“We’re going to make a little magic for you,” is the opening line for a night of culinary theatre at this meatpacking-district haunt.
This black-painted, white-tiled former butcher’s shop in the Danish capital is where chef-founders Henrik Jyrk and Christian Mortensen have ditched New Nordic fussiness for punchy, international flavours. At pared-back Kul (pronounced ‘cool’), the name sums up the aesthetic and the story told is one of uncompromising, bold cuisine.
The menu leaps confidently between Asia and the Med, with a Nordic slice of regional produce chucked in: blushing lengths of smoked salmon paired with nashi pear, miso crème and peach-hued trout roe; Ibérico ham-wrapped tempura squid dotted with jet black, squid-ink aïoli; broccoli sprouts scattered over Cantonese-barbecued pork ribs. And the drinks are creative works of art, too, from the wine list to the zingy cocktails laced with yuzu, shiso and Norwegian aquavit. But it’s the staging that really steals the show: seductive lighting and a troupe of down-to-earth hipster hosts. Witnessing how seamlessly it all comes together, one thing’s certain: there’s definitely some magic at work.
Kul, Copenhagen
Ambitious small plates From 400DKK (approx €55) restaurantkul.dk