Dinner at Restaurant Radio, Copenhagen

This evening, I visited Restaurant Radio in the Forum area of Copenhagen. This had actually been an impromptu decision; I was looking for somewhere authentic to eat that wouldn’t break the bank before visiting Noma. A brief search on Tripadvisor as well as my hotel’s website churned out this restaurant, and encouraged by the positive reviews, I went ahead with an online reservation, which even at the last minute was surprisingly hassle-free.

Opened by seasoned restaurateur Claus Meyer, the backbone of the modern Nordic food movement and co-founder of world-famous Noma (where I will be having lunch tomorrow!), the informal bistro-like Radio serves dishes made exclusively with local and organic ingredients. The restaurant owns two acres of land in Grantoftegaard just outside Copenhagen, in which more than 80 different crops are cultivated organically; these are supplemented by deliveries of other unique grains from Meyer's co-owned farms in Mørdrupgård, and fruit from his orchards in Lilleø ('Little Island') several times a week. As for fish and meat, supplies are sought from local fishermen and farmers. The kitchen is helmed by Danish head chefs Jesper and Rasmussen, who despite their young ages have already gained major culinary accolades and a wealth of experience in fine restaurants both at home and abroad.

When I arrived, the restaurant was already full of customers, and buzzing with an easy-going and energetic vibe. The urban décor and atmosphere reminded me very much of Dabbous in London. There was cheerful banter all round, and everyone seemed very relaxed. Being rather casually dressed for the evening, I didn’t feel the least out of place. My server Mirja, who spoke perfect English and took care of me throughout this evening, received me very warmly and showed me promptly to my table by the window, with a good view of the entire space and a slight peek into the kitchen through its glass windows. A short while later, she brought the menu and explained my options.

The menu works easily enough: for smaller appetites one may choose to have any three courses out of the standard five on offer, or one may simply go for all five courses. Wine or juice pairings come at an extra charge, and there is also the option to augment or supplement the meal with ‘courses of the day’ which vary greatly, depending on what’s fresh and available. As it was a one-off visit for me, I decided to experience the full extent of what the kitchen could offer, and went for all five courses on the menu plus two ‘courses of the day’, i.e. 7 courses, with juices to match.

First up was a little amuse-bouche of chestnut cream wrapped ravioli-like in thin layers of pumpkin, with a sprinkling of toasted and crushed pumpkin seeds.

This was a very pleasant start; the slightly creamy texture and sweetness of pumpkin flesh went hand-in-hand with the light chestnut cream. The chestnut cream also had a deep and somewhat earthy flavour that was very well complemented by the nutty taste and aroma of the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Bread arrived soon after; plain sourdough was presented in a basket, accompanied by a spread of unsalted butter with bits of caramelized onions. The bread was still slightly warm with a firm and substantial texture, and the butter was excellent: fresh-tasting, velvety in texture, with chewy bits of onion that contributed a delicate sweetness and incredible aromas to the spread.

To begin the meal proper, I was offered a glass of apple juice to match the first course of scallops. This unusually orange-pink juice was made from three different types of apples from Lilleø, and was possibly one of the most memorable apple juices I’ve ever had, possessing a deep flavour with the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, and an incredibly smooth texture. It would turn out to be a very apt pairing for the first dish, which was also naturally sweet, with a tinge of acidity.

Course 1: sauté of scallops and Jerusalem artichokes, pickled pear, cress garnish and sprinkling of fried Jerusalem artichoke chips.

A generous portion by usual restaurants’ standards, this was extremely moreish and tasty. The fresh scallops and artichokes were a perfect match in both their delicately sweet flavour and chunky, juicy texture. Bits of pickled pear, used sparingly, provided a good balance with their acidity, while the mildly spicy cress garnish both stimulated the tastebuds and accentuated overall flavours in the dish. The sprinkling of crushed artichoke chips not only contributed a delightful crunch in texture, but also gave a comforting depth of flavour to every mouthful. 

For the next course I was given a glass of pumpkin and carrot juice. Mirja explained that this combination accentuates the flavor of each vegetable and maintains a relatively thick and smooth texture in the drink, preventing it from becoming too watery. Indeed, this juice would have to balance and hold up to the next dish, which had a generally stronger, more spicy and savoury taste.

