iBestTravel

Your Gateway to the Best Travel Experiences

Exclusive Culinary Collaboration: Noma & Nahm Unite for One Night

iBest Traveller03 mins

Noma’s Culinary Collaboration at Nahm in Bangkok

A Unique Experience

The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle, held on July 9, witnessed 37 of the world’s finest chefs swapping kitchens for a one-night-only culinary event. Renowned chef René Redzepi of Noma traveled from Copenhagen to Bangkok’s Nahm to create a unique menu inspired by the local culture and ingredients.

The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle on July 9 saw 37 of the world's best chefs swapping kitchens for a few days to produce a unique menu inspired by the restaurant they were sent to for one dinner service only. Joined by his sous chefs Thomas Frebel (left) and Beau Clugston (center), René Redzepi of Noma left his Copenhagen kitchen to takeover Bangkok's Nahm.
The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle – The event brought together top chefs to create inspired dishes for a unique dining experience.

Bringing Local Flavors Together

Although the visiting chefs were required to use local ingredients, the Noma team supplemented with some of their own to save time during preparation. An exciting dish that emerged was “durian with cabbage,” featuring a combination of Thai and Nordic flavors.

Although the visiting chefs were required to use local ingredients, the Noma team brought some of their own with them because there would be no time to prepare them from scratch. Here, Frebel grates local Kaffir lime rind onto dehydrated cabbage, a component of one of the most talked-about dishes of the night, simply titled "durian with cabbage."
Frebel preparing ingredients, showcasing the creativity behind the “durian with cabbage” dish.

Teamwork and Collaboration

The chefs collaborated closely, borrowing equipment and sharing techniques. Clugston, for instance, encountered an unfamiliar Pacojet while making rice ice-cream.

The chefs had to borrow equipment from other restaurants to complete components of the meal. Clugston found himself faced with an unfamiliar model of a Pacojet -- a machine that chefs rely on to quickly make ice-creams and sorbets -- to make rice ice-cream for a dessert dish.
Collaboration in the kitchen was essential, with chefs adapting to new tools and techniques.

Execution and Service

The Nahm kitchen staff were divided into teams to prepare and deliver 15 unique dishes. Executive chef Chris Miller coordinated with his team to ensure everything ran smoothly during the dinner service.

The 30-odd kitchen staff of Nahm were split into section teams dedicated to prepping and delivering the 15 dishes of the night. Here, executive chef Chris Miller of Nahm (second left) discusses logistics with Nahm head chef Prin Polsuk and chef Clugston.
Logistical discussions between the Nahm kitchen team ensured smooth execution of the evening’s service.

Culinary Highlights

Among the standout dishes was the use of ‘nahm pla raa’ (fermented fish sauce), which was showcased as a sweet sauce accompanying pumpkin. This melding of flavors pointed to the innovative spirit of the collaboration.

Fans of fermentation, Noma's chefs loved the idea of using 'nahm pla raa' (fermented fish sauce), which they strained to use as a sweet sauce with pumpkin.
Noma’s use of local fermentation techniques resulted in unique flavor profiles that delighted diners.

Conclusion

The collaborative event provided an unforgettable experience for both chefs and diners alike, creating lasting memories and showcasing the incredible fusion of global culinary artistry.

Chef Frebel cooked over 100 eggs for 20 minutes at 68 degrees Celsius and then placed them in an ice bath. After a quick demo, the young Nahm chefs took over and carefully peeled the eggs, removing the whites to leave just the soft yolk, which was then gently placed in a sauce.
Chef Frebel’s guidance allowed young chefs to learn and experiment, enriching their culinary experiences.


Related Posts

Back To Top