Chef Morten at the Djingis Khan, Lund, Sweden
Ξ November 3rd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ A Day at a Time, International Terroirs, Restaurant Reviews, Tasting Notes |
A Swedish Hotel, a Danish Chef and an unforgettable experience.
Lund it is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and has a rich history, however nowadays you could be forgiven for not knowing much about it. It is therefore surprising to find in this out of the way town, in an out of the way hotel, a chef who personifies the word maverick. His name is Morten, and after 2 stays at the hotel I’m convinced he is a genius!
As some background the hotel is the Djingis Khan named not for the infamous Mongol Warlord, but for a comedy review put on by University students every 5 years! During my first trip to the hotel I was unprepared for the first evening, on asking for the menu I was told there wasn’t one – each night the meal selection was of Morten’s choosing, simple as that. If you asked he told you what it was, otherwise it arrived on the plate and you ate it. Although it sounded strange I was treated to some delicious food (this was over a year ago so forgive my addled memory that I can’t recount what I had). I stayed in the hotel a further 2 nights and each evening food was served blind and thoroughly enjoyed. To further add enjoyment Morten likes selecting wines that stretch the otherwise conservative Swedish lists – I savoured delicious reds from Cigales and Puglia, Barbera from Lombardy and Viognier from South Australia.
So some 12 months later I was hoping Morten was still there so I could revisit this oasis of food and wine culture. Sure enough he was walking up from the basement and there was a flash of recognition on his face and a “see you for dinner?” as I checked in.
As I sat down at a free table he explained he had been to see the dentist that day so way not feeling great, as such he apologised that all he could offer was a sandwich, which was fine with me. A glass of Cusumano Nero d’Avola / Syrah, the Benuara 2007, warmed me up with its young, fruity vanilla-cherry nose, the Nero d’Avola aspect initially showing, but which developed into herb and pepper aspects as the Syrah came through. One of the most intriguing things about the wine though was its closure – a Vino-Lok (VinTegra) glass stopper, something I’d previously only seen on German whites. Even though it’s been more than 4 years since they’ve been used commercially it’s still unusual to see bottles with this closure type in the U.K.
The “sandwich” arrived, and it turned out to be as inappropriately named as it possible. Gourmet plate, 2 lightly toasted, thin sliced, pieces of baguette style bread encasing cheese, ham, salami, salad leaved (including rocket) tomato and fennel all topped with a fried egg, the warm yolk mixing with the other ingredients to combine into a taste sensation, aided by a few fresh blackberries on the side of the plate and decorated with a stripe of balsamic glaze. This was a perfect flavour combination and one of the best sandwiches I’d had for a long time. Each ingredient melded perfectly, the salami, the roquette, the texture of the cheese & tomato, the oozing yolk of the fried egg. Even on an off-day Morten created food to be enjoyed.
The Cusumano took a back-seat to the meal; it couldn’t match the food and ended up being used as a digestif at the end, although it was delicious in its own right. Over time the wine definitely developed in the glass, the peppery Syrah component showing through but never losing its front-forward fruit. 3+/5.
Following the meal I asked what other wines Morten had behind the small hotel bar. First out was a South African white, the Rijk’s Private Cellar “Iceberg”, which we initially couldn’t decide whether this was some unusual new grape variety, but actually is a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 19% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Chenin Blanc. I’ve had experience of this producer before, having enjoyed their excellent Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc in the past (see a Tale of two Chenins). This blend was a highly aromatic wine, almost pungent in the mouth, and was bone dry, pleasant enough. 3/5.
The next taster was something special, a golden glass of de Bortoli “Noble One” Botrytis Semillon, 2003 vintage. This was delicious; a tangy, sweet & sour caramel nose with some citrus, maybe a touch of chemical epoxy or tar. The deep golden colour suggests something older but the taste is young, sweet with a vibrant acidity and good length leaving you salivating long after you’ve swallowed the last drop. 4/5.
As we chatted Morten told me of his friend Erik Gemal Jensen at Le Sommelier restaurant in Copenhagen, recommending it to me next time I’m in the city. I’ve had a quick look at the web-site and it does look promising! Apparently Morten and Erik worked together a few years ago (although I didn’t get full details it involved wine). Then there was another blind tasting, a floral white, elegant and dry. I hazarded a guess at South America but was embarrassed when shown a bottle of Sancerre. As soon as it came out the floral nose took on a certain pungency which screamed Sauvignon Blanc and reconfirmed my abject failure at any and all blind tasting experiments!
As it was getting late we said goodnight, Morten had a dentists appointment the next day but was hopeful he’d be working in the evening. When I came down to the restaurant the second night I was relieved to see him behind the bar, his visit to the dentist hadn’t been as bad as he’d been expecting, although the evening’s menu was once again a sandwich of unspecified construction! To keep us both going (I’d been joined by my Danish colleague Birgitte) a glass of Viognier, the Bridlewood 2005 Reserve, Central Coast, California was poured. It had a buttery, floral nose, heady and perfumed with an oily texture, thickly coating the mouth with a peach-stone aspect and long finish. 3+/5.
The sandwich arrived and it was even better than the night before; woodcock, asparagus, apple slices and salad leaved, again with the blackberries on the side, delicious again. The semi-dry Viognier went well with the ingredients, even the asparagus. During the meal Birgitte chatted to Morten in Danish and gleaned some interesting background information. In the late 90’s he spent time in France – La Rochelle and a couple of years in Bordeaux. He’s also an artist and had no formal Chef training, working at the hotel out of enjoyment.
The red of the evening was Lindeman’s Cawarra 2007 Shiraz Cabernet, which had an excellent nose – ash, spice and lots of fruit. However the taste was a little underwhelming, no variation from start to finish and a little dull. 3/5 in the way it was made, but for me 2/5 for “excitement” (or lack thereof).
Again Morten presented me with a blind-tasting; a white with a smoky nose, dry with a fair amount of oak. I guessed half-heartedly at a Pouilly Fumé, detecting some characteristics I associate with Sauvignon Blanc, but once again I was wrong, and it turned out to be an Alsace Gewürztraminer, the Kuentz-Bas 2005 . In my defence I claim this was one of the most atypical Gewürztraminers I’ve ever had, I didn’t get any of the Alsace style I am usually so fond of! – even after the “reveal” I had trouble reconciling the taste, but it was a decent 3/5 nonetheless.
We finished with more of the Bridlewood and another glass of the Noble One from the previous night. I’m planning another trip to Lund in December, so I’m looking forward to at least one more evening of blind tastings and delicious food with Morten at the Djingis Khan, a partnership that guarantees unusual and surprisingly delightful food and wine.
Greybeard.
