Jordnær

Copenhagen, Denmark

After a monumental trip over the summer, going to ten restaurants in one month, I had to take some time off for surgery. Looking at the list, I wanted to take a quick trip somewhere and having heard good things about Alchemist, I decided to make a reservation. With reservation in hand, I contacted Andy to see if he’d join. Not only was he up for joining, he managed a reservation at Jordnær to boot.

Both Jordnær and Alchemist were new to the list in 2022 and I was delighted at the opportunity. Jordnær is a short train ride and walk on the edge of Copenhagen. The cool, misty November air provided a calm, quiet walk to the hotel where the restaurant is located.

Jordnær’s ambience is classy and warm with greys and whites and beiges. There’s definitely a Japanese influence that is reflected throughout the meal. Interestingly, Chef Eric Vildgaard shared with us that he had not yet been to Japan.

The meal starts with a trio of tartlets: the first, a lobster and sansho pepper with trout roe served on a glass plate that made the tartlet appear like it was floating. The second was with Balfegó tuna and caviar. The caviar in this dish held its own in a way that I find it rarely does. The third was a rosette waffle with Baerri caviar and fjord shrimp tucked into the underside of the waffle, allowing the flavour of the shrimp to hit the tongue before the waffle.

This led way to the rest of the pescatarian meal. Each of the dishes were well crafted and delicious. One of the waiters, in presenting a dish, made mention of a chicken broth, which didn’t faze me in the slightest but Andy rightfully questioned immediately. The chef came out to assure us that the waiter misspoke and that it was not a chicken broth. The waiter was new and mistook “broth” as being chicken broth, specifically. No harm no fowl and it was a pleasure to have a short conversation one-on-one with the chef.

The yuzu, Miyagawa and Sichuan pepper ice cream was a refreshing start to the dessert. The vanilla, milk, and honey was delicious but texturally, was chewy. The white truffle on hazelnut and ice cream was tasty but I found the white truffle flavour threw off the dish. I feel like restaurants feel the need to provide lots of truffle but less is more, in my opinion.

Both Andy and I partook of the non-alcoholic pairing. The tea pairings felt like they came the closest to comparing to a traditional wine pairing. Whereas the juice cocktails were tasty on their own but too flavourful, drowning out the dish.

Verdict

Jordnær falls into the upper middle of the pack with its fantastic service and consistently well prepared meal. I would definitely return the next time I am in Copenhagen. I felt warmed by the food, the service, and the company.

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