ANTWERP: As René Redzepi walked into the auditorium of the Flanders Meeting and Convention Centre in Antwerp he was anxious. Not because there was a possibility that he could end up on the podium of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the fifth (and last) time but rather because events like these have not happened for many months now and restaurants in part of the world are still struggling with COVID-19 outbreaks. He had come prepared with a speech even if he said he was not aware that his team would clinch the top spot in the list. “Given we were second last year, we had to be prepared,” he said. Eleven years since he clinched the first title for Noma in 2010 he attributes that success not to his creativity or to his leadership but to the 79 members of the team who work to make it happen. On stage, he paid tribute to the members of the team who could not be present in Antwerp as they were serving guests at the restaurant in Copenhagen. “A lot of things passed through my … [Read more...]
Why everyone rooted for Noma and Redzepi
They say life is not about reaching the destination but rather about the journey. So it must have felt ironic for René Redzepi and his team to clinch a third Michelin star that has been eluding them for the past years in what was probably been the most difficult year for the restaurant. Social media was on fire as the food world applauded a decision that for many has come way too late. Noma’s photo of the three Michelin stars had over 100,000 likes and over 4,000 comments congratulating the restaurant. Instagram stories were on fire as was my Facebook feed. Rarely has there been such accolades and genuine celebration for a chef and restaurant. The last one that comes to mind was Mauro Colagreco of Restaurant Mirazur in France. Every year, pundits awaited the announcement thinking this would be Noma and Redzepi’s year only to be left wondering what the restaurant needed to change to finally clinch the most important accolade in the world of gastronomy. Not that Redzepi and … [Read more...]