Travel: Denmark, Norway and Sweden

A WHISTLE-STOP food tour to Denmark, Norway and Sweden leaves Karen Bowerman wanting more

For the guy who’s the equivalent of Gordon Ramsay in the Danish version of Hell’s Kitchen, chef Wassim Hallal seems a surprisingly agreeable chap. He arrives at his new deli, sporting a flat cap and the broadest of grins, and welcomes us, wholeheartedly, to Denmark.

Maybe my delight in his smørrebrød (Danish open sandwiches) has something to do with this, but even when my foodie companion, Bill, begins drilling him on sarnie specifics (“Is there onion in the remoulade?” “How, exactly, do you make the chicken skin so crispy?”) he’s still patient and polite.

Bill and I are on a whistle-stop Scandi food tour. We’ve got three days to visit three cities in three countries: Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

“Scandinavia is more than meatballs, pickled herring and Carlsberg,” Bill says, defensively. He’s already a bit of a fan.

We meet Hallal in Aarhus, on the country’s east coast. His deli, F-Hoj, has a classy cosiness.

Our open sandwiches are heaped with toppings: smoked salmon with avocado purée, smoked cheese and fresh horseradish; potato and pear with mustard and honey; and eggs and crayfish with grapes and salsify.

“I think texture is as important as taste,” Hallal tells us. “I aim for crispy, creamy, salty and sweet, all in one mouthful.”

Focusing on fresh, seasonal produce is at the heart of new Nordic cuisine. It’s led to a renaissance of Scandinavian classics, including smørrebrød, which is now being seen, and served, in a new light.

Using organic, regional ingredients is also the aim of Nordisk Spisehus, where Bill and I have dinner. The restaurant serves signature dishes from various Michelin-starred establishments.

“We get the thumbs up before we copy their menus,” a waitress reassures me.

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The restaurant manager and sommelier, Ditte Susgaard, clarifies: “We don’t just copy; we try to turn every dish into a tribute to the chef who created it.”

I find the concept a little bewildering (shouldn’t a restaurant be defined by its own menu?) but it seems chef David Johansen, from Copenhagen’s one-starred Kokkeriet, is pleased. Nordisk serves his pigeon breast with truffle.

Our eight-course dinner (DKK899; £90) with wine pairing (DKK749; £75) features dishes from five Copenhagen restaurants.

Among them is Clou’s salt and sugar cured scallop, topped with tiny discs of crispy rye bread and dried seaweed, and Kadeau’s squid in shrimp emulsion – the creaminess of the shrimp contrasting with a crunchy, almost palate-cleansing swede salad.