At this year’s MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for the Nordic Countries – which was held at the Savoy Theatre in the City of Helsinki – the evening’s announcements were not all about the new Stars. In addition to these, three Special Awards were presented to highlight the incredible work done by the talented and hard-working hospitality professionals who ensure that their diners always have a special experience. Read on to discover this year’s winners, and why they impressed our Inspectors.
Young Chef Award: Anika Madsen, Iris / Nicky Arentsen, Restaurant Aure
This year’s Young Chef Award goes to not one, but two, incredible cooks, who work at very different restaurants but are both so impressive that the Inspectors wanted to recognise each of them. Both Anika Madsen (from Iris in Rosendal, Norway) and Nicky Arentsen (from Restaurant Aure in Copenhagen) have won a Michelin Star for their restaurants this year, showing just how skilfully they lead their kitchens at such a young age.
At Iris, Anika Madsen is the captain of a rather idiosyncratic ship. ‘Expedition dining’ is what the team call a visit here, with the restaurant located on a gleaming metallic structure known as the ‘Salmon Eye’, which floats atop the water in Hardangerfjord. Yet the restaurant is no gimmick, with the cooking of such great quality that it is highly memorable in and of itself – this is a testament to Anika and the menu she has crafted. While her husband Nico runs the service, she is working on creative dishes based around Norwegian seafood – including less familiar produce like lumpsucker fish, local cuttlefish and invasive species of urchins and crabs.
Her shrimp prepared in three ways is the perfect example of Anika’s skills: the shucked tail is left raw and sweet, glazed with tomato and tamarind, then accompanied by blood orange koshu; a shrimp doughnut is covered in an umami bomb of shrimp shell powder; and a shrimp ‘taco’ is made from a fine disc of kohlrabi with gooseberry & elderflower bouillon jelly, herbs, edible petals and a deep-fried shrimp head. This dish, like so many of Anika’s, is precise, delicious and full of ingenuity.
This year’s other Young Chef Award winner, Nicky Arentsen, has taken his self-financed Restaurant Aure to the next level with the award of One Michelin Star. It takes more than a little courage to open your own restaurant, especially in an 18th Century gunpowder store with 2-metre-thick walls and an unassuming exterior, in an area once home to the Danish Navy. Yet that is exactly what Nicky and his wife Emma (who manages the front of house) have done, and they’ve succeeded with flying colours – in no small part thanks to Nicky’s exceptional cooking. Though he may be young, Nicky has worked at some of Denmark’s top restaurants and that experience is evident on the plate.
Managing a small, tightly-knit kitchen team, Nicky produces seasonal dishes featuring superb, often Nordic ingredients, that are combined in thoughtful, well-balanced ways. Take, for example, his fresh-tasting, subtle dish of ultra-fine slices of raw, succulent Norwegian scallop, interspersed with crunchy radish and a ‘grandmother’ dressing of cream with gooseberry juice. When cooking pigeon from the Camargue, meanwhile, he utilises the beautifully roasted breast, the confit leg and lightly smoked heart to wonderful effect, proving that he is capable of handling strong, gutsy flavours with equal aplomb. This is a chef who has both enormous ambition and the talent to realise it.
Service: Tobias Nilsson, LYST
There are many factors which contribute to a great dining experience – the setting, the company, even the mood you’re in – but few leave a lasting impression quite like the service. A smooth, professional team give the immediate suggestion that you’re dining in a place of special quality, while chatting with a friendly waiter ensures that you’ll leave with a smile on your face. All of these things are understood by the team at LYST, led by Tobias Nilsson. It says a lot that, in a One Michelin Star restaurant housed inside a quite extraordinary building, our Inspectors left enthusing about the service.
As you arrive, the team warmly greet you with a welcome drink – the first of what turns out to be many thoughtful touches. What is immediately clear upon meeting everyone is how delightfully engaging they all are. This is perfectly suited to the approach to dining at LYST, which is an immersive experience that takes you from a striking glass-topped counter to the elegant, sail-decorated dining room and back again. You’re even invited to ‘kiss’ some sorbet from the ice table at one point. All of these theatrical details are handled with aplomb by the charming team.
Over a 3+ hour experience, the incredibly well-organised service ensures each detail is perfectly in place to make things run as smoothly and relaxingly as possible. The pacing of the meal is spot-on; you never feel hurried and you’re never left waiting. This award is not just for Tobias but for the team as a whole. Each and every staff member knows their role inside out and is impeccably well-rehearsed. Together, they deliver outstanding service in every way.
Sommelier: Damiano Alberti, Enomania
For the oenophiles and wine industry professionals of Scandinavia, Enomania has become something of a must-visit for many. That’s down to its Sommelier-Owner Damiano Alberti, who has curated a magnificent list and offers service to match. Hailing from Piedmont, he has been in Denmark for over 30 years, but ensures that northwestern Italy is always well-represented in his cellar, along with a frankly remarkable collection of burgundies that is sure to impress even the most discerning of drinkers.
Enomania itself – whose name means ‘crazy about wine’ – is a trattoria-style Italian restaurant and wine bar rolled into one, offering simple, and simply delicious, dishes with a welcome generosity that mirrors Damiano’s own. Being a good sommelier is not just about putting together a large collection of bottles – it’s about personality and the way those bottles are served. Damiano is always happy to open a wine for you to taste and emanates passion as he discusses it with his guests.
Not only are Damiano’s wines exceptional in their own right, but they match the cooking perfectly too. Combinations that prove particularly successful could include: I Sistri chardonnay from Fèlsina Berardenga to go with Tuscan fennel salami, speck from Alto Adige and silky Parma ham; Chambolle Musigny from Christian Clerget to accompany a parsley root, rosemary and braised duck risotto; or a Brunello di Montalcino "Schiena d'Asino" from Mastrojanni with a thick slice of beef sirloin. Whatever it is you choose, you can bet it will be a great choice, such is the overwhelming quality of Damiano’s selection.
New Stars
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Full List of Starred Restaurants
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