Famed Danish restaurant Noma to start new ‘flavor search’

Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. pioneering / ˌpaɪ əˈnɪər ɪŋ / (adj.) – being the first to use a new idea or method
    Example:

    As a pioneering tech company, we have successfully introduced a lot of products that people have never seen before.


  2. re-emerge / ri ɪˈmɜrdʒ / (v.) – to return, usually after being gone for some time
    Example:

    After taking a break for a couple of years, the singer re-emerged with a new album.


  3. eatery / ˈi tə ri / (n.) – a restaurant, usually a small and informal one
    Example:

    There are a lot of eateries around the school where we can eat affordable meals.


  4. pop-up / ˈpɒpˌʌp / (n.) – a shop, restaurant, or gallery that opens at a particular place for a short time, usually when it’s likely to get a lot of customers
    Example:

    While waiting for a new job, the chef opened a small pop-up in front of her house.


  5. sojourn / ˈsoʊ dʒɜrn / (n.) – a short stay at a particular place as a traveler or guest
    Example:

    Our family enjoyed a five-day sojourn at a hotel in Manila.


Article

Read the text below.

The famed Danish restaurant Noma which has claimed the title of world’s top restaurant several times said it will shut down to transform itself into “a pioneering test kitchen” dedicated to “food innovation and the development of new flavors.”


Chef Rene Redzepi’s house of Nordic gastronomy will close by the winter 2024 and re-emerge as Noma 3.0, the Copenhagen eatery said on its webpage.


“In 2025, our restaurant is transforming into a giant lab – a pioneering test kitchen dedicated to the work of food innovation and the development of new flavors, one that will share the fruits of our efforts more widely than ever before,” it said.


Redzepi, who is Noma’s chef and co-owner, said they will travel to “search for new ways to share our work” and said there could be “a Noma pop-up” but didn’t specify where. After the sojourn, “we will do a season in Copenhagen.”


“But I don’t want to commit to anything now,” Redzepi told Berlingske, one of Denmark’s largest daily newspapers.


Another major publication, Politiken, said the eatery’s facility in Copenhagen will be transformed to develop products to the Noma Projects line – fermented sauces, cooking classes and an online platform.


“Serving guests will still be a part of who we are but being a restaurant will no longer define us. Instead, much of our time will be spent on exploring new projects and developing many more ideas and products.”


Noma has gone through an earlier transformation. In 2015, the restaurant announced it was closing at the end of 2016 and reopened near its waterfront premises with its own vegetable farm in the vicinity of the hippie enclave of Christiania in Copenhagen.


Noma — a contraction of the Danish words for Nordisk and Mad, meaning Nordic and food, opened in 2003. The restaurant grabbed two Michelin stars and was three times voted the world’s number one restaurant by Britain’s Restaurant Magazine in 2010, 2011 and 2012.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Despite being one of the world’s top restaurants, Noma has decided to shut down to focus on products for Noma Projects, such as fermented sauces, cooking classes, and an online platform. Do you think it’s a good move? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What qualities do you think restaurants should have to be considered one of the world’s top restaurants? Is there a restaurant in your country that has those qualities? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • In your opinion, why do some companies make major changes in their businesses? Discuss.
  • If a company that you have trusted or liked for years suddenly undergoes a major change, would you continue to support it? Why or why not? Discuss.