Scan Magazine | Mini Theme | Danish Design Brands We Love
Relaxed excellence Two years ago, four sprightly young chefs and waiters grabbed the chance to open up a restaurant in Aarhus together, based on New Nordic principles and strictly local ingredients. In February 2017, their Restaurant Domestic was awarded a Michelin star. “We were so surprised,” says Ditte Susgaard, one of the founders. “Of course it had been a dream, but one for the far-off future.”
ence for the guests. “We all knew each other but had never worked together as a team,” Susgaard explains. “Luckily, our skills and interests matched each other really well.”
By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Jesper Rais
Letting the juices flow
“We’re really lucky to all be at a stage in life where we can prioritise the restaurant and put in the dedication needed to make it a success,” says Susgaard. “It really is hard work, and we almost see each other more than we see our other halves, so it’s hugely rewarding to see that our visitors appreciate what we do and share our vision.”
All about the flavour All four founders are young enough to have been trained as the influence of the New Nordic manifesto was making 30 | Issue 107 | December 2017
waves across Denmark, and Restaurant Domestic has close ties to its principles of clean, sustainable living, experimentation, and the use of seasonal, local ingredients. Many high-end New Nordic restaurants tend towards exclusivity and bringing guests far out of their comfort zone. For the Domestic quartet, however, it was important that their new restaurant would remain approachable and welcoming, and that the menu’s primary goal should be to provide the best possible experi-
The kitchen is run by chefs Morten Frølich Rastad and Christoffer Norton, who knew each other from their training days at Molskroen in the early 2010s. Susgaard and fellow waiter Christian Neve, meanwhile, had built up a great working relationship at Nordisk Spisehus. Both have an interest in wine: Neve spent six months at a vineyard and Susgaard is a certified sommelier. “One of the most enjoyable and inspiring things we do is work across our stations to match and develop dishes where the food and drinks really play off one another. Often, Neve and I will taste this incredible new wine or juice, and then