Dinner at Noma’s Los Angeles Residency Will Cost $1500

Fans of chef René Redzepi and his groundbreaking Noma restaurant can start getting in line on Monday, Jan. 26 for the Los Angeles residency this spring. Well, not literally in line, since the Noma will pop-up at what is reportedly a historic venue in a Silver Lake residential neighborhood where the address won’t be revealed until reservations are made.

Aspiring diners can sign up for Noma’s newsletter by Jan. 23 to have a chance at reservations that will be released starting Jan. 26 — as long as they agree to a crew filming on the premises during service for a future documentary project. If a reservation is granted, the $1500 per person is due immediately — though it will include beverage pairing, tax and tip.

Founded in Copenhagen in 2003, Noma has been named the world’s No. 1 restaurant four times and its elaborate tasting menus emphasize foraging, fermentation and local ingredients in conversation with Redzepi’s Nordic roots.

Redzepi is going to great lengths to establish the L.A. outpost from March 11 to June 26. After previous residencies in cities including Tokyo, Kyoto and Tulum, Mexico, the L.A. location will be the first longer-term project in the U.S. outside of a four-day stint in Brooklyn in 2022. Also planned for somewhere in Silver Lake is a Noma Projects shop where housemade items such as vinegar, garum and coffee will be for sale.

Redzepi explained in a statement how he chose the location. “It had to be Los Angeles,” he wrote. “I love this region. The vast Pacific. The farmers’ markets overflowing with produce in the middle of January. A place where you can have tacos for breakfast and a Thai tasting menu in an alleyway for dinner. Oaxacan mole from a strip mall. A great-grandmother’s kimchi soup served at 2 a.m. in Koreatown.

“L.A. is a city of wild contrasts — a place that makes you ask: how can these things go together?”

“For this residency, our work will be shaped by the landscapes surrounding the city — from the Pacific to the mountains and deserts beyond — and by the people who know them best,” the Noma team added in a statement. “We’ve spent the past few months listening, learning, and building a new pantry of flavors rooted in this place, filtered through our imagination and the experience we bring with us from Copenhagen. We can’t wait to share this work over the next coming months.”

In addition to collaborations with other L.A. restaurants, Redzepi will bring other chefs from Copenhagen for pop-ups, and his MAD non-profit will host talks like the October event that included director Lulu Wang.

Redzepi is bringing numerous kitchen staffers, their families and children to L.A., which explains part of the high cost of the meal. The restaurant will also provide work experience and mentorships to students from underserved communities.