Copenhagen’s three-Michelin-star restaurant Noma is heading to Kyoto in spring this year for a ten-week-long pop-up at the Ace Hotel Kyoto. Helmed by chef-owner René Redzepi, Noma is coveted for its modern Scandinavian fare that centres on sustainable, locally-sourced ingredients. It was ranked first in the 2021 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Redzepi is sparing no effort for this upcoming residence in Kyoto, which has been in the making for over two years. In addition to the staff members that have been on ground since late spring, the award-winning chef is set to bring his entire staff and their families – 95 people in total – to Japan after closing Noma Copenhagen on February 18 2023. This is not Noma’s first time in Japan. In early 2015, the restaurant partnered with the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo for a two-month pop-up that featured a tasting menu for ¥39,000 a head.
Noma Kyoto will run from March 15 to May 20 2023, offering lunch and dinner services from Wednesday through Saturday each week. According to the restaurant, the menu and concept of Noma Kyoto will explore the roots of Western tasting menus and highlight local produce that is harvested during the cherry blossom season.
The entire meal comes at a hefty sum of roughly ¥125,000 (€775 plus 10 percent service charge) per person, which includes beverage pairing and tea or coffee, but the eye-watering price tag hasn’t put off fine dining lovers. On the contrary, all tables for Noma Kyoto were filled mere minutes after the online booking system opened.
While reservations are no longer available, foodies vying for a seat at this coveted event can still join the waitlist for a chance to nab the next possible opening. See here for more details.
This article was originally published on October 19 2022 and updated on January 10 2023.
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