Restaurant Koan
Fine dining restaurant · Poul Ankers Gade
Langeliniekaj 5, 2100 København, Denmark
Highlights
Nordic/Korean tasting menu with unique dishes like Kkwabaegi
Nordic/Korean tasting menu with unique dishes like Kkwabaegi
"This elegant restaurant provides a hugely engaging experience from start to finish, with its technically accomplished and completely original cooking. The heritage of Korean-born chef-owner Kristian Baumann influences the flavours and techniques across the multi-course tasting menu, where refined, creative dishes are built around superb ingredients; you might find the likes of ‘Kkwabaegi & Cream’, a modern take on a traditional Korean twisted doughnut, but using a feather-light brioche dipped into whipped butter. Service is professional yet relaxed, and the whole event is perfectly choreographed." - Michelin Inspector
"A dinner at Koan will make you wonder why Korean and Danish ingredients and techniques aren't paired more often. The 17-course menu starts with an oyster, gamtae seaweed, and chilled lobster noodles before ramping up to a kwabaegi—a pillowy Korean donut served with a blob of creamy Danish butter on the side—and gamasot-steamed rice served with fjord shrimps. It's like an autobiography, in food form, of a chef who was born in Korea and grew up in Denmark. We also love the warehouse-like space with soaring ceilings and warm wooden tables and chairs. It's just right for a birthday or celebration, though reservations aren't easy to get. Start trying weeks in advance." - mary holland
"A dinner at Koan will make you wonder why Korean and Danish ingredients and techniques aren't paired more often. The 17-course menu starts with an oyster, gamtae seaweed, and chilled lobster noodles before ramping up to a kwabaegi—a pillowy Korean donut served with a blob of creamy Danish butter on the side—and gamasot-steamed rice served with fjord shrimps. It's like an autobiography, in food form, of a chef who was born in Korea and grew up in Denmark. We also love the warehouse-like space with soaring ceilings and warm wooden tables and chairs. It's just right for a birthday or celebration, though reservations aren't easy to get. Start trying weeks in advance. RESERVE A TABLE" - Mary Holland
"Just months after opening in a permanent location in Langeliniekaj after popup stints, Koan earned two Michelin stars. Chef and owner Kristian Baumann, who helmed now-shuttered 108 when the restaurant earned a Michelin star, explores the flavors and techniques of Korea primarily using local, seasonal produce. Some repeat standouts from the tasting menu include the mandu with seasonal fillings, a savory take on kkwabaegi (twisted Korean donuts) with ice cream and caviar, and the showstopping sundae (Korean blood sausage) made with Troldgaarden pork and preserved black currants. The beverage pairings from Baumann’s business partner, Lasse Peder Nielsen, include some elegant, low-intervention wines, mainly from Europe but also Australia and the U.S. The founders also operate Juju, a more casual, a la carte restaurant, offering playful spins on Korean street food." - Anna Norström
"Kristian Baumann, formerly head chef at 108, was born in South Korea and adopted by a Danish family as a baby. His new project, Koan, is an exploration of his multifaceted heritage in tasting-menu format."
