Copenhagen, Denmark

destinationtaste | far
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark, the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries. Culinarily,
the city has been getting a lot of attention lately, thanks to Noma being named best restaurant in the
world three times running by Restaurant magazine. Located on an island, Copenhagen is a stunning
blend of old and new, with turreted castles and cobblestone streets and sleek modern structures, not
to mention the water views. There’s something for everyone, with a mix of history, art, dining, shopping,
and lots of bicycles. A worthwhile purchase is the COPENhagen Card, which includes admission to
almost every place you’d like to visit. Details: visitcopenhagen.com.
Copenhagen, Denmark
BY LISË STERN
Accommodations range from bare-bones
to luxury. Smaller hotels further from the
city center can be bargains, and there are
guest houses with shared baths, many of
which include breakfast, like Carsten’s
Guest House (carstensguesthouse.dk). The
Hotel Twentyseven
Star Flyer at Tivoli
Gardens
You can’t beat the location, a few blocks
from Tivoli amusement park, the train
station, and the downtown pedestrian
street Strøget. The decor features trendy
Danish design in black and white, with red
lacquered desks and wardrobes. There are
three room styles: standard, deluxe, and
junior suites, and an option to include
breakfast. The hotel has a pair of bars,
including the Icebar, with walls, chairs,
and tables made from ice from Lapland
(winter jackets provided).
Open since 1843, Tivoli Gardens is an
amusement park that reportedly inspired
Walt Disney when creating Disneyland. It’s
charming and magical, and has some
awesome rides. Admission just lets you in
the door—good restaurants are here too—
best to get the multiride deal. The Star Flyer,
billed as the “world’s tallest carousel” is a
swing that lifts riders over 260 feet above the
park, offering a stellar view of Copenhagen.
Tivoli Gardens
3 Vesterbrogade
45-3315-1001, tivoli.dk
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Translated as The Workers’ Museum, this
is a fun smaller museum, doable in an
afternoon, that demonstrates what day-today life was like for Copenhagen residents in
the mid 20th century. Re-created rooms
from an area house, circa 1950, as well as
various shops, offer a window into a time
gone by. Collections of pottery, toys, and
games as well as artwork round out the
exhibits.
with its smørrebrød. The restaurant has
been here since 1877. Owners John and
Søren Puggaard took over in 2007 and have
updated the menu while keeping classic
sandwiches like the Veterinarian’s Snack,
with liver pate, boiled beef, and raw onions.
The modern Smokehouse includes a trio of
smoked items: herring, creamy Danish
cheese, and potatoes, topped with radishes
and chives. All are served on traditional
blue-patterned Royal Copenhagen china.
Wash them down with one of the dozens of
aquavits from through Scandinavia offered
on the menu.
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
First Hotel Twentyseven
Løngangsstræde 27
45-7027- 5627, hotel27.dk
First Hotel Twentyseven
Løngangsstræde 27
45-7027-5627, hotel27.dk
Arbejdermuseet
Rømersgade 22
45-3393-2575, arbejdermuseet.dk
DO
EAT
city has a cutting-edge reputation, and over
half the hotels tout their green practices,
like Ibsens Hotel (ibsenshotel.dk), which
claims to be CO2 neutral.
The breakfast buffet at First Hotel
Twentyseven offers just about anything
you’d like to eat for the day. There are hot
offerings of eggs and breakfast meats,
and a mix of cold and hot cereals. A
programmable coffee machine features
espresso, cappuccino, and other java
variations, and the teas include loose-leaf.
Several bakery-fresh breads are ready to be
slathered with butter or jam, and there’s a
choice of cheeses, excellent yogurt, fruit,
and veggies. Eat your fill, and you’ll be set
for several hours.
Nimb Hotel
Nimb Hotel
5 Bernstorffsgade
45-8870-0000, nimb.dk
Nimb Hotel, located in Tivoli Gardens,
looks like a Moorish palace (with rates to
match).The decades-old building opened
as a boutique hotel in 2008, with just 14
rooms, most with fireplaces. Continental
breakfast is included, and there are four
varied restaurants onsite, along with other
grand public spaces.
Copenhagen Cooking
copenhagencooking.com
The eighth annual Copenhagen food festival
runs for 10 days at the end of August, with a
focus on New Nordic cuisine. This year,
some 130 culinary activities are offered all
over the city, from dinners to demos to street
fairs. Intriguing choices include Under the
Sea, hosted by Silver Spoon Guerilla Dining
(silverspooncph.com) at a location to be sent
to ticket holders just before the event.
Velbekomme!
Breakfast at Twentyseven
Trio of smørrebrød at Aamanns
been around for decades, but Adam
Aamanns reinvented smørrebrød with his
restaurant, offering fresh interpretations of
classics, as well as new combinations
highlighting Scandinavian ingredients.
Everything is made on site, including the
organic sourdough rye bread. Sandwiches
include Potato with Lovage Mayonnaise,
Chives, and Radishes and Mackerel with
Fennel and Tomatoes. Aamanns recently
opened a branch in New York and also has a
dinner restaurant next door.
