Noma
After traveling thousands of miles to get here, it was for a seemingly elusive obsession. Having now visited, that obsession has dissipated.
Noma is showing signs of aging but still holds its pride with justification. Over the past two decades, Noma has significantly influenced the fine dining market, elevating Copenhagen as a Nordic food pilgrimage site and popularizing the global trends of "self-sustaining" agriculture and fermentation in restaurants worldwide.
These two trends stem from the principle that "local conditions shape local culture," and Noma's recognition by numerous prestigious lists is not due to mere taste, but rather its pioneering role within the context of high-end dining, showcasing the "localness" of Nordic cuisine. This includes:
- The harsh and unpredictable weather here, which makes sustainability an immediate concern, prompting self-sufficiency through greenhouses and self-grown produce.
- The long winters and scarcity of ingredients, necessitating fermentation techniques to extend the life cycle of food.
Noma is both the world's most famous and controversial restaurant. Typically, disputes about renowned restaurants revolve around the chef's personality, menu concepts, or poor service. However, Noma's controversy consistently centers on whether it is "delicious," which is peculiar in itself.
Is Noma delicious? For me, at this moment, this season, and on this day, the answer is no. It's not necessarily bad; it's just not to my taste.
Yet, all of this becomes secondary. With years of being ranked number one on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list and holding three Michelin stars—indeed, even without these accolades—a single Noma logo suffices: there will be no lack of friends along the way, for who in the world does not recognize Noma?
Beyond flavor, however, there are subtle hints of decline in other details. Noma emerged during a barren period for fine dining, but today, with changing times and the monumental task of maintaining an extremely high-expectation restaurant under constant scrutiny for decades, the effort, pressure, controversies, and backlash from fame are immeasurable.
The decision to close the doors after its 20th anniversary and embark on a global tour in project form might not be a purely noble choice, but more likely a pragmatic response to the circumstances: what truly remains unparalleled and unattainable is that which is forever gone, preserved only in memory and records. Never meeting again can indeed be the best filter.
On the return journey, I felt like taking a stroll, but the cold winds of Copenhagen gave me a headache, and I fell into a deep sleep upon reaching the hotel, with an early flight back to Shanghai scheduled for the next day. The terror, mystery, helplessness, and snowstorms of the Nordics merged into a dreamlike experience. A longing to buy osmanthus flowers and wine to relive youthful adventures, alas, it could never quite compare to those bygone days.
