Den Røde Cottage*

The restaurant, set in the glade of a forest, just by the sea.



Cured salmon with panko crumbs, chives and creamy dots of something I unfortunately have forgotten what was. In our glasses there was Champagne, a non-vintage blanc de blancs by Franck Bonville, to be more exact.

For our second amuse lobster was the main star.

Our final amuse was fried sweetbread of veal with an apple jelly.

Two kinds of bread (one light wheat variety and a darker one) and two kinds of butter (one plain salted and one whipped with buttermilk and pumpkin seeds).

Fried turbut with young carrots and peas, later topped with sauce nage. We had a gorgeous, quite oaky 2011 chenin blanc in our glass, from Chateau Yvonne in Saumur.

White asparagus by Søren Wiuff in different textures. Steamed heads and long strips of pickled stalk, accompanied by a poached egg. Not too excited this dish, though the asparagus were undoubtable of exceptional quality.

Roast chicken with steamed spring onions and cress. For this course we enjoyed a surprisingly powerful 2009 pinot noir from Haute Cotes-de-Beaune.



Danish Thybo cheese set atop morels, crisp bread, mayonnaise (a bit too overpowering for my taste) and topped with cress. In the glass a Blancs de Noirs Champagne.

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! A cake of chocalate in different textures and a woodruff sherbet on the side. We had a glass of 2005 Late Bottled Vintage Port to accompany this.

Petit fours for our teas and coffees, including little nut baskets with frozen cream, financier, madeleines and chocolate truffles.

Den Røde Cottage
Strandvejen 550
2930 Klampenborg

Notes:
Anita Klemensen belongs to the very exclusive Copenhagen club of female Michelin-starred chef - in fact, she's the only member. With previous experience from Søllerød Kro and Kommandanten she's schooled at classic, dare I even say, traditional places, which was also evident from our visit to Den Røde Cottage. The restaurant is set beautifully in a clearing in the woods along the coast line North of Copenhagen. The reason for our visit was the celebration of my father's 60 year birthday, and I shall therefore excuse that only mental notes were taken and unfortunately quite a few details have slipped my mind. In any case, we had a beautiful dinner! The service was probably the most attentive I have ever received in Copenhagen and the staff were generally good at creating a relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant. Among the culinary highlights I will mention the turbot and the dessert, which I found to be prime example of the tastiness that the restaurant represents. However, and to be honest I would not be able to pinpoint any dish that really blew my mind. The  dinner was a such flawless, the dishes were comforting and executed to perfection, but I missed the little quirky details that differentiate a meal from being good to being memorable. The location is however absolutely unique and I will certainly not reject that we might return, as the place also counts among most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen, and the visit surely made me want to visit the sister restaurant Den Gule Cottage a few hundred meters down the road. Recommended.

Grønbech & Churchill*

Roll, glazed in licorice and topped with fennel seeds. Whipped butter with yogurt to accompany.

Spring onion, salad onions, pearl onions, chives, and ramsons atop brill in vinegar and green pepper. In our glass, a white 2009 number from Jean-Marc Boillot's Domaine Les Roques in Languedoc. Made from 95% roussanne and 5% viognier the wine appeared mature and very aromatic and with a deep finish, which seemed almost oxidized.

Different bread for the second dish, this time rolled in polenta, ground ginger and cumin.



White asparagus from Søren Wiuff and black lobster, in a creamy velouté of aspargus and Arla Unika's Havgus. In the glass, a grüner veltliner from Anna & Martin Arndorfer in Kamptal. Very refreshing, but in my opinion also rather forgettable in itself.

Braised and glazed leg of duck, abricot in its pure form and as a purée, turnip and thin slices of radish, raw leaves of endive as well as thin slices of dried duck breast. On the side a manitoba bread, a high-protein and high-gluten flour variety. In our glass, an organic number made from 100% tempranillo by Corral de Campanas.

Poached kiwi, brushed with a curry-infused oil with white chocolate snow, thin strips of fresh mint, a yogurt parfait, all set atop a white chocolate ganache. The accompanying wine was a chenin blanc "L'Étoile" from Domaine de Petit Coteau in Vouvray, Loire.

An espresso to round off with chocolate served from a cigar box. One featuring crunchy praline, another one smoky Islay (if I had less shame, I would certainly have asked for second helpings of the latter one).

Grønbech & Churchill
Esplanaden 48 / Amaliegade 49
1256 Copenhagen K

Notes:
Grønbech & Churchill had been on B's radar for quite a while, and though the place certainly is affordably - especially considering its Michelin star - we had not managed to get around to actually trying. So when we found out that the place offered a PolitikenPlus offer, including champagne, four courses and accompanying wines as well as coffee and sweets for just 800dkk we knew we had to pay the restaurant a visit. We were started off with a glass André Clouet as well as almonds, tossed in a curry mixture of sorts, which somehow did not quite do it for me. First dish quickly arrived, a very picturesque dish of brill and onions. Accompanied by a bread glazed in licorice and a glass of almost oxidized roussanne, this pairing stands among the most memorable I have had in recent time. I should mention pairs each dish with a different bread - quite a cute idea, and in this first instance the concept was very successfully employed, while the other two savory dishes did not come together quite as well as the first. I was however a huge fan of the dessert, featuring curry and kiwi, quite un-Nordic and very liberating to try something completely different, though the dish was still incredibly tasty. This generally goes for all dishes. They are beautiful and tasty, though in the end the restaurant left me with a weird feeling of not having displayed any personality other than in the dishes. The staff was friendly but not very talkative. Service was very quick. And generally the place does not ooze much personality. We did however leave the place feeling very satisfied about the food, though the surroundings just lacked... something. If you however want to try affordable Michelin-star food in Copenhagen Grønbech & Churchill is certainly a decent option.

