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Welcome to Where Chefs Eat on Vacation, a column in which chefs tell us what they ate on a recent trip. All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Ask most chefs what their last vacation was, and you'll hear a similar retort: What chef has time for vacation?
Pierre Thiam sees it differently. The Senegal-born, New York City-based chef behind Teranga—and author of the just-released Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen cookbook—is one of those people who swears he's never worked a day in his life. “I never work, it's always vacation,” laughs Thiam. “I figured out a way to make work something I'm passionate about, so all my trips are food-related. There's work to it, yes, but it's so fun, it is vacation, I'm also embarrassed to say."
This past June, he flew to Copenhagen with a few work priorities and that quintessentially Thiam resolve to have a good time. “The main goal was to introduce fonio, which is an ancient grain from Africa that I've been championing, to the brewing industry,” says Thiam. “Fonio is climate-friendly, and using it could address issues like food security, mitigate climate change, and bring economic opportunity to the small farmers who grow it.” So, he went to Copenhagen, where Carlsberg, the fifth largest brewery in the world, is located, to test out a 100 percent fonio beer. (Spoiler alert: It was so good he snuck a few bottles into his suitcase to bring back.)
In between swigging cold ones, Thiam got to try the Danish dishes that have made Copenhagen such a foodie hotspot. “I wanted to try this cuisine that has created a revolution in the Nordic food movement," he says. “My friend René Redzepi, who has led this, was returning from Japan where he spent six months with his entire crew, so we planned to connect, and I looked forward to spending time in his kitchen.”
While we won't all be invited to cook with Redzepi, don't be mistaken—Thiam also trod the paths other visitors to Copenhagen might, biking between bakeries every morning, and encountering unforgettable Danish strawberries in their peak season. Below, he shares the highlights of his food- and beer-rich week in the charming city, with pins you'll definitely want to add to your Google map.
What was the first thing you ate when you got off the plane?
I went to Hotel Ottilia, which is located in the old city, in an area developed by Carlsberg actually. The brand has this approach of donating 50 percent of its revenue to nonprofits, and this part of the city was developed with that 50 percent. There was a restaurant not far from it, Hooked, where I ate the classic Scandinavian dish: herring. I had it, not the really classic pickled way, but battered and fried in a sandwich with brioche. It was very good.
Did you have a breakfast routine throughout the trip?
A lot of people move around by bicycle over there, so I rented a bike on the Donkey Republic app, and every morning I would go to a different bakery. The city is known for Danish morning buns, but even their croissants are done a special way. The Carlsberg crew would tell me which bakeries they thought were the best, and everyone had a different answer, so I would pop around on my bicycle and grab a couple of buns every morning trying them out. I always got more than I could eat, so I'd leave the extras in my hotel room and they became the perfect snack each night. Hart Bageri was one of my favorites.
What was your most anticipated meal of the trip?
Unfortunately, Noma wasn't open when I was there, otherwise that would have been it, but I did get to go into the kitchen with the team, which was special. I was also really looking forward to traditional Scandinavian cuisine, the pickled herring, and that was good. I went to this place, Aamanns Genbo, and it was a bit more creative, not totally traditional, but I really enjoyed it.
Did you happen to find any great cheap eats?
Copenhagen is not cheap, right? And when I start translating between their currency and dollars, which I never do until I'm on the plane home, I realize I spent so much money. But, actually, René [Redzepi] sent me to this place under the bridge, Rosforth & Rosforth, where there's a French guy with very interesting natural wine and food that goes with it. It was strawberry season, and the strawberries are amazing there, so you're eating fresh strawberries with the wine, right by the canal as the boats are out and about. I didn't pay for it, so it was really cheap for me! But it wasn't an expensive place. They also do open sandwiches.
What about a splurge meal—did you go all out for anything that was totally worth it?
Sanchez was a splurge. There was a stuffed poblano with a coulis sauce that I really enjoyed. The chef has a really great approach to Mexican cuisine, where the Scandinavian environment plays a role. The Mexican flavor was there, but there was a simplicity, a minimalism, in the design. Food is so influenced by the environment, and the conversation between the consumer and the chef always depends on where you are and who is serving. I liked it. If Noma had been open that would have been a splurge—so even though I wish I had eaten the food, I'm glad my wallet didn't.
Which meal came with the best ambiance?
There was the place, Il Buco, where they were really into fermenting—they were actually doing fermentation in the basement, making fish sauce and all kinds of things. It was in an old building, with long wooden tables with no tablecloths, and everything was meant to be shared. There was an open kitchen in the center, and exposed brick. The vibe was convivial, not too loud, but friendly. People could still hear themselves talking. And the waiters were not uptight. They knew what they were talking about, but they weren't lecturing you. It was fun.
Was there a part of the city that you found yourself always wanting to eat in?
I enjoyed the scene where I stayed, in the old Carlsberg village. You're transported in time, with all the old architecture and street-level restaurants. I enjoyed the area around Noma, Refshaleøen, which is near the water and has that industrial look, with these gems of restaurants. It feels a bit like Soho in New York but not as commercial.
I also loved the old meat market. There are still some butchers there but you can tell it's becoming a food destination and it has great, fun restaurants. I really liked a state-of-the-art brewery, Warpigs Brewpub, with hamburgers, and Paté Paté.
Did you have a favorite dessert of the trip?
Hart Bageri had some creatives approaches to pastries and that's what I bought too much of. There was a lemongrass-strawberry tart. Not exactly Danish, but it was surprisingly good, with lots of butter.
Best drink of the trip?
At Carlsberg, there's this guy, Zoran, who's a genius when it comes to beer. He had these amazing nectars he wanted me to taste after he made the 100 percent fonio beer, which tasted like Champagne. He had me try a beer called Tears of Enzo. It was out of this world. It's very expensive, high-end, I believe some Michelin-star restaurants have it, otherwise it's not super accessible. But wow—that blew my mind. I never knew beer could be like that. It was made with an ancient barley grain, and there was fruit in it that brought out a sweetness, and it's been aged for years. It was like the Rolls Royce of beer.
Anything you stuffed in your suitcase to bring home?
I always do that when I'm in Africa, I grab stuff that I know I will not find in New York. From this trip I managed to bring back the couple of bottles of fonio beer because it wasn't in the market yet.
The hardest question of all: What's the one dish you would fly back for?
Aamanns Genbo, the restaurant with the herring, had one dish I particularly liked—they do a tasting of seafood three different ways. I had to share it, and I was very reluctant to!
