May 15 Dinner at noma, “World’s best restaurant.”

I’m going to keep this as short. First, because my sister in law is the food writer and I can’t possibly describe food the way she does. Second, because I can’t remember all of the ingredients save the more exotic ones. And finally, because by the end of the evening it wasn’t about the food.

We were joined by Joan and Joel who arrived at 8am and, true to form, had seen two museums and walked more than two kilometers before we even got to the front door of noma.

On arrival twenty smiling faces were lined in the entry foyer. How was our day? When did we arrive Copenhagen? Have you been to Copenhagen before? It was like the beginning of a small dinner party at the home of a new friend.

We were served ten (or was it eleven?) small courses to start. Small plates of exquisite color and composition. I managed to take decent photos of many of them. Then we had larger plates, all still with adequate portion size so that we left satisfied but not overserensified (one of Joan’s favorite words).

Following desert, two courses more!, we were taken on a tour of the kitchen by Ben (from Ottowa). Here is where perhaps the secret lies to being designated “the worlds best.” When you pull the curtain back, you find that the team is more like a cooperative, sharing responsibilities, eating together, playing with flavors and plating and preparations. They have come from all over the world (Guatemala, Australia, Spain, Ireland, and New Jersey) to work alongside one another not Under a visionary chef. We never saw Rene, and didn’t need to really, because his vision and his management philosophy is felt everywhere.

We left after four hours escorted by our hosts to the taxi at the end of the street with a full moon and full understanding of what it means to have been to dinner at noma.

You can read all about the restaurant and its inventive chef Rene Redzipi on the website (www.noma.dk). You will even get better food descriptions and photos.