Can’t afford Noma?
Copenhagen isn’t necessarily the city for wealthy gourmets, and Relae is one of the prime examples for wallet-friendly eateries. Situated in one of the city’s farther hoods, this was a casual, well-buzzed bistro. Wooden minimalist and exposed brick walls. Open kitchen. No table cloth. No waiter. The menu, the cutlery and the napkins were securely placed in a drawer at your table. There were two four-course “Tasting” options on the menu – vegetarian or none of that – each conveniently priced at 345kr (£39 approx). The meal was speedy. Your chefs played knowledgeable servers. And you could add alcohol, though the wine list was very brief.
Superlative innovations..
There were, of course, compromises on ingredients. For roughly a tenner per course, I wouldn’t be expecting anything exotic. The key features were a lot of humble root vegetables (as it was winter time) and cheaper cuts of meat. To counter this was Relae’s superlatively cutting-edge approach to cooking. Jerusalem Artichokes as ‘amuse bouche’ were expertly baked and finished with a smearing of lemon balm on top. The sugary creaminess of the ‘chokes was well enhanced by the perfuming citrus-y dressing. The bread could easily rival Noma. My first course of Mussels and Potatoes was flawless. The gently poached mussels were brought to life by the seaweed broth. The latter was not aggravatingly seaweed-y but retained mild acidity. Potato allumettes – prepared two ways as poached for an al dente effect and deep fried – added texture contrast and sweet flour-like consistency. I also liked Carrots, Rapeseeds and Chenin Blanc, the centrepieces of which were chunks of roasted carrots coated in toasted rapeseeds and toppled with crispy carrot skins (who needs crispy bacon!?). The carrot puree, infused with Chenin Blanc reduction, oozed delectable fruity-ness. Quite a sweet dish. Veal Tongue and Anchovy was comfort with a touch of genius. Gelatinously meaty veal was moist and boast carnivorous forte. The ‘grilled’ jus was given a twist of anchovy infusion, rendering the jus itself more robust in taste, while the petal-shaped slices of salsify roots injected appetisingly bitter freshness to counter meaty richness. The dessert was truly exciting. Vibrant mandarin oranges were segmented and granita-ed; the buttermilk sorbet appeased the former’s tangy-ness; the raw egg yolk (yes “raw egg yolk”!!) clouded by the icy elements wasn’t too acquired a taste. Rather, it helped create a gel-like body for the dish. Interestingly, the dish was balanced and there was not much foul taste coming from a raw yolk. The coldness might be instrumental in numbing my palate a little. It worked.
So… the bill did not bring tears to my eyes or bring “Declined” to the credit card machine. And for those who can afford Noma but don’t feel like ceremoniously numbing your bums for 3-4 hours, Relae is also a cheerful alternative 
GO FOR: Thoughtful, relaxed and affordable innovations.
RATING: 5/5
RELAE
Jægersborggade 41
2200 Copenhagen
Denmark
Tel. +45 3696 6609