Course 2: salted cod, celeriac purée and fresh celeriac slices, fresh dill and dill oil, horseradish cream sauce.

Preserved fish and meat are an integral part of Scandinavian cuisine. Here, lumps of salted cod, with their savoury and characteristically fishy taste, are both balanced and refreshed by the use of mildly sweet celeriac accompaniments, and the very appropriate vegetable juice pairing. Dill, most commonly used to enhance the flavours of fish and seafood with its fresh spicy aromas, was in abundance here, as was the spicy horseradish sauce, which constantly freshened and stimulated the palate, and tempered any excess fishiness in taste. This dish and its juice pairing were extremely well conceived, and left an astonishingly clean aftertaste.

The third course, an onion-based dish, saw the flavours and aromas becoming even more powerful. For this I was presented with a glass of beetroot and apple juice, with a strong earthy flavor and mild acidity that effectively cut through the rich taste of this dish.

Course 3: pickled red and salad onion shells, crushed fried onions, onion compote, ramson capers, hø (hay) cheese sauce.

This dish struck my nose from a distance; its intoxicating aromas created a strong impression on me even before the first bite. It was also reminiscent of the foamy onion soup course I had at Kokkeriet yesterday evening. Upon eating, I realized how remarkably the kitchen had highlighted the different possibilities in textures and flavours of this vegetable, beyond its characteristic pungency – from the sourish and crunchy onion shells, to the crispy fried onions, to the fibrous and slightly sweet compote. The accompaniments were hardly accidental choices; ramson capers (the cured bulbs of this wild relative of chives) had a salty garlic-like taste, and the full-bodied hay cheese sauce (made from the milk of cows which had eaten hay with 40 different kinds of herbs, leading to a better maturation of the cheese) was the perfect foil for the intense flavours and aromas of this dish.

Two mains followed, and the next course, a dish of grilled pheasant, continued the abundance of the menu in its own way. To balance the gamey flavor of this meat, I was offered a sweet white grape juice made in the kitchen from Grüner Veltliner grapes (imported from Meinklang winery, on the border between Lower Austria and Hungary), mixed with quince and a touch of lemon for a delicate tartness. 

Not only that, Mirja kindly offered me an complimentary glass of white wine, made from Solaris grapes in 2011 by Vexebo winery in Fredensborg (one of Denmark's few winemakers, and a completely organic one at that; they supply all of the country's top restaurants). This extremely clear and pale wine was light-bodied, acidic and fruity with notes of banana, and a fresh and rather short finish.

The Nordic climate is not naturally suited to grape cultivation, so wine production at this latitude has necessitated the cultivation of new grape varieties (such as Solaris, a hybrid grape originating from a German laboratory) that are suited to the weather and ripen early. White and sparkling wines from this region are generally seen as the most interesting and having the greatest potential for wider production. Currently, quality Danish wines are rare and expensive relative to their other European counterparts, and organic ones even more so (e.g. that half-litre bottle from which I drank would have cost about 750 DKK or £75 to uncork in a good restaurant). I truly appreciated this nice touch of service from Mirja.

Course 4: grilled pheasant, different types of winter cabbage (brussel sprouts, green and red cabbages), apple purée and a fermented apple cider sauce.

The pheasant was tender and succulent, with a pleasant smoky edge in its taste. The fruitiness of the drink pairings carried over aptly into the accompaniments of this dish; the apple purée was sweet and refreshing, and the remarkably savoury cider sauce with a mild tartness was an effective partner for the full-bodied flavour of the meat. A fresh cabbage garnish completed the dish with a wholesome crunch and a somewhat bittersweet taste.

The next dish of pork was probably the most substantial course of the evening, and to support this I was given a very sweet, full-bodied and gently tart Zweigelt red grape juice from Loimer winery in Langelois, Lower Austria, along the famous Danube river.

Course 5: free-range pork (from the neck) with salsify glazed and caramelized in red grape reduction, pickled lettuce stick, parsley purée, and a sauce of pork stock, butter and caramelised onion. This was one of the 'courses of the day'.

As with the venison dish I had at Kokkeriet yesterday evening, this red meat was served authentically with a juxtaposition of sweet and sour accompaniments (not forgetting the drink as well). The dish was a delightful mélange of textures and flavours; the pork was lean and tender, the seasonal salsify roots were intensely sweet and surprisingly chewy (like a fruit gum), the strips of lettuce were crunchy and tart, the sauce was rich and tasty, and to top it all off, crisp herbal aromas from the purée kept each bite fresh and vibrant. This relatively heavy course was very satisfying indeed.

