Geranium

Reservation at the world's best chef (Rasmus Kofoed)'s restaurant - Geranium, Copenhagen, is not easy. I put myself on waiting list for weeks (months ahead) and was finally called to be notified that there's availability in May. The restaurant only opens 4 evenings weekly, one seating, on 8th floor of a building next to Fælledpark in Copenhagen, providing a nice escape from normal daily norm and aerial view of the city.

We were greeted warmly by the hosts when the elevator reached 8th floor and were lead to a seating place in the lounge. As we were comfortable seated, two lovely looking snacks were served: the orange crispy carrot sphere with carrot mousse filling which is sweet and the texture brings out the taste of carrot, nice sensation; nonetheless, I fail to see the extraordinary part of the apple wrap, tasted to me just as ordinary thinly sliced green apple, the filling didn't leave lasting impression either.

As we were sipping our champagne (not complimentary, of course), we were given menu and the well informative host explained the selections in the menu. While studying the menu, a few platters (or stones :)) of finger food were served with the host explaining the finger snacks individually.

The only slight complain I have is the missing of wet towel / serviette, I'd like to wipe my fingers after picking up the finger food, something that they might want to add in future? Anyway, here's what we get:-

Crispy pig's ear with powdered mushroom

Potato chips with seaweed, surprise :)

Salted cheese sticks. Taste good on its own, double delicious with the cream cheese onion dip.

Cream cheese onion dip.

Pickled cucumber wrapped in gelatin, beautifully garnish.

Mr.T dipping cheese stick into the onion cream.

One of the things that I like dining in a fine restaurant (aside from good food & wine, attentive service & nice environment) is the little extra snacks or inter-course servings that sometimes served surprisingly, compliments of the kitchen. In Geranium's case, I'm absolutely pleased with the finger snacks quality. We were then guided to our round dining table. Seats are very comfortable, we got the couch seats and a small cushion pillow is thoughtfully placed right at our backs, comfy.

Soon, a humble looking egg starter is served. Opening the top cover reveals the egg to be caviar, served with crab meats and green strawberry. If you haven't try this combination, you've got to. It looks so simple, the ingredients are so straight forward, but the taste just exploded when you have a spoonful of all the ingredient in your mouth. Good start!

Next is the beautifully presented clear tomato juice, lemon thyme, wild flowers and gelled ham. I was so reluctant to destroy the beauty of the dish but as I dig in, the wonders of gelled ham really surprises me, in a very good way. Absolutely fantastic transformation of otherwise ordinary looking ham into a pleasant looking dish, disguise as gelled ham. Even the garnishing local flowers has its own function of bringing out the taste of the dish, nicely done.

The next dish is asparagus beer with its accompanying dish of smoke cream cheese and verbena. I'm not a big fan of beer so Mr.T had the share of what's mine as well. The asparagus dish with cream cheese is very good, I almost want to lick off the plate. Sweet freshness of green asparagus topped with verbena is perfectly paired with the slightly salty smoky smoke cheese.

We were then served the first juice from the pairing juice menu - green apple, cucumber & celery juice; no artificial sweetener / fragrant, just pure refreshing juice. The accompanying dish is the wizardly 'Summer of Feelings' - salted mackerel, dill and horse radish. Dill is grind into fine powders and cooled at extreme cold temperature with liquid nitrogen, and thus releasing the dreamy fogs. The mackerel tastes like a top cut of sashimi despite being salted, I have no idea what the black stuff is but everything just taste so good when combined together, my favourite dish of the evening!

Then comes the dish that pays its tribute to wheat - mini buttermilk wheat bread with sunflower seed. The pipping hot mini bread smells so good; taste even better when dipped with the onion butter cream. The onion butter cream is part 1 of 'Onion & Grain' dish with accompanying juice that's apple based but I can't recall what else, too many new things to remember in a single meal >.<

Snap shot of kitchen with Rasmus Kofoed

Part2 of 'Onion & Grain' is a mixture of charred spring onion, pickled red onion, pearl onion, and other onion associates served on bed of salted cheese. The dish was served half complete & the waiter add the final touch of the dish by pouring the wonderful cream sauce on the other half of the plate. The onions are simple to my opinion (not knowing how much work to prepare them in the kitchen) but the sauce is so wonderful that I wish I can lick off the plate, again.

Lightly smoked peas with lovage covered in new potato soup, topped with potato crisps is served next with an accompanying drink that is light in flavour, also apple based but I cannot remember the ingredient :s. To me this is one of the more ordinary dish, nothing spectacular but just simple execution and presentation.

