Manfreds & Vin - A Must Go!

Sister restaurant of Relæ. Manfreds is a place where people can go five days a week. Very similar to  Relæ, it's casual dining for everyone. The menu is "mostly vegetables", the food is not sophisticated,  simple yet delicious. When my friends ask for suggestions for dinner options in Copenhagen, my first respond is "no matter what other fancy restaurants, or world top restaurants you are planning to go, Manfreds & Vin is definitely A-Must-Go. "

The best Chefs and Server of the night

Let it begin !

Beetroot, horseradish

Horseradish crème fraîche amazingly cuts through the sweet and tender golden beetroot.

Sourdough Bread

Tatar of Beef with cress & rye bread (off tasting menu)

Tartare is !!!!!!!BOOM!!!!!!! This dish is unexplainably flavourful, the photo does not justify it's mind blowing factor. This is definitely still blowing my mind off. (after almost three months...)

The texture is melt-in-mouth soft, a little crunch from rye bread crumbs, crème fraîche and the capers give a slight acidity to it. Its also quite heavy black pepper which is even more delicious!! 

Daikon, Seaweed

Daikon (Japanese radish) vacuum with 1% salt and let it ferments to develop both flavour and texture. It remains crunch with slight sourness which I love as a starter.  The seweed emulsion doesn't really stand out as much as the seaweed powder.

Cod Tartare 

Crème fraîche with some mustard seeds, top with olive oil(more about it in Relæ reiew) and fresh herb which sharpen the taste bud. The mustard stands out very well. Though it is too creamy at the end when I finish this dish but really it won't make a difference for me I still enjoy it because it's too good. 

Ramson broth, sunchoke, slow-cooked egg

Poached egg at 65C for 35 mins, Ramson bouillon, fresh ramson and Sliced jerusalem artichoke. The ramson is very strong here, the garlicky taste hits my throat but goes pretty well with the gooey yolk which slip down my throat. Too salty to my taste. 

Charred baby leek, Havgus

Havgus, the cheese is the star! Complex in flavour come from the cows's diet which eat fresh grass in the summer time and eat fermented grass during the cold winter time in Denmark. It has the most amazing gassy flavour, a unexplainable depth of flavour. Nice crunch from buckwheat, and juicy sweetness from the baby leek. 

Salted turnip, béchamel, crispy chicken skin

Salted turnips were heated up in a broth consist of butter and fermented liquids from the turnip.
Sour and creaminess from béchamel and crispiness from the chicken skins, all goes very well with the butter poached turnips. 

New season lamb, pine

Lamb has always been my favourite meat to eat. This new season lamb is cooked beautifully when the meat is still so pink but not undercooked. Not the tenderest I expected but the addition of pine is very special and give a nice round up of flavours. 

Lemon sorbet, milk crumbs, olive oil

The touch of olive oil rounds up the flavours, the crumbles melt in mouth and has very strong milk taste, providing a different form of milkiness to the dish! So simple but absolutely brilliant combination!

Locals order take away for them as well!

Manfreds & Vin no doubt is a MUST-GO for all Copenhagen visitors, whether you're a foodie or not. People are really friendly here, the server I met, she is fun and kind. So as the chefs! Sitting at the bar, overlooking the chefs at work is one of my entertainment when Im at a restaurant. 
So I decided to take some picture with these amazing people! :) 

Blossom Granola

Granola is very fun and easy to make. By having the right ratio between grains, nuts, and seeds, you can easily create your own version of granola mix. Granola is perfect for snacks and breakfast. It is a perfect option for people who busy to work or heading to school early in the morning, just grab a handful then you are good-to-go! 

Spring/ Summer is full of blossoms, laughters and sunshine (and a long summer holidays!!). This granola is inspired by my everyday scene. Every morning during the spring and summer time, instead of waking up with the alarm clock buzzing in my ears, the sparrows' humming and the gleaming radiant are my nature's wake-up-call. First thing appear in front of me are the colourful blossoms and green trees behind my huge glass window, how beautiful is this scene! It is the most pleasurable thing happens to me in my daily routine. 