Steirereck**

The first amuse bouches of pomelo in citrus sugar and long, thin crisps provided a light and refreshing start to our dinner.  They were accompanied by a locally produced sekt from Bründlmayer, which was surprisingly complex in flavor. We later found out that it is made from blauer burgunder, chardonnay, grauburgunder, weissburgunder and grüner veltliner - very interesting.

Second round of amuses were placed atop a carpet of cress, including marinated radish, a cornet of dried Jerusalem artichoke filled with a fresh cream cheese and finally a cornet of turnip filled with a nettle foam of sorts.

Butter! Lime butter rolled around pear marmalade and topped with pistachios, set atop meticulously drawn lines of plain salted butter.

Bread selection - here including varieties with black pudding (so good!), sun-dried tomato and olive, rosemary, and bacon. 

B's (more grown-up) selection of sourdough varieties.

Last amuse of baked qual egg enrobed in a sort of kataifi dough along side jerusalem artichoke purée and shaved, black truffle. The black truffle was underwhelming in flavor and could easily had been omitted but still a very enjoyable amuse.

Salsify cooked in cardamom-infused goat's milk with grilled, sour Nashi pear, goat's cheese, beef bone marrow and toasted chia seeds. A very comprehensive dish as you can tell but also one of the best dishes of the evening. I loved the combination of cream goat's milk and the nuttiness from the chia seeds. Wine pairing was a blend of grüner veltliner, chardonnay, and riesling. Certainly one of the evening's highlights.

Red cabbage (leaf, stalk and juice) with Jonagold apple, thinly sliced foie gras, blackcurrants preserved in beebalm syrup and shiso leaves. Loved the play on red cabbage in the dish but unfortunately the foie gras component provided little flavour to the final taste expression. The accompanying 2011 pinot gris "Seeberg" from Weingut Prieler did a good job providing a crisp, not too sweet backdrop to the dish.

Puntarella with carp milt, chervil root and anis seed aromas. In the glass, 2011 morillon (aka chardonnay) "Steinbach" from Lackner-Tinnacher in Gamlitz. Great textures in the dish but tastewise it was forgettable.

Endive infused with beef consommé and garlic oil accompanied by boiled and deep-fried wood sorrel root, raw king trumpet mushrooms (very few, as you can tell from the picture), and caramelized Persian lime marmelade. The wine pairing of 2011 Lindenblättriger, a tablewine from Umathum, was an interesting addition to the dish, while the dish generally failed to make a lasting impression on B.

Mountain trout with white aubergine, turnips, black trumpet mushroom and purslane. Thereto a Rudi Pichler number, a grüner veltliner Smaragd "Hochrain" from 2008 with which we were both so pleased, that we picked up a 2011 variety from Wein&Co before we left Vienna. The fish was very delicate and pleasing to the palate.

Pan-fried grayling with sesame, baby artichokes, and rosemallow. In the glass, a pristine glass of riesling from Prager, a 2009 Smaragd "Klaus". B loved with so much that I (good girlfriend as I am) had him enjoy the last sips. The fish was perfectly cooked and I enjoyed the sesame addition very much.

For the 4th course, we had chosen the same dish, which turned out to be one of the evening's highlights for me, both in terms of the dish and the wine pairing. The course consisted of breast of Schneebergland duck rolled in fermented rice and black bean granules, set atop sprouts, shoots and cress of different sorts in a date, peanut, and ginger paste, finished off with cardamom and salted plum stock. The wine (the name has unfortunately slipped my mind) was a natural wine, completely unoaked and highly oxidized, which went surprisingly well with the dish. Excellent sommelier work here.

Best end (what does that even mean?) lamb from Pogush with capers, raisins and purple salsify. Further there was caramelized sweet potato and lamb's lettuce with a purple salsify and lamb sauce with Limon Canaliculata and preserved almonds. B was extremely excited about the lamb, which was certainly cooked to perfection. In the glass a 2010 zweigelt "Haide" from Schloss Gobelsburg.

Grilled calf's liver with nasturtium root, smoked elderberry chutney, and pumpernickel and potato rösti. In the glass, the second non-Austrian wine option of the evening, 2010 Kappa Rosso from Fattoria Kappa, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. A powerful and rich mix that fit the gamey liver brilliantly.

Another highlight - cheeses. Steirereck boasts an amazing selection of 50+ cheeses. B decided to go with a blue and hard selection including the Kracher Grand Cru cheese, a blue washed in the sweet wine. It also featured a truffled pecorino and despite his somewhat guarded relation to cheese, he ate every single bit.

