Sky-high dreams, down-to-earth people When chefs Poul Bøje Nielsen and Henrik Nielsen set up their first restaurant in 2000, they had a clear idea of what they wanted: excellent, locally sourced ingredients alongside a friendly and approachable service. 16 years later, these two basic ideas still make up the essence of their restaurant – though at this stage it has expanded beyond recognition and gone on to produce several other fantastic offshoots. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Ricky Molloy
With its address right by the water in the harbour of Holbæk, Restaurant SuRi is ideally located for sourcing both maritime and farm produce. The town lies on the coast of Isefjorden, Denmark’s biggest fjord, in the North Zealand region, known throughout the country for its excellent agricultural conditions. Both chefs grew up in the area and it became a goal for them to showcase the best of their home region early on in their careers. Today, almost all their ingredients are sourced from local farmers and fishermen, from the wine to the grain they serve. “We want to show off these excellent meats, fish and vegetables by letting them come through 60 | Issue 87 | April 2016
on the plate as strongly as possible,” Henrik explains. “Ideally, we want just a few strong, perfectly matched ingredients to make up one dish, and then we’ll serve up several smaller plates instead.”
Restaurant SuRi Though they preceded the local produce trend of the late noughties, the chefs’ vision proved hugely popular from the get-go. By 2004, Poul and Henrik had outgrown the old restaurant. They spent half a year converting the old fishing halls in Holbæk’s harbour into the modern, warm and inviting Restaurant SuRi. As well as the restaurant itself, SuRi runs a fishmonger and delicatessen where SuRi’s chefs bask in the glory of a real
smoke oven, allowing them to produce their own traditional smoked mackerel and herring. As if that was not enough, Poul also runs the nearby Elmely Kro, a gastro pub with the same commitment to local ingredients as SuRi. For the past three years, SuRi and Elmely have taken turns to receive Denmark’s Local Cooking award, with SuRi always in the top three. SuRi was also listed in the White Guide’s 2015 survey of Denmark’s best restaurants, was a finalist in the sea food category