Shaping the dining revolution Copenhagen’s restaurant scene has an international shooting star in amongst it. In Nørrebro, acclaimed chef Lisa Lov’s restaurant Tigermom offers delicious familystyle food, inspired by Asia and crafted from local and organic ingredients. By Malin Norman | Photos: Hedda Rysstad
Talented chef Lisa Lov was raised in New Zealand by Chinese-Cambodian parents. Prior to coming to Denmark, she worked in casual eateries in New Zealand and in a Thai restaurant in Vancouver, Canada. In 2010, she moved to Copenhagen with the aim to get some more high-profile restaurant experience. “I got a job with Christian Puglisi at his then newly opened Restaurant Relæ,” Lov explains. “I was drawn to it because it was very different from where I had been before. The ingredients were sim58 | Issue 133 | February 2020
ple, the tastes were clean and the ideas were very innovative. There, I learned about the importance of the quality of ingredients and seasonality.”
Inspired by Asian cuisine The idea for her own restaurant, Tigermom, came during Lov’s time at Relæ. “I missed home and I missed Asian food, so I started to cook dishes for the staff that reminded me of home and my family. My colleagues at Relæ loved the food and we came up with Asian Saturdays, which was my day to make staff meals.”
Lov started to do pop-up events under the name Tigermom, which turned out to be a great success, as other people in the city were also craving the same flavours. “I had the idea to open Tigermom and spent years thinking about what would make it a great restaurant. Basically, Tigermom was created out of the values and experiences that I have had throughout my working career, my upbringing and my travels.” What makes Tigermom what it is today is the dedication to the quality of the products used, and the creative process to consistently progress the menu throughout the Danish seasons. “During my time at Relæ, I learned to value local, organic and seasonal ingredients, and I combined that with influences from