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Did you manage to snag a ticket to René Redzepi's Noma pop-up in Tokyo before it closed? If you didn't (and you probably didn't), at least you're in good company: according to Reuters, Noma officially shuttered for good on Valentine's Day, having served 2,800 people and leaving a stunning 62,000 diners on the waiting list.
Redzepi's two-star Michelin establishment in Copenhagen has been ranked Best Restaurant In The World for four straight years. In January, he set the Japanese culinary scene aflame by bringing his clean, primarily vegetarian flavors to the 37th floor of the Mandarin Hotel. Demand for the $340-per-person meal — which included courses like prawns with ants, black fermented garlic, and squash with dried ume —could scarcely be accommodated.
Redzepi thoroughly loved feeding Japanese diners, calling them "more curious" and "more adventurous" than his typical clientele. Despite that, he has no plans to open a permanent restaurant in Tokyo, saying, "I don't think I can add anything to the city." Redzepi spent a lot of cash on the venture, flying (and ostensibly feeding and housing) 77 people to Japan to work on the pop-up.
If you're one of the many who missed out on the fun, don't fret: you still might be able to snag something when the restaurant sells off all of its furniture.
