Merry Christmas everyone! Celebrating another wonderful year of travel and I'm so happy I finally have my Copenhagen video to share with you all. I loved it so much I booked another plane ticket back to Denmark in April 2018.
Check out some of my favorite highlights from my trip down below!
One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering a new place online and finally getting to visit in person. I read about Copenhagen's most popular foodie destination, Copenhagen Street Food, in an article which popped up on my Facebook newsfeed about a year ago. Located on Paper Island and known for its global food trucks, funky decor, and the place to be seen on the weekend, I knew I had to experience it myself.
Perfect day for a pint by the harbor.
It was only a quick 15 min walk across the bridge from our hotel in Nyhavn which lead us to this quirky food hall concept. Full of delicious food samples, bars and even a night of bingo! We arrived at the perfect time to catch all the festivities. According to the Paper Island website there are exactly 39 food stalls, food trucks, containers and bars where you can find Korean, America, Japanese, Brazilian, Indian and many more globally inspired dishes. Almost everything I ate was delicious! You can enjoy your food outside looking over the Opera house and the harbor of Copenhagen or dine inside one of the kitschy decorated bench areas.
Colorful food stall displays at every corner. Photo by: best-of-copenhagen.com
Make sure to visit Yoko Ono's Wish Tree art installation next door for a chance to participate in something meaningful. Its hard not to notice the dozens of little trees covered in white hanging tags that welcome you to paper island. You write down your wish on a white tag provided to you outside and tie it to one of the trees branches. My mom and I came back later in the evening to put up our own wishes and watch the hundreds of wishes flutter in the night sky.
With only a few days left till the Copenhagen Street Food closes in 2018, here is your ultimate eating guide if you're visiting Copenhagen for the holidays! Take a look at some of my favorite bites along the way.
Incredibly juicy pulled pork sandwiches, perfectly situated between two toasted buns, coleslaw and pickled Danish free-range pork roasted in the smoke over for 16 hours. This was one of the highlights of my Copenhagen Street Food experience!
BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich
At DUCK IT you can taste the popular Pulled Duck Burger. The best quality of Confit de carnard served in a burger and it is melt in your moth delicious!
Pulled Duck on Sesame Bun
All About Ostich loves experimenting with meat! A unique burger filled with smoky meaty flavors, lots of cheese, bacon and their homemade ostrich burger patty.
All About Ostrich Burger: Lots of cheese smoky bacon and good meat!
You can't go wrong with roasted potatoes, chickpeas, bell peppers and yogurt sauce with a mango chutney on the side. This dish was cool and refreshing for the palette.
Roasted Potatoes with Chickpeas
IIf you're craving Korean style deep dried chicken abroad then this is the place to be. Lots of Korean students were lined up at this place to grab a taste of home. The chicken was ok but nothing to rave about.
Deep fried Korean chicken with orange sauce
A Vegan Columbian street food stand which is home of the Happy Burger and offers several other vegan options. Pictured here is the Happy Burger which features a quinoa patty, beetroot mayo, chili salsa, red onions and sprouts with a side of plantain chips. A bit on the dry side but grade A on the presentation.
Happy Burger with Quinoa patty
I absolutely cannot get enough of these traditional Danish open faced sandwiches aka the Danish Smørrebrød! You'd be amazed by how much you can fit on a single piece of rye bread. The menu varies according to whats in season so you're always in for a surprise.
Smoked salmon and horseradish on Danish rye bread
Roast pork with potatoes, red pickle, bacon and chives on Danish rye bread
Traditional roast pork with Danish red cabbage and pickles on Danish rye bread
Delicious gourmet hot dogs paired with organic bread and a variety of greens and sauces, there were so many options to chose from. Pictured here is a Danish dog with purple onion, fried onions and pickles. Below is a Danish dog with mayonnaise, pesto sauce and potatoes on top, my personal favorite of the two.
Danish dog with purple onion, fried onions and pickles
Danish dog with mayonnaise, pesto sauce and potatoes
The best place to treat yourself to a nice charcuterie board with imported cheese and sausages. We opted for this delicious arugula salad with goat cheese, tomatoes and balsamic dressing. Pair it with a glass of red wine at one of the bars next door.
Arugula salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinagrette
My absolute FAVORITE thing I ate were the Duck Fat Fries from Bistronomi! I still dream about these fries and I could have easily devoured several batches of them...but seriously, where can I find these fries in America this good?!?
Photo courtsey of @copenhagenstreetfood
There's something for everyone to be found at the Copenhagen Street Food market. So make sure you check it out before its gone forever!
To see more of what I ate in Copenhagen check out my review on Noma's pop-up restaurant Under the Bridge for more good eats go HERE.
I've always dreamed of having a taste of what Noma, the world's best restaurant in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, has to offer. It would be a taste of the best of the best! Known for its experimental cuisine by chef, René Redzepi, as well as its hard to book tables and high price point, it was a surprise to learn about Noma's new pop-up restaurant, Under the Bridge. While Noma’s main location is undergoing renovation and reopening in February 2018, the staff have been hard at work maintaining the standards of superb culinary craftsmanship at their pop-up location. Lucky me! I arrived in Copenhagen just in time to be included in the evening’s festivities.
Unlike Noma's traditional fare, there is an international group of sous chefs who created a menu highlighting different cuisines from all over the world. “The essence of it is that while we are waiting for the new Noma to open, the Noma staff will be collaborating on a menu of simple delicious food that they would eat themselves on a summer night,” the team explains. (Eater.com)
After much inner turmoil as to whether or not I should splurge on an evening of luxury dining, I decided to bite the bullet and buy my ticket. I'm so glad I did because the food, company, and the talent in the kitchen set the mood for a once in a life time experience. Everyone was seated around a long wooden table, beautifully decorated with handmade plates, dim lighting and cozy chairs. In attendance were Noma fans from all over the world waiting for a taste of delectable dining.
It felt like a big Nordic Thanksgiving Feast with everyone at the table talking, tasting and drinking. This was a family-style affair with shared plates and handpicked wine pairings to set the mood for our perfectly planned out dinner.
To find out more about Noma and the chef behind this incredibly restaurant, René Redzepi, you can watch Vice's Mini Documentary or My Perfect Storm now streaming on Netflix.
Now for the food! Enjoy these pictures I took during our meal:
Cozy, Cute Setting in 20 Degree Weather. Pour the wine!
Noma's version of a Tostada and the perfect first bite to our meal.
Baby Courgette / Wild Mushroom Broth / Spinach / Mint / Dill / Blueberries / Wood Ear fungus
Stamped out Lettuce / Various Herbs / Spiced Roasted Shrimp / Pesto / Chili Oil
Cabbage Tacos / Various Herbs / Spiced Roasted Deep-Fried Shrimps / Pesto / Chili Oil
Roasted Chestnuts / Potatoes / Smoked Hay
Roasted Cod Tail wrapped in Cabbage Leaves / Ramson Capers /Lemon Butter Sauce
A little taste of everything!
Poached Pear / Pear Sorbet / Olive Oil / Roasted Dried Seaweed
Almond Tart / Freeze Dried Lingonberry Powder / Dried Ants
No meal at Noma would be complete without some ants! Wonderfully tart and citrusy these little critters added the perfect bit of seasoning to these sweet cakes. Don't knock it till you try it!
Would you ever splurge on a fine dining experience? Which dish looked like your favorite? Let me know in the comments below and make sure to check out my review HERE on LA's little American-Danish town Solvang for more good eats.