Bourdain’s Field Notes
COPENHAGEN, October 2013—I do not, by temperament or inclination, gravitate towards Scandinavian countries. I am intimidated and made uncomfortable by safe, clean, orderly places where everything works and people seem creepily content.
I’m a guy who tends to fall in love with hot, messy, barely functional places, where fiery arguments are common, and one is pleasantly surprised if one’s luggage arrives in good order, if at all.
So, it comes as something of a surprise that what we came back with after a week shooting in Copenhagen—in what is said to be the “happiest country on earth”—is perhaps the finest, most technically accomplished, best looking hour of television we’ve ever made. It’s just fucking … gorgeous.
It’s a show centered around one restaurant, Noma, and one chef, René Redzepi. Both have been written about many times.
But no one, I think, has ever shown you what we’re going to show you.