Reflections on Noma and its cultural crossover: Beyond the Kitchen Doors

Last summer, I fulfilled a culinary dream by visiting Noma in Copenhagen, an experience that had long been on my bucket list. With the news of its imminent closure in 2024, I was prompted to register for access and book a seat at a shared table - it was a restaurateurs dream! Leading up to my visit, I had watched "The Menu," a satirical horror film starring Ralph Fiennes in a stellar performance. It was even more evident after my visit that the movie drew heavy inspiration (not loosely) from the workings of Noma - a nod that I am not sure is beneficial or not!

In 2023, "The Bear," a hit show centered around a Chicago sandwich shop-cum-restaurant, frequently referenced Noma, detailing the lead character's training there. Both fictional depictions portrayed kitchens as chaotic, erratic, and at times, even dark, with themes of abuse, death, and suicide underlying the storylines. While kitchen culture has evolved, perhaps becoming more sanitary over the years, the extreme expectations, tempo, and fiery intensity, both literal and metaphorical, remain the driving forces in a commercial kitchen.

To outsiders, the kitchen culture may seem tyrannical, as observed when my partner recoils in horror at these depictions. Yet, I view them as honest recollections that occasionally flirt with exaggeration but never veer far from the truth.

At Hakkasan, a brand with nearly 25 years of legacy, one of our brand pillars is "Cinematic Energy" which reminds us to centre the guest in their experience and have them be the star of their show. This pillar stands the test of time, as kitchens have become stars of TV and film, with recent productions like BBC's "Boiling Point" offering a glimpse into the anxiety-ridden fever dream of a commercial kitchen. The concept of "Main Character Energy" has gained traction in recent years too, emphasizing the guest's central role in their restaurant experience and how everyone wants to feel like the space in which they exist is purely there for them, akin to a movie set.

Returning to the Noma closure, amidst allegations of overworked, underpaid, and hyper-controlled kitchens, questions arose about the future of fine dining. However, a few months later, Iris opened its doors in the middle of a Norwegian Fjord, led by the committed 30-year-old Anika Madsen, pushing the boundaries of sustainability in food. Where one great closes, another may forge its opening in this gap of opportunity.

While the economic challenges in fine dining persist, the emotional demand for it remains unwavering. Whether in fiction or reality, we are drawn to the sometimes gritty, sometimes luxurious belly's of kitchens. Perhaps, much like luxury houses (of the construction kind and the fashion kind), the ability for gastronomical experiences to exist at both the bottom and the top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is what captivates us in the world of culinary artistry and the communities we build around it.