This granola reflects my love to the nature, as well as the celebration of Spring and Summer time. I use dried flower mix I got from Rosendals Trädgård, my favourite place to go whenever I am in Stockholm (check out my trip to Stockholm - coming soon!). The granola is gluten free, contains all basic nutrients with a healthy balance of protein, vitamins etc. Feel free to substitute the dried flowers with other herbal tea leaves or just as it is. However, the floral odour and refreshing taste are incredibly soothing and echo with the season. 
The recipe is very flexible so play with it and use different rolled grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits!

Blossom Granola

Before baking:

400g Rolled Oats (preferingly gluten free)

200g Buckwheat Flakes

150g Nuts (roughly chopped)

150g Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame etc OR a mix)

1tsp of spices (vanilla, cinnamon, liquorice, or go ginger if you're crazy)

15ml/ 1 tbsp Coconut oil  

30ml/ 2tbsp Raw Honey

*handful of Coconut Flakes (optional but YUM!) 

After baking:

100g dried fruits of your choices (I used gogi berries, bill berries, elder berries and mulberries)

1-2 tbsp dried flowers from Rosendals Trädgård (or herbal tea leaves)

To serve: 

*1/2 cup per serving for a breakfast meal.

- Homemade nut milk/ Raw dairy milk

- Sprinkle it on yoghurt/ your favourite smoothie bowl 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 170C/ 325F. Prepare dried ingredients and roughly chopped the nuts.
2. Mix all dried ingredients together (oats, buckwheat flakes, nuts, seeds and spices).
3. Add coconut oil and raw honey, then mix to combine.
4. Spread the granola evenly on the parchment paper lined baking tray. Bake for approximately 15 mins, rotate the baking tray in the middle of the backing time. It is important to keep an eye on it, as it burnt easily (I have experienced so trust me!). 
5. Allow it to cool by transferring it into a mixing bowl, then mix in the dried flowers and dried fruits.
6. To serve, take 1/2cup of the granola the pour over cold milk OR snack on it whenever you want. 

*My FIRST recipe posted, hurrah !! :) I will be delighted to see you guys making yours, so show me on instagram, and leave a comment below!  #blossomgranola #splendorsjoy

Relæ - Casual & Creative

Instead on fine dining, Relaæ is a dining at a more casual way yet the food are tasty. I mean, seriously... tasty. The flavour combination is not common, each dishes has been tasted tested, and improved to make them - tasty. Although I didn't get a chance to meet Chef Christian, the whole Relæ team are friendly and you can tell everyone is just as into gastronomy as everyone else in the restaurant. The environment is amazing, casual and fun, so as the food!

In this restaurant you see no limits, as every chefs no only sort to improve their dishes but also create unexpected, exquisite dishes. 

Snack: Fermented Turnip

Snack: Ramson Broth

Ramson broth, Ramson oil.
It is served slightly warm. Garlicky taste with a very gentle and pleasant finish.

1st Juice: Ginger Tea (Cooled)

Sunchoke, Mushroom, and Walnuts

This simple looking dish is more than it looks! Brown butter and lemon juice is added at last and mix with the sunchoke to enhance flavour.

Raw mushroom has a very earthy taste and look at that uniform strips(!!), I had so much fun looking at chefs slicing them haha.

Walnuts are added for texture, to do so here they blanched the nuts 3 times, 160C bake for 10mins, dehydrate at 60C overnight, THEN pressure cook (....it's just walnuts, why do they take it so seriously)  well..that's why I love this place— precision!! try to say the steps all in one go.. By doing this gives different texture, crunchy but still moist the inside BRILLIANT!

For some reason, I just enjoy this dish so much (perhaps it's because all the preparations are prepared in front of me and it gives me a better understanding of the dish). Don't be bored with the descriptions tho! you can learn from them!

Olio & Pane (Bread in Italian!) 

Olive oil (Olio) is so good! Chef Christian is quite known for his Italian background and this insanely additive olive oil explains it. The taste is very raw, grassy as its pressed freshly from young unripe olive. It taste even much stronger and acidic after taste a while. 

Couldn't resist but got myself a bottle to bring home. Now I'm draining my sourdough and veggies into that crazily addictive grassiness.

