Scan Magazine | Culinary Experience of the Month | Denmark
Culinary Experience of the Month, Denmark
Fine Nordic dining comes to Costa Kalundborg Renowned chef Henrik Jyrk is moving his gaze from the city towards the provinces. Together with an old friend and colleague, he set up Restaurant Kul in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District in 2013, and their concept of providing an excellent fine-dining experience in beautiful surroundings at affordable prices became a massive hit. Now, Jyrk looks set to emulate the success at Restaurant Naes with a regional twist in the tiny outpost of Røsnæs near Kalundborg. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Flemming Gernyx
“I think what I like the most about coming to western Sjælland is the lovely, relaxed atmosphere,” says Jyrk. “Running a restaurant and kitchen is still hectic – that’s inevitable – but the chilled-out way of life and beautiful surroundings really balance out the busy job.” The very different setting compared to Copenhagen is exactly what attracted Jyrk to the project. “When two of my colleagues contacted me with this idea, I was a tad hesitant initially as it’s quite far 100 | Issue 103 | August 2017
– literally – from what I’ve done before. But then I came out here, had a coffee with them and got to know the local area a bit. And I couldn’t help myself.” Prior to opening Restaurant Kul, Henrik Jyrk trained at the capital’s Le Sommelier. He worked as a sous-chef in Copenhagen before spending two educational years in Michelin-rated restaurants in California. As a result, Jyrk is keen to explore ingredients and recipes from across the world. “Of course, new Nordic cuisine is a huge
influence,” he says, referring to the past decade’s rise of the Nordic kitchen ethos of using sustainable, local ingredients cooked through experimental methods and used within unusual but wellbalanced combinations. He does not like to be tied down to a label, though. “I love the classic French and Nordic kitchens, but I don’t look to follow either dogmatically. If there’s a type of meat from, say, Japan that would suit a dish perfectly, I’ll go for that. I’ll always prioritise the best possible ingredients.”
Planting the seed Often, however, the best ingredients are locally sourced – and ingredients cannot get fresher than what Restaurant Naes has in store. With the help of a local farmer, they are currently preparing 20 hectares of land next to the restaurant in order to grow many of their own ingredi-