Noma’s Japanese connection
Rene Redzepi’s upcoming pop-up in Kyoto marks a bright spot after a tough two years since the pandemic
WHEN COVID-19 FIRST HIT THE world’s F&B industry, nobody talked about restaurants the way they used to. No more bragging rights about the best restaurants nobody could get into. Restaurants that used to be fawned over were struggling to survive as much as the no-names. Noma was one of them. But eventually, like everyone else, it slowly got back on its feet. World travel recovered, and best-restaurant guides made a triumphant comeback. But if there are any doubts that revenge dining is back, doubt no more. When Noma released tickets for its upcoming pop-up in Kyoto next spring, they were sold out in minutes.
“The reservations booked out in a flash – it’s one of the fastest we have ever booked out,” says Redzepi, whose acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant has done sold-out pop-up stints pre-Covid in Tokyo (2015), Sydney (2016) and Tulum, Mexico (2017). “I felt so happy and relieved at the response. We were quite nervous about what the reaction would be, with Japan only just recently open for travel again. But it was truly a frenzy, and we are so thrilled about that.”
The aftermath of Covid-19
Redzepi and his entire team of 70 staff plus their families will move to Kyoto for the pop-up, which runs from Mar 15 to May 20. Already, Redzepi has made several trips to Japan, exploring the local produce and engaging local farmers while immersing himself in the traditional kaiseki cuisine that Kyoto is known for.
The change of scenery is no doubt a high point after going through one of the darkest periods in his career as Covid-19 took its toll. At its lowest point during the pandemic, Noma was forced to close for six months and even sold burgers and wine for a while at one stage. It finally reopened in 2021, but reportedly recorded its first financial loss in four years even with government support. Although things are improving as world travel rebounds, “it’s nowhere near pre-Covid levels,” says Redzepi. “If I look at Copenhagen, we are probably back at around 50 per cent, and it will probably take a while still (to get back to normal). The Ukrainian and Russian war has also definitely scared people from coming to Europe. It’s just a tough time.”
The pandemic that upended the F&B industry has “certainly changed the way we look at Noma and our future – quite drastically, I would say,” adds Redzepi candidly. “As soon as Covid started, it didn’t take more than two or three months before I knew we had to accelerate some of our plans, while other plans completely changed.” He hints at revealing more in the coming months, “but we will be going through a major change in the next two to three years, and that is largely because of Covid”. But the changes can be viewed in a positive light now, even if “it was really tough while we were going through it”.
Back in Japan
The pop-up in Kyoto wasn’t exactly on their long-term agenda. “We actually had another one planned (in Tbilisi, Georgia) that we were quite far ahead in putting into place, but because of the pandemic, it was cancelled. When that happened, immediately I knew that we wanted to be in Kyoto – the birthplace of kaiseki cuisine.”
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How did it come about?
“The funny story is that I was actually on Instagram and saw a post on this new hotel that opened in Kyoto – Ace hotel – and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, Kengo Kuma made this – it’s really beautiful’. And that’s how it started. We contacted Ace and asked if we could come and do a pop-up at their hotel. Luckily, they said yes!”
Ever since Noma launched their pop-up series in Tokyo, Redzepi has felt a strong affinity to Japan. He even opened the Nordic-inspired restaurant Inua in 2018 with ex-head chef Thomas Frebel, who led it to two-Michelin-star status before it closed permanently in 2020 as one of the earliest casualties of the pandemic.
On whether there might be scope to open something again, Redzepi says: “Who knows what can happen in the future with Noma and us in Japan. We love it there. Mexico and Japan are my two favourite places to travel to, live and be in, so who knows.”
Even so, “that’s not the reason we’re going to Japan this time,” he adds. “We’re going there because it’s the end of Covid. It’s time for us to go and be inspired again, to learn, to bring our team back together and meet new people.”
For a chef whose last foray in Tokyo saw him serve guests live ants on botan ebi in a meal that raised as many eyebrows as it delighted palates, there are high expectations for his Kyoto stint, which costs an eye-watering 775 euros (about S$1,100) before tax. This includes the tasting menu and beverage pairing. But like other Noma events, it will be one to remember as the hotel is sparing no effort to create a fitting dining space that translates the essence of Noma while including local crafts and artists.
Christmas break
Looking back on 2022, “it’s perhaps been the most challenging year of the entire pandemic for us, but we’re coming out of it strong and I’m happy about that. We had another Covid scare at the beginning of the year when we potentially had to close again, but we didn’t. But the day we signed Noma Kyoto – that was a beautiful day.”
Meanwhile, he’ll be taking a break from obsessing about umami and spending Christmas with his wife and kids. They’re heading to Mexico, his second favourite place in the world. “It will be a tropical Christmas. We haven’t travelled since 2019, so we are ready to go and have a proper family vacation. So we’ll probably be eating tacos somewhere. The past Christmases during the pandemic have been very small and low key with only close family around.”
But come the new year and he’ll be with his second family – the Noma team – in Japan, where they can look forward to a new beginning, and brighter days ahead.
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