Squid, Tomato Ragu

Squid confit (poached in other word)  in chicken oil and cooked in very rich tomatoes consommé

The squid is tender and ultra thin, it's fascinating to have squid perfectly cooked (not tough) with such intense chicken flavour and tomatoes picked up. Pieces of chicken livers melt in my mouth along with the ground beef...it's just perfect perfect perfect mouthful...!

2nd Juice: Blood orange, pinch of salt, Rosemary ice cube

Rye bread, Sprouted grains

Porridge from rye and wheat sourdough bread which has been soaked then cook to porridge consistency. Top with rye oil, cream, moulded rye, sprouted buckwheat. 

Apple cider vinegar is also added to complement the acidity although more might suit my taste better. It's delicious and a very good idea to use up your bread!

3rd Juice: Popcorn, Whey

Popcorn and whey goes well with the ferment dish. The Whey comes from their homemade mozzarella, then they  infuse it with popcorn. 

Celeriac, Coffee, Havgus

Dehydrated and rehydrated celeriac, the texture is phenomenal. Havgus Chesse is a unique cheese produced in Denmark. I absolutely fall in love with it, though it is not as strong as the one I had in their sister restaurant Manfreds & Vin.(review on Manfreds coming soon! stay turned!)

Hollandaise sauce a little to acidic, overpowering whereas the freshly grated coffee bean gives earthiness which I enjoy a lot.

4th Juice: Pear

Sødam Chicken, Parsnip, Sesame

The raw parsnip is tangy which is quite brave to do so. I was thinking maybe by blanching would be nice as well. The chicken is cooked at 60C for 3hours, super tender and no lose of chicken flavour. The sesame is mild but rich, at this point the parsley purée cuts through (green is good for you!! Haha) although the parsley can be stronger.

Yogurt, Lemon, Egg

Absolutely my favourite dessert so far! The contrast of warm egg yolk, cold yoghurt and icy lemon sorbet is nicely balanced, as well as flavours. The dried yolk melts as soon as you spoon it into your mouth, also  surprisingly taste a little "saltiness" when pair with the zingy lemon sorbet. Mmmmmm.....

5th Juice: Sweet Egg whiten top

6th Juice: Honey tea

Dessert beverage: Port

Almond ice cream, Black Olive

The almonds are blizz with water to make almond milk then mix with ice cream. The mascarpone is too rich which overpower the mlld sweetness from the almond. The black olive is not as strong as I thought but does gives a little savoury taste. 

A meal with casual atmosphere and outstanding food and beverages, a restaurant that is full of creativity! Another meal that impress me very well. Next up would be Manfreds & Vin, Relæ's sister restaurant (another most memorable meal!!!!).

Modernised Nordic Cuisine - Geranium

Next up it's Geranium. One of World Top50 restaurant serving modern Nordic cuisine. Every dish presented to diner is like a piece of art on the table (made my life much easier when taking photos HAHA). Here they keep portion small but focus very strong on individual flavours, at the same time very delicious. This is The Universe Tasting Menu + Juice pairing. 

Crispy Grains from Kornly, Danish Cheese

Very strong cheese taste, flaky sea salt is an addition to the saltiness. It's thin and the grainy bits give crunch. 

Crispy Carrot and Sea buckthorn ball

Eat in one bite! The sea buckthorn purée burst as the thin case made from carrot breaks. Sour and sweet. 

Milk, Fermented juice from Carrot, Crab, Sea buckthorn oil

It's more than it looks! There's sweet crab meat hidden in the bottom. The milk pudding is not as strong rather crab flavours comes through quite well. Different flavours (sweet, briny) of the crab are well balanced, as if eating a crab in different forms. 

Pear, Pear Vinegar, Lemon Verbena

Verbena leaves in between fresh pear and sour pear. The natural sweet acid occur naturally from fruit.

Jerusalem artichoke leaf, Rye Vinegar, Walnut mayonaise 

Mayonnaise has a sharper taste at first, then the Jerusalem artichoke taste comes after as I chewed it for a while, so be patient with it! 

Dried Danish apple, Apple juice, Dried flowers 

All texture meets harmoniously together, the sweet tartness from the Danish apple is unique. 

