Inside Copenhagen’s Alchemist: Chef Rasmus Munk on food, provocation and his India-inspired dishes

There are 2 impressions inspired by India connected Danish edifice Alchemist’s menu: 1 takes its cue from pani puri, the different from the dosa. Danish cook Rasmus Munk, however, is yet to sojourn the country, though helium hopes to alteration that soon, with a tentative travel pencilled successful for April adjacent year.

In Copenhagen, Rasmus’s immersive eating acquisition is known for its standard and ambition. Two Michelin stars, 50 impressions (as the courses are called), and aggregate portion pairings travel unneurotic to signifier a repast that tin agelong to 8 hours. Diners are not seated astatine a azygous array but determination betwixt the Lounge, the Dome and the Balcony, each offering a chiseled atmosphere.

Speaking astir Alchemist, Rasmus says, “For me, it’s truly a mode to explicit myself. It’s a mode to beryllium originative and to spot nutrient and the edifice arsenic an creator mean — 1 that tin convey things I judge are important successful society. Like a instrumentalist creating an medium with 20 songs astir antithetic emotions, I spot this edifice successful the aforesaid way: arsenic a level to pass ideas that substance to us.”

At 34, the cook is known for utilizing his tasting paper to provoke thought arsenic overmuch arsenic appetite. One impression, 1984, inspired by George Orwell, is served wrong an eye, with diners spooning into a caviar-topped ‘pupil’. Beneath it lies a crockery of lobster claw, corn, Swedish chanterelles, crunchy crouton and codfish oculus gel. As warnings astir integer surveillance go, this 1 is disarmingly delicious. Another crockery — crispy cod cheeks successful collagen batter with algae — is designed to lucifer plastic. As Rasmus notes, “For me, it’s rewarding erstwhile radical speech astir integrative successful the water oregon organ donation, alternatively of discussing the acidity of a sauce. I deliberation it’s absorbing that nutrient tin bash that.”

More than a meal

Beyond Alchemist, Rasmus is besides the laminitis of Spora, a probe laboratory exploring caller nutrient systems. The laboratory precocious launched Notch, a cocoa-free ‘chocolate’ made from spent atom successful Denmark. He besides runs Junk Food, a non-profit inaugural that feeds implicit 1,000 radical regular and has served much than a cardinal meals to date.

Research from Spora often finds its mode onto The Alchemist’s menu. This includes abstraction breadstuff designed to beryllium sent into orbit, and a grain-based dessert developed done laboratory experimentation. “There’s beardown synergy betwixt the 2 kitchens,” Rasmus explains. “At Spora, chefs enactment intimately with researchers. Everything determination indispensable beryllium sustainable, scalable and, of course, delicious.”

This grounding successful subject has led to published probe and collaborations with the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, including enactment connected converting c dioxide into protein.

Feeding radical crossed income brackets is cardinal to Rasmus’s philosophy. At Alchemist, this takes the signifier of provocation arsenic overmuch arsenic nourishment: jellyfish (considered a pest), freeze-dried butterfly (a macromolecule source), and lamb brain, presented arsenic a telephone to usage each portion of the animal. Presentation is integral. In 1 instance, a chickenhearted ft is served intact, claws included, to punctual reflection connected concern nutrient production. Many of these impressions unfold beneath the restaurant’s immense dome, accompanied by immersive videos created by its in-house studio, ranging from staring eyeballs to jellyfish morphing into plastic, and adjacent the sensation of being wrong a beating heart.

With a planetary assemblage — Alchemist is ranked No. 5 connected The World’s 50 Best Restaurants database successful 2025 — taste responses vary. “The astir challenging crockery connected the menu,” Rasmus says, “is not the mealworms, butterflies, lamb brains oregon cow’s udder. It’s our noodle.” A cold, saccharine noodle crockery with a tea-like broth, made from tapioca, often puzzles diners unfamiliar with its chewy texture. “But guests from Thailand, China oregon Japan emotion it,” helium adds.

Indians, too, are acquainted with tapioca, and Rasmus says helium is anxious to acquisition the country’s nutrient civilization first-hand. “It’s 1 of the lone large nutrient countries I haven’t visited yet, possibly the astir important,” helium says. His Nordic dosa uses a five-day fermented batter, filled with Danish Vesterhavost cheese, section ramps and capers. While helium has refined a much accepted batter recipe, helium is holding disconnected connected adding it to the paper until aft his visit. “It has the chewiness, acidity, crisp exterior and brushed interior,” helium says. “But I privation to travel to India earlier I service it astatine Alchemist.”