We were then served sprouts of cabbage stalks, langoustine (Norway lobster) and rhubarb. The langoustine head where it usually contains the orange looking paste like compound (I have no idea what it's called in English but in Chinese we named it 膏) is transformed into drops of orange pastes, the langoustine was grilled to perfection, and the foamy sauce brings out the taste of sea, wonderfully executed on the overall presentation, the only down side is that it's too salty to my taste but yet it goes perfectly with the pairing light pink rhubarb juice.

A closer shot of the langoustine

Beautiful colour palette of some of the juices

At this point, despite the small serving portion, because every dish is served slowly, our stomach is reminding us that it's approaching it's dinner limit. Soon after the thought pop up, an intriguingly good wood burning smell grew stronger in the air, following the waiter serving pieces of chicken wing (de-boned) with burnt pine wood. Instead of serving the chicken, they were just left on the table while the pine woods continue to emit wonderful fruity burning scents.

While we're still intrigued, the waiter appear again with serving plate portioned with morels, truffles and mixed mushrooms. The chicken was then transferred to the serving plate and viola. Morels were perfectly done, mushrooms are delicious with the sauce, but...but, I can hardly taste the truffles despite the generous slices and the chicken is too salty, again. This time we have the sweet sour juice to pair and didn't really take away the salty edge, sorry Rasmus.

After the main course, we were served the cold palette cleanser: elderflower soda with carrot pearls. Now, in order for food to be presented / served best, a good tool investment is a must. The container keeps the elderflower soda chilled throughout the whole time; the sour sting of elderflower soda and the refreshing carrot pearl is a really good palette cleanser, no doubt.

And then we were served the first dessert, synthetic strawberry with rose-hip & yoghurt, cold dish. Yoghurt made into ice-cream, rose-hip sorbet and also iced rose-hip dusted with powdered sugar plus the synthetic strawberry. Rose-hip sorbet tasted 'neutral' but gives the extra texture, yoghurt ice cream is slightly sweet & the synthetic strawberry is made to be slightly sour yet with absolute taste of a fresh strawberry. How and why, one may ask. I have no idea how but why go through all the effort to make it synthetic? I think a reasonable answer could be...

Strawberry taste alters from fruit to fruit individually but if you make a synthetic strawberry, deciding to the decimal millilitre / milligram of each component, then the taste (how sour, how sweet) is under the chef's absolute full control. I declare this kitchen is run by perfectionist! Not to forget the pairing juice, a beautifully bright red rose-hip & apple juice, very very nice.

Finally, we have come to our last course. Pairing with the pear cider (still with a bit of apple base), is the milk in mysterious way. Milk cake, milk ice-cream, drained milk, sour milk, caramelized milk and dried milk on bed of milk jelly with tonka beans. Too bad I didn't zoom in, the small flakes, those are dried milk, I'm pleasantly surprised that milk can be made into flakes. They were 'shaked' out of a milk box, I'd call it the new 'milk-shake'. Despite the excitement of seeing different types of milk presentation, the dessert does it job to end a very very pleasant meal but it's not to the extend of great. I know I might not be fair to the preparation work going behind this milk dessert but taste buds don't lie. I'd like the cake to be fluffier and perhaps removed the sour milk, I like my dessert traditionally sweet, but that's just me :)

So, when I was thinking of getting the bill, Mr.T has the urge to go for coffee. Geranium only served French pressed coffee, freshly made, of course. Three bean choices, Søren recommended the more full body rich Columbian coffee but we went for the rounded Ethiopian coffee instead. We were lead out of the dining room, back into the lounge where the coffee is then served with complimentary caramel chocolate ball dusted with pine powders. Normally I'm crazy for chocolate but, sorry, not this one, really sorry, it tastes too weird for me.

All in all, it's a wonderful eye opening experience in a nicely set environment with best in class service. Our dinner cost DKK4000 in total, definitely on the steep side. Is it worth it? Yes. Will I dine there again? Most probably, on special occasions & with different menu. I must give compliment to their overall presentation, not just when the dishes are served but even when we started to eat or 'dig into' the dishes, the presentation & composition still remain nice if the 'guide' to try have a little bit of everything in every bite is followed. I cannot remember how many times I stopped to ponder at the beauty of the dish half way through eating :)

So if you're in Copenhagen looking for a quality assured restaurant and don't mind the high price, Geranium is one of the best option. Bon Appetite!