With the main courses over, it was now time for desserts. The first dessert of quince and white chocolate was paired with a pure and naturally cloudy Grüner Veltliner white grape juice produced directly in Meinklang winery. This powerfully sweet juice, a result of typically hot and humid summers in the region, brought back fond memories of time in Austria over the summer, where I drank copious amounts of this soothing nectar in local wineries (known as 'heurigen') with my coursemates after a long day of work. On its own it was very good indeed, but when paired with the dessert I couldn't help but feel that the overall taste was a tad cloying. Besides, this was my third consecutive glass of grape juice and I had had a very similar white grape juice just two courses ago, so I would have appreciated something different/more creative, and more subtle.

Course 6: frozen white chocolate, quince slices preserved in syrup, quince gelée, chopped walnuts, raw licorice shavings, Spanish chevril garnish.

This was a most enjoyable palate-cleanser after all the preceding rich savoury courses. The variations on quince had a nice sweet-sour taste and a crunchy juiciness, which was very well matched by the thick bed of white chocolate that had a smooth, creamy, parfait-like texture. The accompaniments were no less effective: walnuts gave the dessert a further crunch and good depth in flavour that went very well with the slight bitter taste of licorice; I'm generally not a fan of the herb's medicinal taste, but in this sparing amount it was actually rather refreshing and stimulating. A subtly aromatic herb garnish further reinforced the crisp, clean lines of this dish.

For the last dessert of the evening, a richer dish of beetroot, milk and malt, I was offered a glass of aronia berry concentrate diluted with sparkling mineral water. This blackcurrant-flavoured berry with a bitter edge, mixed with prickly sparkling water, was a successful balance for the strong flavours of this dessert, and a revitalising way to end this excellent meal.

Course 7: milk ice cream on a bed of beetroot strips dried and caramelised in aronia berry reduction, aronia berries, salted caramel, caramelised white chocolate crumble with popped grains (including barley), and crushed malt meringues.

This was one of the most interesting desserts I've tried to date - its unusually intense flavours could be described in a nutshell as earthy, ashy and salty. This surprisingly full-bodied savoury dish also had one distinctive ingredient - aronia berries - which are considered a superfood with extraordinary antioxidant levels, and are very astringent in nature. Together with the subtly sweet beetroot strips and the drink pairing, they kept a wholesome check on the richness of this dessert. The milk ice-cream had a remarkably light and smooth texture and mild flavour, while the malt meringues and popped barley (similar in taste and texture to popcorn) had an amazing fluffy crunchiness to them, along with a characteristically deep and nutty flavour. White chocolate and caramel added a further touch of indulgence. This last course, combining ingredients which are integral to Nordic/Danish cuisine in an unexpected manner, was the most striking and authentic to me.

Having started my dinner quite late, I was also one of the last customers to leave (slightly after 11 pm). I would have loved a visit to the kitchen and a picture with the head chefs, but unfortunately they had gone home by then - no reason, in a more casual establishment, to expect them to stay till the last customer leaves, I suppose! I was however still very pleased with the whole dining experience, and content to take a few pictures of the restaurant before I left:

My friendly and enthusiastic server Mirja,
with two of her colleagues Pau and Frederik.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with a cosy and laid-back atmosphere, wholesome and authentic style of cooking with satisfying portions - only suggestion would be to experiment with more nuanced juice pairings - and exceptional service to bring the whole experience together. I wish to thank Mirja in particular and highlight her initiative, upon noticing that I was taking notes on the menu, in offering to email me with further details after my visit, so that I could focus on savouring the dishes without getting too caught up in the elaborate descriptions that were offered for each of them. Towards the end of the meal we also managed to squeeze in a pretty long chat in which Mirja offered her candid views on the dining scene in Copenhagen, and we definitely had a common interest in Noma - with her waxing lyrical about the ingenuity and sheer variety in flavours and textures of the food, and informing me that the former restaurant manager at Radio now works there. All in all it was extremely good value for money, and I can't recommend Radio highly enough for an original gastronomic experience that won't break the bank!