Often hailed as one of the best restaurants in the world, Noma in Copenhagen announced it will shut down operations at the end of next year, citing financial and emotional pressure. However, Danish restaurateur Rene Redzepi has no plans of hanging up his chef’s hat just yet.
Redzepi promises to introduce Noma 3.0 in 2025, in the form of a “pioneering test kitchen dedicated to the work of food innovation and the development of new flavours”.
This, according to F&B industry experts, is exciting and revolutionary. “We are very excited for the new iteration of Noma,” William Drew tells The National. Drew is the director of content at 50 Best, the award-conferring body that oversees restaurant ranking lists around the globe, including one for the Mena region. Noma has been named the top venue in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list five times.
"Since its opening, Noma has constantly evolved. After topping the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list four times, it began a journey of exploration with extended pop-ups in different locations around the globe.
“It then reinvented itself in a new location in Copenhagen, with a different structure, dining concept and menu format — and proceeded to top the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking once again in 2021.
“At the same time, it has developed complementary projects outside of, but related to, the restaurant itself. Rene Redzepi and his team are so tireless in moving things forward that it’s no surprise to see them seek to reimagine Noma entirely,” adds Drew.
The Copenhagen restaurant is also the rare recipient of three Michelin stars. The restaurant, which opened in 2003, closed its doors temporarily due to the pandemic, only to win its third star when it reopened in 2021. This, says award-winning cookbook author Flavel Monteiro, is proof that “Rene always has something up his sleeve".
"Noma’s upcoming venture means foodies will experience a new wave of haute cuisine, spectacular gastronomy that will be the next trend in the culinary world,” says Monteiro, who was the driving force behind the Jubilee Gastronomy series of Michelin-lauded chefs at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Italian chef Francesco Magro, of The Artisan in Dubai, contests that, despite allegations that Redzepi and Noma are under scrutiny for their reliance on unpaid interns, in fact “the restaurant recently introduced remuneration for internships … one of the few top restaurants in the world doing so".
Yet Magro also agrees that the high levels of pressure faced by chefs can be debilitating. “It is very hard to ensure the highest quality standards within ‘normal’ working hours," he says. "Chefs are working 14 to 16 hours daily. Inflation and the European energy crisis are playing a role in this as well. The cost of manpower is high and the volume of customers is limited. The revenue is not enough for a sustainable environment.”
However, Magro adds: “Rene Redzepi is a pioneer of the hospitality industry. Noma will close, but I’m sure his next concept will be revolutionary. The announced closing is, for me, a way to create hype for this future endeavour.”
Chef Claudio Cardoso, of SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences, offers a different take on the situation, explaining that it's almost essential for chefs who are at the top of their game to rethink and shape the future of food.
"Chefs and restaurants with a certain platform need to become the pioneers of change," he says. "Small wins and positive changes toward food can transform the culinary landscape.
"Talking about sustainability, the planet is the only home we will have. To put it in a simple analogy, a chicken can only produce a certain number of eggs. Noma's team figured that out a long time ago, and it's time more chefs understand this and drive new trends that are more viable for the planet."
"The acceptance of Noma 3.0 will be the same as all its past evolutions and this will be as impactful," adds Cardoso. "Their forward thinking allows them to convey the message better to bigger audiences, and so initiate the needed change."
And were Noma 3.0 not to materialise as expected? Chef Akmal Anuar, of Michelin-starred restaurant 11 Woodfire, believes that would still not dilute the influence of Noma.
"Noma introduced Nordic cuisine on a global stage and impacted almost every other progressive restaurant," he says. "The team’s approach to being natural — from chefs in T-shirts to foraging for ingredients through the landscape of Scandinavia — defined modern gastronomy.
"It allowed diners to explore and eat what no one ever thought of using. This decision to close at their high is not to be treated as a shame, but a testament to say ‘enough’ or ‘it’s time move on’. Noma will always be in the history books for the future to refer to.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see the venues part of the debut Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates
October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)
October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)
November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)
November 28-30: Dubai International Rally
January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)
March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)
April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
UAE%20FIXTURES
%3Cp%3EWednesday%2019%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3EFriday%2021%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3ESunday%2023%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Singapore%3Cbr%3EWednesday%2026%20April%20%E2%80%93%20UAE%20v%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3ESaturday%2029%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Semi-finals%3Cbr%3ESunday%2030%20April%20%E2%80%93%20Third%20position%20match%3Cbr%3EMonday%201%20May%20%E2%80%93%20Final%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdullah%20Khan%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPenguin%20Random%20House%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E304%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
You might also like to read
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
