The two Michelin-starred Copenhagen-based restaurant- Noma has announced plans of opening a new venture. The new undertaking by the famed Danish chef René Redzapi, will be a burger and chips joint. Noma is a world renowned restaurant, infamous for its 18 course menus that have been revolutionising the culinary world since 2003. It was named as the second best restaurant in the world by the Restaurant Magazine in 2019 after consistently acing the race four times.
POPL: The New Pop-Up Sensation
The new burger joint will be called POPL and will be inaugurated on the 3rd of December. The word is a derivation of the Latin word ‘populus’ meaning people. The idea was tested during the summer weeks as a temporary pop-up and was able to attract large crowds of gastronomes for its beef and veggie burgers. Catering to the changing fast food scenario especially with the ongoing restrictions in place, POPL will be open for takeaways and walk-in dinning instead of the famed reservation tradition. The menu will also be quite concise and pocket-friendly, consisting of beef and veggie burgers with chips, fries and a few other options for sides. These changes have been implemented to make the menu more conducive to the price range of most fast food joints. The burgers are priced just over £17 and fries are valued at £6.
The Exciting New Endeavour
The ideation of this new venture in the midst of the raging pandemic was not simple. It was partly a result of the Covid-19 caused devastation in the hospitality industry. Noma’s sister venue had to be permanently closed in September due to the adverse effects of the pandemic. This new enterprise will be much simpler and cheaper than its predecessor. However, there will be no compromise over the creative technique, organic materials and attention to details that characterises the classic Redzepi style.
Commenting on the impending change Redzepi noted, ‘It’s a pretty huge change, and a big moment for me.’ Speaking on the ideation of the venture he added, ‘All that time I’ve been cooking at the finest restaurants, the best of the best. With that came very tight and organised kitchens, reservation lists, small dinner services of a maximum of 60 people, and hype. This summer, when we could go out on the streets again, we thought OK, we’ll do something that is a common denominator for everyone. What is the number one food that everyone likes? A burger.’