Located in Skåne-Tranås Sweden, about 2.5 hours from Copenhagen by way of Train and Bus for those…read morewho plan the route in advance, Daniel Berlin Krog is one of those out-of-the way places known about by those who travel to dine that has recently gained attention in the popular media, the young Chef operating his restaurant and inn without compromise and surrounded by family.
Taking locavorism to a new level ever since departing Malmo to open something more intimate in 2009, the eponymous restaurant inside a pale yellow house sourcing nearly 3/4 of its ingredients from the Chef's own yard or garden with the rest coming from within 3 miles, it was on foot from the Bus Stop that guests approached the space just a few hundred meters away, Berlin himself standing out in the middle of the street with a broad smile saying "Welcome, I presume you're looking for me?" before leading each one to an outdoor patio which was finally warm enough to seat diners for the very first time in 2017.
At this point a fairly difficult reservation at either lunch or dinner, the online system on his site clearly stating when certain dates will become available and usually booked to capacity for ~3 month blocks within a few hours several months in advance, diners joining Berlin at lunch are promised a seven-course Chef's tasting that is doubled by way of canapés, amuses and mignardises, dietary preferences welcomed and usually able to be accounted for as the restaurant reaches out to inquire by e-mail nearly 48 hours in advance.
In many ways not unlike other great Nordic restaurants in terms of its focus on foraging and preservation, but perhaps even more focused than noma or kadeau in terms of its chef's fanaticism for terroir, lunch at the small table shaded by a tent began with a gently poached Quail Egg wrapped in two types of housemade Charcuterie and topped with Herbs from the garden, a creamy single bite flooding the mouth with flavor with bite number two similar yet different, a crispy ring of Wheat damming in a flood of Tarragon Cream topped with tiny snips of the garden's very first Broccoli.
Having now received enough recognition to support other members of the community, Hogs "raised just up the road" and Butter "from a farm just a mile that way ::pointing::" featured in courses to follow, dish three saw confit Pork Belly served as a Jam atop a leavened Pancake also topped in preserved Plums, compressed apple and Cress, the liver of a Pigeon shot on-property just a few days prior following in the form of a creamy twig coated in bold spices and Chestnut Flour.
Next showing off the breadth of his garden by way of crudités served on a large block of ice, the tangle of shaved Zucchini and salted Pumpkin Seeds a very memorable bite despite the apparent simplicity of just two ingredients, Bread at Daniel Berlin is also special in that the stone-ground Wheat is enhanced by the skins of Vegetables roasted and folded into the batter while the Butter comes in two forms, both good but the Goat version particularly funky and impressive enough that one may want a second loaf as an excuse to finish every last bit of it.
Eschewing any desire to source luxury ingredients like Caviar, Foie Gras or exotic fishes, Berlin instead finding his muse in local streams and fields where he and his team hunt, fish and pick, course one of the proper menu featured thin slices of Mackerel served in a spiral atop fresh Peas and a fragrant Green Broth, the Cucumbers to follow taking on a similar form with Raw Shrimp in an acidic bath of Rhubarb floating Dill Oil.
Transitioning from cold to warm with course three, everything eating very light and clean with a focus on the subtle interplay between flesh and Herbs, Dayboat Cod was presented as an inch thick disc filling the bottom of a bowl with a level pour of foamy Birch Butter and crunchy Broad Beans, the Flower Petals adding a bitterness that bridged well to a dish of Cauliflower Soup thickened with Egg Yolk and Mushrooms with cracklins' made of Rooster Skin.
Truly a lovely setting, the service professional but friendly and the gentle breeze enough to almost lull one to sleep between courses, a filet of Halibut was next presented to diners between grilled Cabbage and meaty pieces off the Fish's back cooked in Bone Marrow, a three-piece discovery of locally raised Lamb following alongside a gently cooked Onion rounding out savories en route to a truly exemplary Cheese Course offering the same Goat's Milk aged for 10 day and 3 months alongside three types of Bread and a trio of Jams and Jellies.
Declining Coffee or Tea, the likelihood of either being 'local' fairly low, it was with two Desserts that the two and a half hour experience came to a finish, the bowl of Cow's Colostrum, fresh Sheep's Milk and Frozen Buttermilk a beautiful composition with just a touch of Citrus while the Berry Sorbet translated in any language as the pure essence of summer.
