COPENHAGEN — Sea snail broth,” a server says, introducing the first course of a dinner for which I’ve just traveled 4,000 miles to try.
The initial impression is a warm and wonderful elixir pooled inside a spiral-shaped shell, set on a bed of fine sand. Part of the lip of the “cup” is rimmed with minced pickles — oregano buds, elderflowers, lemon thyme — which add some bite to the broth, robust with maitake oil and kelp dashi.
I have to hand it to Noma. Sea snail broth, it turns out, is the perfect antidote to the Arctic chill that’s descended on Copenhagen and a promising start to an hours-long journey that will take me on a deep dive into the mind of one of the most influential chefs on the planet.
Author Tom Sietsema for the Washington Post