Kong Hans Kælder () – Copenhagen

Next on the list for Copenhagen was Kong Hans Kælder.

This is an intimate spot with a classic fine dining atmosphere — dim lighting and white tablecloths. I personally found the space a bit stuffy (figuratively and literally), but I do understand the appeal.

Service:

The service at Kong Hans was almost without flaw. The staff was impeccable and greeted us as we walked in and answered our questions with enthusiasm. I felt our sommelier was especially passionate and I could feel that through our discussion.

The only hiccup during service was being served flat sparkling water instead of the still water I requested halfway through the service. An honest mistake, but noticeable nonetheless.

Food:

I’ll give the disclaimer here that my palate leans more towards punchy flavors. I think the dishes were well done for what they were, but not everything matched my preference (perhaps this just speaks to my taste for French cuisine).

I’d personally skip the juice offerings if visiting again.

1. Oyster & horseradish – 6/10. Not a fan of horseradish but the oysters were alright.

2. Shrimp Cocktail – 8.5/10. Great bite, with a pleasant mix of salty, sweet and a nice crunch.

3. King Crab – 6/10. Nothing special. 3 o’ clock.

4. Caviar & Quail Egg – 3/10. I don’t think I understood this dish. The caviar and quail egg seemed to work against each other rather than with, so I might be missing something. 9 o’ clock.

5. The best from the goose (whipped foie gras) – 6/10. I like foie gras, but didn’t get much taste from this. 6 o’ clock.

6. Pissaladiere – 7/10. Warm with an interesting texture. 9 o’ clock.

7. Mushroom a la crème – 6/10. Nothing memorable. 3 o’ clock (I believe)

8. Fasandwich – 7/10. Beautiful presentation on this dish, my dining partners enjoyed the flavor far more than I did. 6 o’ clock.

9. Bread and Butter – 8/10. Deliciously salted butter with solid bread – only felt the bread was a slight bit dry.

10. Caviar & Potato – 9/10. Hearty dish. The potato excellently balanced out the saltiness of the caviar. No complaints.

11. Turbot – 7/10. This was deboned tableside and then served with a sauce on top. I did enjoy this, but felt like it was just good fish. I didn’t think there was anything particularly special / wouldn’t be surprised if I had received this dish somewhere in the states.

12. Scallop – 7/10. The scallop was cooked to perfection, but I didn’t find texture of the added truffle or assorted bits in the sauce to my liking.

13. Quail – 8.5/10. A pleasant departure from the heavier sauce that dominated the menu. The sauce was excellent. Plated beautifully and cooked very well.

14. White truffle and Gnocchi – 8.5/10. Rich and warm. No complaints here, this was a good dish, but at the same time I didn’t think there was anything particularly innovative or special going on.

15. Pithivier – 8/10. Very impressive presentation and a well balanced bite. Our party was an odd number so we were given an extra left-over serving of this.

16. Champagne granita – 8.5/10. Citrusy, refreshing. A good palate cleanser

17. Blueberry en surprise – 9/10. Amazing mix of crunch and sweetness. A brilliant dessert with delightful presentation.

18. Dessert Trolley – 6-8.5/10. An effort in quantity with a few gems shining through. Seemingly endless plates (12 courses, to be exact) of desserts of varied quality and nature. My favorites were the citrus tart and pate de fruit. Didn’t care for the marshmallow or butter cookie. Packed the remainder to go which was a nice touch.

For an experience at this price point, I was hoping to be blown away by at least one dish. Kong Hans, while having high quality dishes with strong preparation, did not do that for me.