Noma Hitting the Road in January for 10-Week Pop-Up Down Under

Copenhagen's celebrated restaurant, Noma, will shutter briefly next January as the whole staff heads to Australia for a 10-week pop-up, chef/owner Rene Redzepi announced Sunday. The restaurant will make its temporary home at Bangaroo in Sydney. Redzepi writes:

Australia has always drawn me in; its great cities, its generous people, and of course its ever-present sun. But what really boggles my mind is the differences you find in its landscapes and ingredients, because honestly I have never seen anything like it.

The Noma excursion will focus on utilizing native Australian flavors from coastal shellfish to Tasmanian pepper leaf. "Since my first trip to Australia several years ago I've been wanting to spend more time there — exploring, tasting, and understanding its ingredients."

This isn't the first time Noma has hit the road. Last winter, the Michelin-starred restaurant launched a five-week pop-up in Tokyo. During its run, the temporary restaurant served 2,800 people and left a staggering 62,000 diners on the waiting list. Noma was rated the World's Best Restaurant for four years in a row, though it fell to number three this year. In the release, Redzepi implies this will be Noma's final excursion. Stay tuned for more details.