More then twenty years ago fusion cuisine invaded Denmark. Recipes from Sweden to Sri Lanka were put in the same pan and served in a cocktail of elegant and exotic dishes. Lemon grass, root vegetables, honey, chilli, cinnamon, Lemon Sole and seaweed all complementing successfully - traditional cream sauces had to move over for fine stripes of jus and foam.

The heat was turned up for experimentation and the classical French cuisine ceased to be. And even though these wild experiments are now on a much reduced scale the fusion Kitchen is still extremely popular with the new generation of master chefs. It has given the chefs a real taste for mixing ingredients from across country borders.

Another gastronomic trend is moving in at the speed of light. Some of today’s star chefs are looking back to their Scandinavian roots and letting old recipes and forgotten ingredients be part of an exiting new Nordic cuisine.

Sylte (a jellied pork dish which is normally served in slices), herring and grød (a porridge dish which can have fruit or cereal as its base) is cooked and served in a completely new way. Old Nordic spices and herbs are brought to life on the hot stoves and ovens.
 

Spanish inspiration at The Paul

The crème de la crème from fusion kitchens is what you will find at The Paul in Tivoli. Here the chef and owner, Englishman Paul Cunningham, serves a wealth of experiences where inspiration, from several European countries, is mixed with exotic dried spices. One of the highlights from the Spanish kitchen is the small tapas-sized courses. At Paul Cunningham’s you can also get the current huge hit, spoons – which are miniature courses served in mouth-sized bites on spoons.

Considering that the restaurant acquired a Michelin Star the place oozes of casual atmosphere, which make the guests feel very much at home. There is the nice atmosphere of a living room, created by the large bookshelves in the middle of the restaurant full of lots of cult books from the world of gastronomy.

More Fusion in Copenhagen and the surrounding area

Since Paul Cunningham opened the doors of his restaurant it has been a melting pot of inspiration for chefs from near and far.

One of the chefs who worked in The Paul’s kitchen was Mads Refslund, who has since opened his own restaurant which is simply called MR. Here he delicately unites ingredients like herring, lemon, banana and pistachio into a wonderful starter with an exotic touch.

Fusion is also apparent with Chef Jakob de Neergaard at Søllerød Kro. But in his upmarket French-Danish restaurant he does gets inspiration from Belgium and further a field. Jakob de Neergaard has won many awards and his charming 300 year old inn was named “The Restaurant of the year” in 2005 by The Danish Eating Guide.

Nordic Theme

If you would like a full-on Nordic kitchen experience, Noma in Copenhagen is a must. Noma - voted world's best restaurant 2010 in the British Restaurant Magazinein - is leading the way when it comes to the new trend.

Here you find the master chef and co-owner René Redzepi running the kitchen, who has experience from many gourmet restaurants abroad and whose skills made sure that Noma acquired one Michelin Star.

At Noma’s sun dried tomatoes and Parma ham have given way as winter food to seaweed from Iceland, deep-sea crayfish from The Faroe Islands, lamb and musk oxen from Greenland and spiced herbs from the Danish forests. Instead of Fromage Blanc, “sky”, an unchanged recipe from the days of the Vikings is used. And the much-used olive oil is substituted by good Danish rapeseed oil.

Like housewives in old Danish kitchens, the modern chefs smoke foods, preserve in salt, dry cure and bake the ingredients themselves. They all end up in dishes served in a refined way, like poached lobster in Mead and water cress and caramelized celeriac, which has become part of the new Danish cuisine.

The Nordic Kitchen in Jutland and on Funen

Amongst the many young master chefs who celebrate the new Nordic cuisine is Thorsten Schmidt, who a few years ago opened the doors of his own gourmet restaurant Malling & Schmidt in Århus.

An organised mess is what Thorsten Schmidt calls his own dishes, which all at once fills the plate with a selection of appetisers. Together they create a harmonic and tasty art piece, which are served with small sensations of airy crème or the latest hit from abroad, warm jelly. In between the courses you are offered scoops of old Danish dishes, coated in breadcrumbs, baked in oil and topped with whipped cream and Danish honey.

At Sortebro Kro one of Funen’s absolute top restaurants, the new Danish cuisine thrives. Chef and restaurant owner John Kofod Pedersen hasn’t got far to go for his good old Danish herbs and vegetables. His neighbour is the open air museum, Den Fynske Landsby (The Funen Village) where he is allowed to pick straight from their herb garden.