Update: Q&A with René Redzepi
Checking in with Noma Australia
In February, Tienlon Ho chronicled the race to open Noma Australia. Over the past ten weeks, René Redzepi and his crew of around 65 cooks, servers, sommeliers, and dishwashers turned the usually Nordic restaurant into a reflection of the Australian continent. Guests who were lucky enough to nab a reservation at Noma’s temporary home on the Sydney Harbour tasted the crunchy white nut of the Atherton oak, the tender heart of mat rush, crispy battered abalone reimagined as schnitzel, the emerald baubles of a seaweed known as Neptune’s necklace, strap weed, emu fruit, kakadu plum, karkalla, finger lime, and bunya nut — and that was just one dish.
After one last dinner service on April 2, the team will pack up the kitchen and dining room and celebrate with a party on the beach before flying 10,000 miles home to Copenhagen, where the extended forecast calls for rain and heavy coats. There, they’ll build a new restaurant all over again, as Noma moves half a mile south.
Ho touched base with Redzepi in Noma Australia’s final days to see how it all went and what he’s looking forward to next.