I had the cheese sommelier, Herbert Schmid, do a mix of things for me as I am really not a picky cheese eater. It included everything from Mont d'Or to hefty Roquefort. Great selection, only enhanced by the wine pairing of Alto Aldige gewürztraminer by Damian Kornell from 2011(so good, I am not ashamed to say that I asked for a refill). The garnishes of pumpkin seed and grapes however puzzled me and seemed sort of banal.

Finally, dessert! Preserved calamansi, an Indonesian citrus fruit also known under the name of golden lime (also served as amuse) along with silky smooth walnut ice cream, on a bed of cream cheese and ginger bread crumbs. In the glass, 1988 pinot gris beerenauslese from Stephan Schneider. Heaven!

Phantom of the avec cart.

A lonely melange.

Petit fours - chocolate and dried citrus fruits.

Steirereck
Am Heumarkt 2A, im Stadtpark
Wien, Österreich

Notes:
When B had invited me to Vienna we quickly decided that we would have to visit Steirereck, currently at 21st place on World's 50 Best List. Overall, it turned out to be a great experience. Some of Steirereck's strongpoints certainly include its inherently local focus as reflected in both the food and wines - and I love that they have a cart for everything, including apéritifs (noting Campari/OJ as an option at a Michelin restaurant is a first for me!), bread, cheese, herbal tea, digestifs, petit fours...). Around the blogosphere other bloggers have been complaining as to the English skills of the staff, something I cannot recognize at all. All evening we were served by waiters speaking fluent English, a special mention to our sommelier who was not only extremely knowing and talkative but also incredibly endearing, delivering little anecdotes about the wines and their producers. Throughout the evening we did however have a few dishes which, yes, were tasty, but also forgettable. Highlight included the salsify, pear and goat's milk cheese, the duck and the cheeses. I can only imagine how gorgeous the setting must be during spring, summer and fall, and in terms of gourmet restaurants I cannot imagine better options to be found in Vienna. Recommended.

Relæ*

Snack: Taco of celeriac with fillings of baked and grated celeriac, buttermilk, several types of cress and grated, dried egg yolk.

In the glass: Eureka 2009 from Coulée d'Ambrosia in the Loire Valley

1st course: Eggplant, seawater and elderflower.

In the glass: Amétrine 2008 by Joël Courtault in Touraine.

2nd course: Carpaccio of Havervedgaard lamb, onion, dill and shrimp powder

In the glass: Pink Rabbit 2010 by Nicolas Testard in Beaujolais, made from Gamay.

3rd course: Potato "spaghetti", hazelnuts and grated bergamot.

In the glass: Originel 2010 by Julien Courtois, Soings en Sologne.

4th course: Veal sweet bread, fried on one side, with basil and grated cauliflower.

In the glass: Vieilles Vignes 2005 by Domaine de Peyra in Auvergene.

5th course: Cream cheese of goat's milk from Swedish farm Hagelstad and parsley emulsion.

In the glass: Sauvageonne 2009 from Les Grittes in Anjou.

6th course: Italian meringue with ice cream of corn, pieces of corn, bread crumbs and marjoram leaves.

In the glass: Une Poire pour la Soif

Relæ
Jægersborggade 41
2200 Copenhagen N
Wed-Sat 5:30pm-00am

Notes:
B and I really had no clue what to expect when we entered Relæ that Friday evening. We had read tons of reviews, many incredibly positive, some very sceptical. Would we like it? Or would it be too avantgarde for us old-fashion, foie gras-loving people? In the end I must say, we had a very enjoyable evening at Relæ. First of all, I very much like Relæ's ambience, it is light and unpretention. 70's music makes a nice and relaxed audiovisual backdrop. Further, you set your own table with cutlery from the drawer in your table, and as the night went out we managed to spread bread crumbs all over the table, which the waiters did not pay much attention to. Very un-Michelin Star-y. But as to the food, we were pleasantly surprised. It was challenging, but well tasting. Highlights of the evening included the lamb and shrimp powder, the potato dish and the sweet breads, which were exceptionally well prepared. On the other hand, I found the cheese dish to be rather bland though the presentation was new and interesting. And though I did not dislike the dessert, I will just never love having put vegetables in my dessert (I have even lived in China so I can fairly say that the corn ice cream concept is tried and tested - but not so much to my taste). Finally, I very much enjoyed the beverage pairings of natural wines, which Relæ's is well-known for. They were knowingly presented by our waiter who by the way delivered a flawless service throughout the evening. Recommended. And we will surely return at some point in the future.

Kong Hans Kælder*

Bellinis + Quail eggs (plain with cep powder + balsamic pickled)

"Spaghetti Vongole"

Char, radishes, wild cress, egg yolk

Duck, chanterelles, root vegetables in different textures

Selection of Danish cheeses

"HHH" - Hyldeblomst, hybenrose, havtorn (Elderflower, Rose hip, Sea buckthorn)

Cappuccino + Summerbird chocolates + petit fours