Gastronomically exciting every time
One of the best ways to explore the world is through the global culinary scene, by getting in touch with the culture, local ingredients and traditions through food. In Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, Nordisk Spisehus makes it easy to explore the world of food at an extremely high level and very fair price point.
Unlike most restaurants, Nordisk Spisehus regularly changes its menu as well as the theme. This winter, they have been focusing on French food, and between 30 January and 26 March, the focus will be on American food. “For nearly eight years, the restaurant has had quarterly food themes, often inspired by some of the most amazing Michelin-starred restaurants and dishes from around the world. We want to give people a gastronomic experience where they are introduced to a particular country, region or fusion that’s currently exciting foodies around the world,” explains Sidse Rasmussen, sous chef at Nordisk Spisehus.
The team behind the restaurant goes on exploratory trips to the regions they’ll be focusing on in order to get insight into the processes and ingredients needed to make the food. The standard that Nordisk Spisehus has is noteworthy. The whole team pushes themselves to deliver top-quality food and have over the years developed an incredible skillset, having deep-dived into many culinary traditions from across the world.
“We use the knowledge we’ve gained from one theme in another. Of course, you can’t incorporate every process into every menu – in fact, it’d be wrong to do so – but we definitely have some twists that are not necessarily traditional but that really make for some stand-out dishes.” Each dish is used to showcase elements of the food tradition, or a particular ingredient from the region or country they are focusing on.
The US: much more than burgers
Nordisk Spisehus is popular with both locals and visitors in Aarhus, especially because there is always something
new to try. “We have quite a few regulars. In fact, a couple of days ago we had a couple celebrate their wedding anniversary with us, something they’ve been doing for years, and it’s so nice to catch up with them and to be part of their celebration,” says Rasmussen with a smile.
The menu is split into four, six or eight courses, which all have perfectly matched wine pairings. “We’re excited about the American theme starting in February, because people often think of American food as quite stodgy and not so refined, but it’s actually an extremely exciting country gastronomically, due to the huge amount of cultural influences there have been and the incredible ingredients they have there. The menu will showcase this and make the most of it, and of course the wine menu will include some of the many wonderful wines you can find in America.”
Despite sometimes having the same theme twice, the menu is never repeated, meaning there is always something new to try, even if you have been there before when the focus was on the same culinary tradition. The menu is also planned for seasonality, to make the most of the season’s fruit and vegetables, ensuring the natural taste is as good as it can be. Nordisk Spisehus also imports some speciality items that are not readily available in Denmark, in order to give guests an authentic experience.
A place to relax and enjoy
A theme is fully executed at Nordisk Spisehus. Not only does the menu change; the drinks pairings also reflect the country. “We want our guests to have an experience that they can continue to talk about for years to come. We do that by providing a high gastronomic level and exceptional wine and drink, all in a space that is still relaxed. Many of the restaurants at this level are quite high brow, but we want our guests to be relaxed and enjoy themselves, each other and the experience as a whole,” explains Rasmussen.
A night at Nordisk Spisehus includes trying some exceptional, researched and unique dishes at relatively low prices. The concept of the restaurant is one not seen in many places, and especially not to the high standards that Nordisk Spisehus reaches. There are not many places where it is possible to try as many different tastes and gastronomic cultures, all within a relaxing and welcoming environment. Nordisk Spisehus is going to continue to excite and delight guests for many years to come.
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