Smoked Sheep milk Butter, Burnt Potato

The aroma comes through instantly as the server opens glass in front of me. Holy moly... The smokiness rush through my entire body even my mind is attacked for a second. Sheep milk butter is much lighter than cows butter which also highlight the smokiness even more.

The potato is burnt the outside yet floury interior still remains. Definitely one of highlight of the meal.

Cep Mushroom foam, Pickled quail egg

Personally the sourness came a little odd but the quail egg yolk and cep soup work nicely together. The flavours is very distinct, strong and concentrated shot.

"Seaweed & Razor Clam" Impression of the Ocean

Strong umami from the seaweed (algae). The razor clam is cubes and mixed with egg emulsion (sth like Mayo, sabayon..etc). The dipping Mayo is delicious, however personally the razor clam kind of loses it's original pleasant ocean brininess. Other condiments are a little overpower.

Jellied Ham, Tomato water, Aromatic Herbs, Sorrel flowers

North denmark ham jelly, tomatoes consumme , ham oil. Unfortunately too salty to my preference. When the saltiness meets with tomato consume, the amount of sourness make it not very pleasant to drink. The herbs is fresh but just doesn't harmonise with the dish. 

"Dillstone" - Scallop, Horseradish, Granita from pickled cucumber

One of their signature "Dillstone". I'm impressed how they managed to keep the scallop so fresh while it had been shaped so perfectly. The spiciness from horseradish mayonnaise cuts through the briny scallop also rounded up with all refreshing and bright herbiness from dill and refreshing from cucumber granita. 

Sea buckthorn juice is thick, and taste quite sour but they make it very pleasant to drink very soothing. 

Salted Hake, Buttermilk, Caviar, Herb Stems

Brown butter is sizzling over the herb stems and smell incredibly fragrant. The frozen hawk with burnt parsley leaves makes it taste like it has been smoked which in an other words intensify the hawk sashimi.

Bread with Emmer and Spelt

Texture like cannelloni, Chewy centre with a nice dry crust. Crunch from steel cut oats, the toppings, gives bites and oaty sweetness and also reminds the sweet healthy old fashioned grains like spelt and emmer wheat.

Biodynamic Onions with Chamomile, Melted Hay Cheese

The cheese is very strong and intense with hay flavour, a big contrast to the light chamomile and sour pickled onions. 

First three juice tends to be on the sour side celery cucumber seaweed juice. 

Grilled Oyster from Limfjorden, Fermented Cabbage, Thyme

The oyster is huge! From Limfjorden, an island in Denmark. Oyster is nicely cooked, tarragon and thyme foam gives smokiness to the dish, while fermented cabbage buts through these strong flavours. 
Looks sophisticated as well as well delivered flavour. 

Brill, Smoked Lard, Mustard Seeds, Pickled Green berries

The purple thyme stands out a lot, round up and bring autumn spirit to the dish. Smoked lard gives intense smokiness as well as meltingly good texture. first season cucumber is close to raw, fresh and crunchy, a sign welcoming spring!

Lamb in Juniper Aroma, Celeriac, Pickled Pine

It impressed me with amazing tenderness while pink flesh still remains. Celeriac is soft and sweet, as if Japanese turnip. The juniper berries gives a sharp clean cut through the lamb. Tapioca infused rhubarb lighten up the warming spices, welcoming the season of spring. Crunches on top remains me how delicious it was the hawk. Soft and crunchy, definitely a winner on texture. 

Pear, Dried Black Berries, Lemon Herbs, Frozen Yoghurt 

The pear is sweet whereas balanced out by the sour blackberries, the crisp. The pear balls are sous vide with blackberries juice. The sheep milk yoghurt powder melt in mouth like whipped cream.

Bee Wax, Pollen, Cloudberries

Cloudberries also known as 'the gold of forest', it is extremely rare and I am lucky enough to have it in this tiny little pot! Sour cloudberries and bittersweet bee wax marries together, with a sweet aftertaste.

"The Taste of Naked Tree", Dark Beer, Prunes, Cream with Beech Wood

The server told me it's just a hint of beer taste but wow it's pretty strong.. But I absolutely loving it!! With the sharpness from the frozen beer granite disc the cream become less heavy.