Albanian owned restaurant ‘Noma’ has been voted as the number one restaurant in the world for the fourth time, by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Chef Rene Redzepi was born in Copenhagen, Denmark but has Albanian heritage from his father’s side. He spent some time in Tetovo, North Macedonia, a predominantly Albanian area where he was influenced by traditional food and fresh, local ingredients. Redzepi started studying cooking at 15-years-old before starting his career in renowned restaurants.
Noma was opened in 2003 when Redzepi was just 25-years-old. It is known for innovation and new interpretations of Nordic cuisine. One of its most famous dishes is called “The Hen and the Egg” and is cooked by the diners themselves. It comprises potato chips, slightly damp hay, a single wild duck egg, salt, wild plants, thyme, butter, garlic sauce, and other wild herbs.
It has appeared on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists a total of 13 times, four times taking the top spot. The award is considered as the Oscars of the fine-dining world.
This year’s award came following a year of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Redzepi said during his acceptance speech:
“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how fragile our dreams can be, how incredibly gruelling and difficult this industry can be. I want to recognise all the restaurants and industry people who have fought for survival. It feels a little weird to be standing on this stage knowing there are so many people still fighting.”