DINNER
Relæ
Jægersborggade 41
45-3696-6609, restaurant-relae.dk
Relæ was much anticipated even before it
Baby bok choy at Relæ
Restaurant Schønnemann
Hauser Plads 16
45-3312-0785
restaurantschonnemann.dk
Schønnemann offers a taste of history along
LUNCH
Aamanns Smørrebrødsdeli
Øster Farimagsgade 10
45-3555-3344, aamanns.dk
PHOTOGRAPHS: LISË STERN
STAY
Denmark is famous for its Danish lunch,
specifically the smørrebrød (literally
“buttered bread”). This open-face
sandwich (meant to be eaten with a knife
and fork) consists of rectangles of dense rye
bread smeared with butter, with toppings
that can range from simple sliced
cucumbers to various fish (especially
herring), poultry, and meats. The dish has
Schønnemann’s Smokehouse
smørrebrød
opened—chef Christian Puglisi having
established himself at nearby Noma and
El Bulli in Spain. He and co-owner Kim
Rossen are doing their bit to keep a local
emphasis while not ignoring other cuisines
(Puglisi is an Italian immigrant). Each night
there are two four-course prix fixe menus,
one meat and one vegetarian, with offerings
like Chicken Wings, White Asparagus
and Anchovies or Baby Bok Choy with
Green Sauce. Wine or juice pairings are also
available for each course.
Best of Taste 2012
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Carrot Soup with Cream Cheese Flan
and Puffed Grains
Recipes
Carrot Soup with Cream Cheese Flan
and Puffed Grains
Makes 4 servings
Beer: Trapp Lager Brewery Dunkel Lager (Stowe, Vt.)
This incredible soup offers layers of flavors and textures. You’ll have
extra flan and grains, which you can use in other soups or salads.
Adapted from Executive Chef Michael LaScola of American Seasons.
Puffed Grains
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup overcooked barley
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Flan
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cream cheese
3 sheets gelatin, soaked and squeezed
Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 large organic carrots, divided
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon organic raw sugar
½ cup organic orange juice
2 cups water, or as needed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped pea tendrils
1. Prepare the puffed grains. Dry the grains, preferably in a food dehydrator, at 150°F for 42 hours. Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the
dried grains until golden and crispy. Season to taste with salt and
pepper and set aside.
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2. Prepare the flan. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with plastic wrap.
3. In a medium pot combine milk, cream, and cream cheese. Heat
over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until cream cheese
is melted. Cook until the mixture is 160°F, then remove from heat and
whisk in gelatin until dissolved. Pour mixture into prepared pan and
chill until set, at least 1 hour. When firm, use a small ring cutter to cut
into 1-inch circles.
4. Prepare the soup. In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. Dice
4 of the carrots and add to the pot with the onions and garlic. Saute
lightly but do not brown. When vegetables begin to soften, add cumin,
salt, pepper, sugar, and orange juice and enough water to cover the
top of the vegetables. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables
are soft.
5. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree soup
until smooth. Juice the remaining 4 carrots, discard the pulp, and stir
the juice into the soup. Heat just to warm through, and season to taste.
6. To serve, divide the soup among 4 bowls. Float a flan round in the
middle. Sprinkle with the grains and top with the mint and pea tendrils.
Rillette of Warm-Smoked Salmon on Rye
Makes 4 servings
Wine: Patz & Hall Pinot Noir 2010 (Sonoma Coast, Calif.)
Beer: Throwback Brewery Campfire Smoked Porter
(North Hampton, N.H.)
Aamanns notes that warm-smoked salmon is different than cold
smoked. Cold-smoked salmon is the kind usually served with cream
cheese and bagels. “Warm smoking makes for a more aggressive, even
sour aroma, and makes the salmon meat softer and ‘cooked’ in texture,”
he writes. “When made into a mixed salad, or rillette, as we call it, it
works surprisingly well when you underline and intensify the sour
notes with both lemon juice and pickled ingredients like capers, cornichons, and pickled onions. They also bring crunchiness to the otherwise soft salad.”
Adapted from Adam Aamanns of Aamanns Smørrebrødsdeli.
¾
¾
6
1½ 2
1
1
4
pound warm-smoked salmon
cup mayonnaise
tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
ounces capers, roughly chopped
tablespoons grainy or Dijon mustard, or to taste
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
small bunch dill
small bunch chives, finely chopped
slices rectangular dark rye bread, such as German rye
pickled onions and halved cornichons
1. Check the salmon for any bones and discard any grey meat. Add to
a large bowl and mix with the mayo, yogurt, capers, mustard, lemon
juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
2. Reserve 4 dill sprigs for garnish, and lightly chop the rest. Add to the
salmon, along with half the chopped chives, and mix to distribute.
3. To serve, divide the rillette among the 4 slices of bread, shaping it
into a square or rectangle. Garnish with pickled onions and cornichon
halves, then sprinkle with reserved chives and top with a dill sprig. T