Returning to Denmark finally being able to go to Alchemist was one the things I was looking forward to the most, after all could it actually live up to all its hype or would it be a weird dinnershow?
About 20 minutes into the experience it was safe to say that the weird dinnershow was not an option. The first theatrical experience was moving, since then both Krug and Cristal champagne had found its way to my glass and so had some very impressive snacks.
With a menu covering about 40 dishes which we consumed and enjoyed over the course of 7,5 hours it doesn’t make sence to cover everything single dish on its own, but rather looking at the grand picture and the highlight.
The first impressions included champagne so why not start with the King of champagnes in the form of Krug just to set the tone of the night.
The first snack to blow me away was a a super airy lemon verbena cotton candy. Super refreshing, sweet and an interesting flavor combination
A crispy shell topped with caviar were to reveal a surprise as it was filled with smoke. A beautifull and delicious meeting of delicate and powerfull flavors that complimented each other very well.
The perfect omelet truely was perfect texture, flavor and everything about it was everything absolutely amazing. The texture was runny but not too runny and still cooked. A technical masterpiece.
The first dish in the maindiningroom was “The eye”. An obvious reference to the intense surveillance society. Also a delicious dish of caviar and asparagus.
The most delicious king crab with its own roe end to was just end to end delicious as well as a statement about 5e king crab being an invasive specie which is also why they are encouraged to fish the crabs with while they are with their eggs.
There is a first for everything but I never thought that eating actual jellyfish would be one of them. Jellyfish is an invasive species in Denmark and so is the goseberry so why not serve them together. The dish was bought interesting and super delicious. What they also did to make the jellyfish edible is beyond me.
A small munkfish livermouse was served between a cracker made of 7 different seaweed. Such a great mix of the fatty munkfish and the powerfull seaweed.
It’s fair to say that Rasmus has not looked back since he closed the first Alchemist so only one dish is repeated but naturally in a slightly different form. A lobster roll presented as a fake lobster claw. Just delicious.
The tomato snowball served with olive-oil was a nice and playfull dish showing of great technical skills.
Another mindboggeling and for some challenging dish. A rubber tonge was both plate and utensil and it was covered with different herbs and a bit of ferments giving a mix of sweet, acidic and spicy. Naturally a funny dish.
Food for thought. A piece of super delicious for grains that had actually been grown with respect for the goose was served and it goes without saying that this is the future of food gras as it cannot be sustained to grow food without respect for the animals. Especially not when the product is this good.
Of course the bread serving was not classic either. A airy bread with joselito ham. Just delicious. A meeting between innovation and classic.
The next dish in the umami section was a cep mushroom creme formed as a cep mushroom. Just end to end delicious.
As one of the last savory dishes was a steamed bun with a rich and 2 delicious moles. again just end to end umami rich deliciousness.
The first of the desserts was a sheap milk mousse which was coagulated using formic acid from ants. Of course shaped like an ant and very delicious and refreshing.
The Andy Warhol banana with banana creme was simple but delicious and obviously beautiful.
In the first version of Alchemist a dish was centered around organ donation. Lack of organs for transplants is still a problem but so is the lack of blood which is now one of the new themes at Alchemist. The new version was a mix of blood and blueberry. An unlikely match but a good one none the less.
We were now to move to the lounge for our final snacks. The first one ants trapped inside “amber” giving me associations to Jurassic Park. The amber this time was made of ginger, beeswax and sugar. The just was just powerfully enough to cut through the sweetness.
Of course the finishing note would be as impressive as the first impression. The extremely rare and expensive albino white pearl caviar from gastrounika
The best restaurants in the World usually distills time and a place by combining food, wine and service into a complete experience. The very top adds to this each from their own angle either being technical skills, rediscovering long lost ingredients, a unique location or something else to build more levels and depth to the experience. Alchemist on the other hand adds not only one, or two but maybe even 3 extra levels to the experience. First of all the food is VERY good, I was unable to put a finger on the service and the wines in their wineceller are truly something else. Besides this the team has added art and performance to the experience adding something quiet unique. I for one have never danced in a Pink room lissoning to Barry White neither in a restaurant or anywhere else. Neither have I had that close a connection between food and political statements such as the fact that we urgently needs to address the use of plastic as roughly 30% of all fish caught in the ocean contains plastic. Neither have I experienced that the surroundings in the restaurants changes to each step of the menu so that you are naturally displayed digital projections of an ocean with a mix of plastic and fish swimming around.
I think its fair to say that Alchemist build its fair share of hype before opening as it was clear that the ambition level was to build something more than just a restaurant. Also how would a relatively your chef such as Rasmus handle being given a blank check (figuratively speaking) to build this monster of a restaurant and would all of those WILD ideas come together and what experience would it be as a guest. For my own part I can truly say that I was IMPRESSED. Everything just seems to work together and they seem to have thought of everything and by everything I do mean everything. As an example in the all black bathroom even the toiletpaper was black, I mean who has that level of attention to detail and also thinks that that detail is worth solving. I think its fair to say that Alchemist is probably my most memorable restaurant experience and one of the experiences that has impressed me the most.
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