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Danish Chef Nabs Bocuse d'Or Trophy

Filed under: Dining

It's not the easiest name in the world to remember but globetrotting foodies might want to acquaint themselves with Rasmus Kofoed of Denmark. The chef was victorious in the Bocuse d'Or, the biannual cooking contest that draws the elite of the culinary world to the French city of Lyon. He had won the European Bocuse d'Or Championship in Geneva last June and had won the bronze medal at the Bocuse d'Or 2005 and the silver medal at the Bocuse d'Or 2007 and was the favorite going into this year's event.

The event is sponsored by several luxury brands including Hublot and Perrier. Chefs representing countries around the world compete in a live competition packed with spectators. Chef Thomas Keller is president of the Bocuse d'Or USA foundation and Daniel Boulud is chairman. Bloomberg News reports that they were Lyon to support the U.S. competitor James Kent, sous chef at Eleven Madison Park.Denmark's victory was part of a Nordic sweep, the runner-up was Tommy Myllymaki of Sweden and the third place went to Gunnar Hvarnes of Norway.

Rasmus Kofoed has his own restaurant, Geranium, in Copenhagen. Menu items include lightly smoked potatoes with dried peas and lovage; freerange pork with raw, crunchy and soft Jerusalem artichokes; and sheep's milk yogurt with scent of pine needles. Copenhagen is becoming a global culinary hot spot, it is also home to Noma, a restaurant chosen as the world's best in the San Pellegrino awards last spring.

Tags: bocuse dor, copenhagen, denmark, rasmus kofoed

Noma Is The New World's Best Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Forget El Bulli and The Fat Duck, there's a new world's best restaurant, Copenhagen's Noma. The two Michelin star-rated restaurant on Copenhagen's docks won first place in the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant awards recently. Young chef René Redzepi is the man behind the new restuarant which eschews molecular gastronomy and serves more down-to-earth fare like radishes in edible dirt. Redzepi is half Danish and half Macedonian and has, according to the Wall Street Journal, five full-time foragers on staff. All employees are expected to participate in harvesting produce. Noma doesn't use olive oil or nonseasonal garlic and all produce is from Denmark and neighboring Nordic countries. He has also use non-traditional ingredients like milk skin, wild beach roses, birch syrup and unripe elderberries. The seven course menu runs around $175 per person.

The awards are decided by regional committees made up of top chefs and food writers. El Bulli, Ferran Adria's restaurant and Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck didn't fall too far, they were ranked second and third.

The top U.S. restaurant, ranked seventh was Chicago's "best restaurant ever" Alinea which is headed by Grant Achatz and it was followed by Daniel in New York in the eighth slot. Other top-ranked U.S. restaurants included Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in Yountville, California in the 32nd slot and his Per Se in the tenth slot. Le Bernardin was 15th. New entries to the list from the U.S. included Wylie Dufresne's WD-50 at 45th and Eleven Madison Park rounding out the top 50 in the last slot.

Tags: copenhagen, denmark, noma, rene redzepi, worlds best restaurant

Denmark's Little Mermaid Moves To Shanghai

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

Here's a sight you don't see every day. Copenhagen's famous little mermaid statue is on the move. The Little Mermaid is being moved from her perch in Copenhagen harbor to begin a voyage that will land her in Shanghai, China. She will be shown off at the World Expo in Shanghai and then return to her post at the end of the year. This is the first time that statue has left Denmark in her 96 years. The statue honors Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote her story. She will grace the Danish pavilion at the World Expo which opens May 1. Some have said that the original shouldn't have been moved and that a copy should have been sent. Certainly locals and visitors will miss the lady on the rock while she's off on her adventures.

The sculpture was created by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen and is a popular tourist attraction. She has not been moved except when she needed repairs. The lady has had a rough life, she was beheaded in 1964 and 1988 and lost her right arm once. She was also blown off her stone base by explosives and has been vandalized numerous times. Compared to that, a global voyage might be a breeze.

Tags: copenhagen, denmark, little mermaid, shangai, statue, world expo

Noko Jeans Are Back! Temporary Home in Denmark

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Nothing about Noko Jeans has been simple. You have to expect this, of course, when you're using labor in North Korea to manufacture a product for sale in the west. Of course, the Noko guys seemed to have an edge over the rest of the western world, since they're from Sweden, the only country in Europe that has diplomatic relations with the reclusive regime. In fact, Sweden represents the United States in Pyongyang, too.

Well, it didn't work all that smoothly. The fashion company was booted from Swedish retailer PUB. Then, it had to close its "museum" (i.e., boutique) in Stockholm. It looked like the company would only be able to live on in the virtual world, as an online retailer.

Thanks to the Danes, however, the situation has changed, even if only temporarily. Until Sunday (February 14, 2010), Noko Jeans will be at the Gallery International Fashion Fair in Copenhagen, Denmark, showcasing the Kara Slim Fit and Oke Loose Fit jeans. The company's also offering "some interesting sneak peeks of the future of Noko Jeans," it said in a statement.

The Noko "road show" was inspired by the response the company has received following its recent travails. In a statement, founders Jacob Åström, Jakob Ohlsson and Tor Rauden Källstigen said, "There's only so many e-mails and phone calls we can respond to, so we decided to take Noko Jeans on the road. The first stop, at Gallery during the fashion week in Copenhagen, felt very natural as it is very close and very awesome."

And, the hunt for space isn't over yet. The founders say, "Our hopes and ambitions with Gallery is to find new and great places where our story can be told, both in Scandinavia and the rest of the world."

Gallery: Noko Jeans Museum in Stockholm, Sweden (RIP)

Gallery: Noko Jeans at Gallery International Fashion Show in Copenhagen, Denmark

Noko Jeans at the Gallery International Fashion Show, Copenhagen, Denmark

Gallery International Fashion Show, Copenhagen, Denmark

Tags: copenhagen, denmark, fashion, jeans, north korea, NorthKorea, Pyongyang, sweden

Comwell Borupggard Spa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Scandinavian hotelier Comwell has created the largest spa in Denmark, the Comwell Borupgaard Body & Mind Spa which opened earlier this year. The spa is at the five-star Comwell Borupgaard hotel, a manor house set in a park located 40 minutes from Copenhagen. The spa has 14 massage/treatment rooms, a large swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, footbaths, an ice fountain, thermal chairs and more. The hotel has 149 rooms and rates start around $195 per night.

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Tags: copenhagen, denmark, hotel, spa, travel