonderfully dry chewy texture with lots of flavour.  

Raw Shrimp, Mushroom and White Currant

Jerusalem Artichoke with Caviar

The Raw Shrimp was incredibly flavoursome being lightly cured in the oil and white currant dressing.  The delicate white mushrooms, thinly sliced and arranged like the petals of a flower were a perfect match with the prawns and white currant.



Jerusalem Artichoke combines so well with the Royal Belgian Caviar to give exciting texture contrasts and flavour combinations.

Brown Beech Mushrooms with Smoked Egg Yolk

Our larger sharing plate was Brown Beech Mushrooms with Smoked Egg Yolk and Grilled Greens. Also known as Buna shimeji (Hypsizygus tessellatus), it is an edible mushroom native to East Asia but it is cultivated locally in temperate climates in Europe where it grows mainly on Beech trees.  Although bitter when raw, once cooked they are considered to be one of the most flavoursome of all the edible mushrooms. They were dusted in seaweed and dried mushroom before flash frying to give a Tempura style.  Crunchy, nutty and full of flavour they were perfectly paired with the subtle Smoked Egg Yolk sauce.  The grilled Greens were fresh and light  and topped with thin slices of grilled Butternut Squash.  Now, I am not a huge fan of the Butternut but I could eat these all day long.

All in all we had four smaller plates and one larger one, freshly baked bread and a couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc.  Together with 2 G&Ts and filtered water the bill came to £200 which is not cheap but so worth it for an exciting night out enjoying good food in a great restaurant.

Rivington Bar and Grill

Set in Rivington Street, near Old Street Tube in trendy Shoreditch is The Rivington Bar and Grill which is owned by Caprice Holdings (The Caprice,  The Ivy).  One of two in London (the other is in Greenwich) the Rivington Shoreditch offers traditional British fare beautifully crafted from fresh, often locally sourced, produce.  The surroundings are 'New York meets Berlin' with a range of Art Deco architectural styles and lots of street art.

 
We arrived for dinner at the start of the London weekend (Thursday evening), were greeted warmly at the door and encouraged to relax and have a drink at the bar, as our table "will not be going anywhere". I dislike being rushed in a restaurant so this was a positive start which continued as we studied the vast array of gins on offer, finally choosing after advice, and a few tastings, provided by the barman.  We opted for the Colonel Fox and Rock Rose with Fever Tree tonic. Colonel Fox London Gin is made to an 1859 recipe and is flavoured with juniper, coriander, angelica, cassia, liquorice and bitter orange peel. Rock Rose is prepared and hand distilled in the Scottish Highlands and is flavoured with Juniper, Rose Root, Sea Buckthorn and Rowan berries.

 We were seated in the restaurant area which is decorated with whitewashed walls, stripped wood floors and bespoke Deco lamps. The decor is simple with clean white tablecloths and warm lighting to create a relaxing environment which is contrasted by the incredible buzz of conversation and enjoyment.  Maybe not a place for a quiet romantic tete-a-tete but tables are far enough apart for a feeling of your own space.  Art figures large at The Rivington, as it does in the whole area, and we were close to Tracy Emin's neon 'Life Without You - Never '.

Tempura battered squid

 The menu is not complicated and there are several seafood choices on offer including, fresh oysters, tempura squid, battered haddock, scallop ceviche, monkfish masala, smoked eel and cod with mussels.

I opted to start with the Tempura battered Cornish Squid with Chilli Jam.  Superb light batter, the pure white squid was tender and flavoursome and enhanced by the tangy jam. This is not fine dining but high quality food prepared from fresh produce and expertly presented. Most of all its is delicious.

Scallops, haggis, tatties,  neeps

For main it was Seared Cornish Scallops, Haggis, Bacon, Tatties and Neeps.  This arrived as five individual scallop shells each of which contained the entire combination and delicious it was too.  A nice change from the traditional scallop perched on top of black pudding.  

 Rounded off with a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet this was a very pleasant evening and I look forward to another visit.