Noma Australia will open for 10 weeks in January 2016 at the harbourside in Barangaroo, Sydney, where chef René Redzepi plans to explore the "incredible diversity" of Australian ingredients.
For the Copenhagen crew, it’s also waste not, want not. Following Noma’s ultra-successful Tokyo pop up, the former World’s 50 Best frontrunner is adopting a Closed Loop zero-waste system that inspired Chef Redzepi when he visited green Melbournian café Silo while visiting last year’s Good Food Month.
"Rene actually stuck his hands in the machine when he was at Silo last October and smelt the compost," said Silo’s Joost Bakker, who leases a Closed Loop unit. ''The first thing he said was 'Have you cooked anything in here?' The second thing he said was 'I've got to have this machine. This has to be at Noma.’”
The Closed Loop machine turns food waste into compost, reducing its volume by up to 90 per cent within 24 hours, and is already up and running at Noma. But Redzepi clearly did not want to stop there, vowing a return to Melbourne.
“Last year I had the greatest learning experience of my life,” the chef wrote on his website. “By moving our restaurant to Tokyo we opened ourselves to a new library of taste, an awe-inspiring culinary tradition both ancient and diverse."
"The immersion into Japanese culture challenged us to understand a new set of ingredients, develop new mindsets, and explore new possibilities. We came back to Copenhagen more lifted than ever: with bags of energy and inspiration, and many new friends.”
The star chef also mused how he would replace the winter beet with a coconut, underling his commitment to using local and seasonal ingredients. He also noted his enthusiasm to tackle tropical fruits, native pepper leaves from Tasmanian, and the seafood of Australia’s southern waters.
“Australia has always drawn me in; its great cities, its generous people, and of course its ever-present sun. But what really boggles my mind is the differences you find in its landscapes and ingredients, because honestly I have never seen anything like it,” he added.
“When we settle down we’re bringing the entire team, from dishwasher to general manager – our work family as well as our spouses and kids — but we’re leaving behind our ingredients in Copenhagen. All we’ll take from our kitchen is an open frame of mind and a passion for learning.”