Chef behind Denmark's Noma restaurant readies for Kyoto launch

Rene Redzepi to offer fusion of Scandinavian and Japanese influences

For chef Rene Redzepi, who spent 10 days in Kyoto during his first trip to Japan in 2009, the upcoming Noma Kyoto residency feels like a second homecoming: "It's one of my favorite places in the world," he says. (Courtesy of Amy Tang)

MELINDA JOE, Contributing writer

December 7, 2022 08:00 JST

KYOTO -- For much of November, Rene Redzepi, acclaimed chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, hiked 35 kilometers a day in preparation for a high-profile culinary event next year.

Over the course of 30 days this autumn, the 44-year-old Dane walked the length of the Shikoku Henro, a 1,200-km circular pilgrimage route that passes 88 temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku. The pilgrimage was a prelude to a more complex logistical feat: Next spring, Redzepi will move his restaurant and more than 70 Noma employees to Kyoto for a 10-week residency that will coincide with sakura, or cherry blossom, season.